Thulsa Doom said:
please show me how that has anything to do with what I said thanks. Of course you fire on people who are firing on you. where did I argue against that? What I was saying was that no not EVERY arab you run across in this conflict is by definition a war criminal. And NO you cant shoot people simply because they ARE war criminals. That’s why I gave that anecdote about slaughtering allied WAR PRISONERS in word war II. Why do I always have to carefully re-explain my point to you every time? Its usually not that difficult to grasp really.
Problem is...they will shoot, and scurry into a mosque/school/hospital, and that's supposed to be the end of our shooting back. Different times would have led to just leveling the hospital/school/mosque...even the whole city. We don't do that any more.
TD said:
its amazing to me that you will write a post deriding me for being wrong and then say the exact same thing I just said. Yeah I know… war is hell. Thanks again for pointing that out after I did.
You didn't point out anything...just that your view of how wars are fought is viewed from a person who has only watched TV for their opinion.
Besides. I never meant to says you were wrong. Misguided, perhaps, but not wrong.
TD said:
again we agree. But we also have these conventions and laws so that our troops will be cognizant AT THE TIME that certain actions are beyond the pale and if you engage in them you risk being considered a war criminal yourself. Shooting a man who you think may be seeking to harm you ISNT (as I said) necessarily within this scope. But killing war criminals arbitrarily as gonz suggested certainly is. And I was simply pointing out no you cant go there. Seems to me that is also what YOU were saying rather vehemently earlier in the thread yourself. So remind me why we are arguing again?
To correct any misconceptions you may have.
TD said:
eh?
he was saying HE was responsible for war crimes. So its more like the pot calling the pot black.
But that's not within the context of this argument. You brought this out to strengthen your point on what's happening today, so I put it back within it's context.
TD said:
so because he had issues in Vietnam he cant point out that HE thought HE committed war atrocities during world war two? Yer saying hes not in the best position of anyone to say what HE did in retrospect was monstrous and more deserving to be called a war crime then many things that HAVE been called that since then? youll have to explain the logic on this one again im afraid. I don’t really see it. whether or not he committed war crimes in Vietnam is irrelevant to the point being made about world war II.
Thinking you did something and knowing you did something are two totally different things. We both know that, and should judge what happens as it happens, and leave it within the context of
when it happens.
TD said:
so then you are saying its perfectly reasonable to fire bomb 100,000 civilians in their beds over night but shooting an insurgent who may or may not be threatening you is much more deserving of a war crime investigation? And the logic behind this reasoning is because today we have better more accurate weapons?
Yep. That's exactly what I'm saying. If you know your target, and can hit your target, with better accuracy, then you are more responsible for the fallout of your actions.
TD said:
if you are offended by straight forward no holds barred delivery then I suggest you don’t read my posts. Take your advice and “ignore”. When I see an injustice ill comment exactly the way I feel. Im not running for office or looking to win popularity contests. If someone makes a ridiculous comment EVEN when filled with anger and passion ill still call em on it if its clearly wrong or over the line. Youll just have to accept this about me. I have no problem when people do the same to me. Of course you’ve gotten to the point where you simply see my posts as a reason to disagree. Irregardless of their content. And frankly I find that to be your problem not mine.
Fine, but, as I've said throughout this thread...you can't judge todays science with yesterdays forensics.
That is exactly what you're doing, and why I am correcting what I see to be an error in judgement.