Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: The Philosopher who wrote (10810)	6/1/1999 12:01:00 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 17770

You'll have to forgive me Chris, but I love these legalistic arguments that bear no resemblance to reality. a) Reckless indifference to life is a crime. Unfortunately, while international law may try to separate the actions of the few from being the responsibility of the whole, the nature of warfare OR DIPLOMACY requires that an entire nation's population must suffer due to its inherent sovereignty and lack of legal enforceability of international law within that sovereign state. Reckless indifference to war crimes being committed deliberately and blatantly require a response. Since we lack the ability to diplomatically resolve this continuing crisis, the use of prudent military force is required. You are assuming the Serbian people are "innocent". I have already stated that there is reasonable evidence to suggest that they are NOT INNOCENT of knowledge with regard to the atrocities being committed in Kosovo. The German people were not innocent either of the atrocities that were committed under Nazism, and the Allies undertook military efforts that routinely endangered and killed "innocent" civilians. Can you really believe the Germans were ignorant of the death camps and massive relocations of Jewish and other non-desirables under Hitler's regime?? Neither can I. And no matter how the Serbs feign ignorance of the atrocities being committed by their paramilitary thugs and actual military units against innocent civilians, they know the truth. They just don't care to admit it. Thus, their innocence is questionable as well. Now if you recall the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were undertaken to prevent the loss of an estimated one million casualties by invading forces. Were the mass bombing of these two cities warranted on a cost/benefit analysis?? Were they war crimes? Or were the losses to innocent civilians justified to prevent an even greater loss of life from occurring?? This is a direct comparison to what we are currently facing in that we are utilizing what some consider the safest policy possible in order to preserve the lives of our forces. No one wants to bomb Serbia, let alone invade it, but little choice is being offered and Milosevic, just like the Tojo's regime, are intransigent and trying to hold out for the best deal. If they inherently believe they can get a better deal, they have every rational reason to hold out until one presents itself. If they are offered NO DEALS but assurances of continued destruction and ruin of their economy, then they have to rework their cost/benefit analysis, while the Serbian people rework THEIR's in assessing when too much is too much and realize Milosevic will be the ruin of them all. War is an atrocity, Chris. That is why, once undertaken, it must be pursued with full force of will and effort so that it is terminated quickly and with as little loss of life as possible. NATO is learning a critical lesson in the merit of decisive and overwhelming action over incremental attrition warfare. You try hard Chris, but even I, as a non-lawyer, get a sense I would tear your case apart based upon precedent alone, in an international court. Regards, Ron