> Kenneth Boyd wrote:
> Let's discriminate between "ethical" rules and "We'd like to have
> something usable afterwards" rules. The latter could be viewed as
> generic education for would-be generals. The former are designed to
> lose
> wars, and are thus ignored by those who wish to be victorious, anyway.
> ---------
> ??? How does that relate to my post? Whether you consider Geneva
> Covenant etc. as "ethical" rules or "We'd like to have something usable
> afterwards" rules, how does it matter?
It matters a *lot*. The magnifying effect you're talking about depends
critically upon distorting the thoughts of "the masses" into using
moral ideas where they *don't* apply. If this sounds like massive
dishonesty...well, you're right.
> I find it highly annoying that Israel's "Our first response to any mass
> offensive is nuclear" is an example of "We'd like to have something
> usable afterwards".
> ---------
> [Patriotism Mode ON]
> Don't try to ensure a reply by opposing my state's policy. I'd always be
> too busy.
> [Patriotism Mode OFF]
> Anyway, your claim is mostly incorrect.
I *like* Israel's policy. It's vastly more aware than U.S. policy.
I'm using a stricter definition of "mass offensive" than you seem to be
using. See below.
> When civilian population (including me :o) was bombed night-by-night for
> something like three months, we did not respond at all, although we
> could launch a nuclear attack on Iraq without being harmed by fallout.
"mass offensive" := "Samson case". I count the above instance as
"small-scale" warfare.
[CLIP]
> If you consider 'Our first response to any mass offensive is nuclear' as
> an example of 'We'd like to have something usable afterwards', then what
> isn't 'We'd like to have something usable afterwards'?
In general, the destruction of capital that *isn't* being used against you,
and that you can exploit quickly after capturing it. Admittedly, this is
a rare instance.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/ Towards the conversion of data into information....
/
/ Kenneth Boyd
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////