Good point Ed about police action being needed, but whose police? The only solution IMHO would be a _strong_ UN with its own justice and police, in charge of deciding who are the bad guys and of catching them with minimal collateral damage.
Michel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Edmund Storms" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 4:48 AM Subject: Re: [Vo]: New Segway Products > Yes, as you point out so well, the killing of anyone on the other side > started with WWII. This was done because it became possible to do, not > because any attitude had changed. Although bombs can be better > targeted, this does not mean anyone is trying to save noncombatants. > The bombs are just more efficient in taking out the intended target. > The extra damage means nothing. In fact, such damage is an advantage > because it weakens the enemy, which is the intent of war. You forget, > war at all times in history is designed to be won by any means > available. This has not changed. Because of TV, both sides have to show > sorrow and apologize for colloidal damage, but this means nothing. On > the other hand, police action is designed to minimize collateral damage. > We have yet to see police action being used in the Middle East. That, > I suggest, is the flaw in the process. > > Ed > > Stephen A. Lawrence wrote: > >> >> >> Edmund Storms wrote: >> >>> The idea of good guys and bad guys in war is useless and distracting >>> to what is actually happening. War is a means to gain power over >>> others. War no longer makes a distinction between those who are >>> fighting and those who are not. >> >> It "no longer" makes such a distinction? You mean, it _used_ to? >> >> Like in the firebombing of Hamburg, for instance? >> >> Or in the carpet bombing of any major German city during WWII? Use of >> bombers was ubiquitous and the accuracy of the bombs dropped from >> high-altitude bombers was so low that avoiding civilian areas was not >> practical ... and, indeed, IIRC it wasn't considered particularly >> important, anyway. >> >> Or to look at the other side, consider the V-2's Germany launched >> against England. What fraction hit civilian targets? Did the German >> high command express concern about "collateral damage"? >> >> If anything, it seems like we're far _more_ concerned about civilian >> versus military casualties than most leaders were 60 years ago, and >> modern technology makes it possible to, at least occasionally, try to >> limit the strikes to military targets. >> >>> Both are killed with equal intensity, although it is still fashionable >>> to claim the fig leaf of unintended collateral damage or a tragic >>> mistake. Make no mistake, as the tools of war become more efficient >>> and terrorism, which is the counter to those tools, become more >>> universal, no one will be safe. We are passing through a transition >>> period which has to end by people insisting on methods be used to >>> avoid war and the resulting terrorism. But then, every one knows this, >>> yet we go on supporting people who insist that war is necessary >>> because it is very profitable for them. They are able to continue >>> their policy because they know how to manipulate our fear and >>> paranoia. But you say, real threats exist against which we must be >>> defended. Of course this is true, but this is a never ending path >>> that can not be fixed just by making every country a democracy, as >>> Bush plans. The obvious consequence of this naive approach is being >>> demonstrated every day in Iraq. We need to use our creativity to >>> explore another way. Think about that rather than the Segway. >>> >>> Ed >>> >>> >>> >>> Jed Rothwell wrote: >>> >>>> Terry Blanton wrote: >>>> >>>>> One comment was, imagine a Segway with a chain gun >>>>> rolling into a batch of bad guys and spinning wheels in opposite >>>>> directions while firing. >>>>> >>>>> Hopefully, the next battlefield will have only bad guy blood spilled >>>>> on it. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Can this gadget tell who is bad, and who is innocent? >>>> >>>> - Jed >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >> >
