Re: POLITICS: Re: grim prospects

From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Fri Apr 12 2002 - 07:44:57 MDT


>From: Harvey Newstrom <mail@HarveyNewstrom.com>

>>On Thursday, April 11, 2002, at 07:30 pm, malcolm wrote:
>> They were given plenty of warning, they were told deliberately
>> not to come, but they did anyway.

>I guess I am missing some major point here. Why does advance
>warning give them the right to murder unarmed civilians? Has the
>Geneva Convention or War Crimes treaties suddenly changed when I
>wasn't looking?

You are missing at least one major point, the Geneva convention
does not apply here. The current Israeli war is probably the most
humane in history.

Who was murdered? We could do without the rhetoric.

>There are specific rules of engagement that are defined and
>recognized by civilized countries. You can't shoot
>non-combatants. You can't shoot unarmed people. You can't shoot
>people who surrendered. You can't shoot people that you have not
>declared war against. You can't shoot reporters, medical
>personnel, relief efforts, or other non-engaged parties.

You cannot approach a closed military zone without permission, if
you do you can be shot. As I've already said the Geneva convention
does not apply here. Reporters do not have rights in military
zones.

>Do extropians really support the death penalty for disobeying a
>news blackout?

Who was killed? What news blackout? What death penalty? This isn't
a criminal case.

>Do extropians really support monopoly sources of information in
>any situation?

No, but existing networks do.

>Do extropians really support armed agents of state governments?

For now I do YMMV.

>I am really surprised at the response I am getting here. It is not
>at all what I would have expected.

This is really just a simple case. The Israelis are at war and
declared Arafats compound a closed military zone. Reporters decided
to ignore the Israelis warning, acting as if they had some right to
intrude, which they did not. The Israelis humanely chased them off
with stun grenades and rubber bullets.

They'll (the reporters) know better next time.

Brian

Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W



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