Modern War
Modern warfare is terrorism. This alarms me. What, in point of fact, is the difference between a terrorist walking into a crowded bus stop and blowing himself up, and everyone else around, and a pilot of a U.S. bomber dropping a large explosive on some part of a city? Oh, I forgot, there is intention. Intentions don't seem to me to mean a whole lot if there is the same net result: people blow up who have nothing to do with fighting the war. I think the boat was missed (and badly) when people try to discuss the particulars of this or that war (Iraq being only the latest installment of the bad reasoning debates) when it is the way modern warfare exists that is immoral. But terrorists (one may object) don't have a goal; the U.S. is trying to bring liberty, equality, fraternity, to these poor nations. Then I guess the ends justify the means. For if the immoral practices can have good results then it is all worth it in the end. Seems to me a rather poor way to live. And die. And make war.
While I whole heartedly agree with your statement, the difficulty is the "enemy" seems to be hiding among the citizens. I am, here, thinking of the Israel/Lebanon situation. On the one hand, Israel by attacking Hesbula (sp?) must bomb cities. They are forced, in defending themselves, to kill innocent bystanders and all becuase the enemy doesn't have the decency to come out into the open fields to die. The nerve!
Argued by
Andrew Simone |
9:32 AM
The Israel/Lebanon thing is a bunch of bullshit. How can you claim to be defending yourselves when you are bombing a foreign country? How did Israel come to be in the first place? A bunch of dudes with guns shot and killed a bunch of other dudes and invaded Palestine and took over. Israel is a terrorist state in the first place. They are the only counrty that can flaunt international law and treaties at will and no one gives a fuck. Forced indeed.
And the point of the whole thing was that it is not morally acceptable to use immoral means to an end. Fuck Israel, and fuck modern wars.
Argued by
beitiathustra |
10:58 AM
No, I agree total Israel/Lebanon is total bullshit. My point was that it is seemingly impossible for anybody, these days, to defend a country or even "defend a country" without doing the sort of things which you (and I) say is immoral.
That impossibility almost disturbs me more than the immorality of the whole thing.
Argued by
Andrew Simone |
11:54 AM
How can you call it "defending" when you are invading? That is what I question.
Argued by
beitiathustra |
12:17 PM
My intention in the "defending" versus "'defending'" was to not come down either way, although the "total bullshit" line betrays that I view it more as "defending" than defending.
Argued by
Andrew Simone |
12:48 PM
Incidentally, these days I think your question is THE question.
Argued by
Andrew Simone |
12:49 PM