From: Avatar Polymorph (avatarpolymorph@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Aug 29 2002 - 04:01:12 MDT
Lee Corbin makes a number of points.
I agree it is apparently contradictory to value all human life equally and
then value defenceless civilian life more.
However, in the pre-Singularity period we are in the position of having to
temporarily accept layered parameters of operation. For example, I have no
leather products and do not eat meat, not because of the things themselves
but because I wish to remove myself from non-consesnsual killing. I try to
avoid killing anything, but try hardest with mammals and hardest still with
the most sentient mammals. And so forth. Ideally, I would like a Sysop to
protect all humans against non-consensual violence. In the absence of such,
I support rules of war. These include for many the concept of war crimes
being existent and discouraged.
Under these rules, shooting pilots parachuting down is a war crime.
Straffing fleeing unarmed troops is a war crime. Shooting POWs is a war
crime. Bombing civilians is a war crime. Executing civilians is a war crime.
Total war, when it extends to genocide, is totalitarianism by another name.
I would have no problem with using an A-bomb against the Japanese navy. A
military harbour would be a legitimate target. I have no problem with
collateral damage near a military factory. And so on.
I guess in the end we disagree on the very notion of a war crime. I think it
exists, others don't.
===
Just on a weird point, some historians have pointed out from the ancient
world point of view it wasn't Sparta that was the "Evil Emprie" but Rome.
>From a non-Roman perspective, Rome bought the following:
. the first Jewish Holocaust (1 million dead) with the bar Kochba revolt
. the Celtic genocide (one third of the population of 3-5 million dead)
. the Carthaginian genocide (? dead).
Also there would have been many Ibero-Celtic dead. Plus others.
Rome "tolerance" of other religions ... remember the Druids? (Of course,
Romans didn't have human sacrifice... but hold on, Octavian (later Augustus)
had 300 Etruscans offered up as human sacrifices... but that doesn't
count???)
Roman propaganda was almost as good as that of the Persians (especially the
late-period Zoroastrians)... guess who finally put the torch to the ancient
religions of Sumer and Akkad?
rave rave rave
_________________________________________________________________
MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:16:30 MST