Author Topic: The rules of War (Read 649 times)

Nashwan · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2006, 06:41:49 AM »

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If German won the WW2 a lot of English and American pilots would been faced charges for war crimes. You know, bombing Dresden and Hiroshima were a little bit over....

I've no doubt the Germans would have murdered a great many allied soldiers, after all they did so for things such as escaping from POW camps, conducting commando raids, etc, which were all normal (and perfectly legal) practices in war. But there was no justification for such actions.

The allies, of course, did not execute German pilots, or even their commanders, for things like Rotterdam, London, Coventry, Warsaw etc. (and it's worth noting that as many civilians died from air attack in London as Dresden)

ChickenHawk · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2006, 11:21:03 AM »

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Originally posted by Bodhi
He who departs from the established "rules of war" is the most likely to win.

If we are to take that statement literally, than one could say that the terrorists have already won as they don't play by any rules.

So on that point, I would have to disagree.

Gunslinger · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2006, 03:18:46 PM »

For all you guys that say the "winner makes the rules" and "kill or be killed" tell that to the US Servicemen that are now in prison for violations of said "law of armed conflict" while fighting for their country.

Hangtime · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2006, 04:09:39 PM »

Guns, would you like to hear it from all the servicemen who ain't in jail?

Fact: Wounded, stunned japanese were routinely killed in the pacific; not at all unusual for a wounded Jap to get a kill shot from a GI. Legal? Nope. Routine? You bet. Successful Japanese surrenders were damn few; more tried than you might think. Some units in Europe operated with a similar policy.. even a formally surrendered german had a 50/50 chance of making it to the rear alive... even less if he was from an SS division.

Vietnam? I know for certain fact that tossing prisoners out of Hueys wasn't just a rumor. And, in a similar disgusting case I seem to recall Lt Calley was pardoned by the President.

War sucks.. especially if yer on the losing side. These days, with imbedded press and cameras everywhere the battlefield is just a little bit less dangerous for a surrendered soldier.. if it's one of theirs. One of ours is likey to get gutted, denutted, and dragged through the streets alive with film at 7:00 on Al Jezzeria.

Heluva world, enh?

parin · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2006, 05:31:00 PM »

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imo he was a sodding
angel compared to Hitler.

Excel

Of the 17 estimates of the total number of victims of Stalin, the median is 30 million. Hitler can be blamed for about 42 million deaths, which includes war dead.

Twentieth Century Hemoclysm War and Hate sucks, but sometimes man can not stand by and let evil reside.

Masherbrum · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2006, 06:19:41 PM »

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Originally posted by Hangtime
Guns, would you like to hear it from all the servicemen who ain't in jail?

Fact: Wounded, stunned japanese were routinely killed in the pacific; not at all unusual for a wounded Jap to get a kill shot from a GI. Legal? Nope. Routine? You bet. Successful Japanese surrenders were damn few; more tried than you might think. Some units in Europe operated with a similar policy.. even a formally surrendered german had a 50/50 chance of making it to the rear alive... even less if he was from an SS division.

Vietnam? I know for certain fact that tossing prisoners out of Hueys wasn't just a rumor. And, in a similar disgusting case I seem to recall Lt Calley was pardoned by the President.

War sucks.. especially if yer on the losing side. These days, with imbedded press and cameras everywhere the battlefield is just a little bit less dangerous for a surrendered soldier.. if it's one of theirs. One of ours is likey to get gutted, denutted, and dragged through the streets alive with film at 7:00 on Al Jezzeria.

Heluva world, enh?

So true.

Karaya

Gunslinger · « **Reply #21 on:** January 30, 2006, 07:39:17 PM »

Hang I guess I was speaking in more or less present day tense. As you said the nature of warfare has changed alot.

The Marine that shot an Iraqi insurgent who was suspected of playing dead comes to mind. He was almost charged for that.

B17Skull12 · « **Reply #22 on:** January 30, 2006, 10:55:23 PM »

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Originally posted by Excel1
No I didn't forget the Russians

Stalin wouldn't have won any humanitarian awards but imo he was a sodding
angel compared to Hitler.

Excel

he killed more people than hitler during his reign.

-dead- · « **Reply #23 on:** January 31, 2006, 12:38:23 AM »

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Originally posted by lasersailor184
Except for fact that everyone who ignored the rules of war has lost...

I think you'll find that's only really because the winners get to write history.

Excel1 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 31, 2006, 01:49:11 AM »

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Originally posted by parin
Of the 17 estimates of the total number of victims of Stalin, the median is 30 million. Hitler can be blamed for about 42 million deaths, which includes war dead.

Twentieth Century Hemoclysm War and Hate sucks, but sometimes man can not stand by and let evil reside.

Those are mind boggling figures. Thanks for posting the link.

Excel

Excel1 · « **Reply #25 on:** January 31, 2006, 02:43:04 AM »

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Originally posted by B17Skull12
he killed more people than hitler during his reign.

Only because Hitler was cut off in his prime. There were so many to exterminate... he hadn't even finished with the European Jews.

I'm not trying to minimise Stalins brutality. I just happen to think that of the two, Hitler was far more vile.

Excel