I’m asking it as a moral dilemma, a thought experiment, generally speaking, and not to this current situation.
Fundamentally, is it ethically/morally right to risk/kill an innocent person who is being used as a shield, when trying to kill someone who is trying to kill you?
“Oh, they are using the civillian population as human shields. Looks like we are going to have to kill everyone.”
They’re not saying that, at least I haven’t heard them say that, and I’ve been watching the coverage daily.
They’re definately risking everyone in the area, but they’ve also warned everyone in the area to get out of the area, before they go in.
You have to be pretty naive about how Israeli govt. Leadership tables these kind of things, which you could be forgiven for if you don’t follow these things. But most American Jews, myself included, know how messed up Likud’s approach to this kind of stuff is.
People responding keep not answering the point I’m asking, instead of trying to turn it into me attacking Israel, for some reason.
If someone was about to kill you, and they’re hiding behind another person, and the only way you could stop them from killing you would be putting the third person at risk of being killed as well, do you have the right to defend yourself?
Fundamentally, is it ethically/morally right to risk/kill an innocent person who is being used as a shield, when trying to kill someone who is trying to kill you?
Because it is extremely disingenuous to frame it like this. Even in this hypothetical scenario, you absolutely have the responsibility to try to save that innocent person’s life as well as your own.
While we could imagine hypothetical scenario where killing civilians is justified, it is pretty clear that is not the scenario Israel is facing right now.
Because it is extremely disingenuous to frame it like this.
The hell it is, that’s just an excuse for not wanting to answer the question.
My question gets down to the crux of the point, where the arguing from all of us comes from, and what should be done next comes from. And it needs answering.
Even in this hypothetical scenario
It’s not hypothetical, it’s happening right now, in real time, in front of us.
you absolutely have the responsibility to try to save that innocent person’s life as well as your own.
So does that mean you attack or not attack the person trying to kill you? Who’s life is more important, your own, or the person being used as a shield?
While we could imagine hypothetical scenario where killing civilians is justified, it is pretty clear that is not the scenario Israel is facing right now.
Well, Israel has to go into Gaza to destroy Hamas, and Hamas is using Palestinian citizens for shields, so that’s exactly the scenario Israel is facing right now.
You can’t hand-wave that away, because it’s uncomfortable to deal with.
Yes, the carpet bombing campaign has been Israeli troops going into Gaza. Oh wait, no it hasn’t they have been amassing reservists at the border.
This includes multiple of my relatives who are Israeli reservists. Obviously I do not want them to be put into harms way, but I fail to see how carpet bombing a place where 2 million people live does that. Perhaps you have some magical insight that my Jewish reservist relatives don’t.
Starving them out, cutting off water, power to hospitals… this isn’t pre-emptively attacking terrorists using human shields, its cruel and unusual collective punishment, and even the govt. leaders of Israel don’t bother to try to justify it when they are actually asked. Their response to these questions from journalists haven’t been “these are human shields.” The response has been “you didn’t talk about dresden in WWII.” Just disgusting.
Yes, the carpet bombing campaign has been Israeli troops going into Gaza. Oh wait, no it hasn’t they have been amassing reservists at the border.
You don’t see the carpet bombing as a step one and step two, which is coming very soon, is Israel actually going into Gaza with force, with all those reservists they called up?
Yes, but I don’t understand how carpet bombing protects them or helps them rescue hostages. They will still be in grave danger if they enter gaza, perhaps even more danger in this environment. It’s hard to pick out any military doctrine that suggests otherwise. This has been a repeated criticism of this type of military activity, across campaigns all over the world and recent history. I supposed you could compare it to allied bombing of axis forces, but I would argue that those campaigns were carried out as part of a much more stringently determined military strategy, rather than as a per reactionary action.
Perhaps you have some magical insight that my Jewish reservist relatives don’t.
All I was trying to do was get a conversation going on the ethics of attacking someone who’s using third-party innocence as shields, and not literally pass judgment on what’s going on on the ground today, just using it as an example for the overall ethical discussion.
There was a scifi book I read some decades ago they had the exact same scenario, and I was just trying to get input from today’s Humanity to see if it jives with the solution that the author of the novel had come up with.
People are being too emotional and defensive to have these kind of conversations though it seems.
I was just trying to create content on Lemmy for us to read.
If you want to talk about ethics on Lemmy, go create an ethics discussion community or host your own server. Discussing “ethics” in the context of Israel’s actions and policies is something that I have done over and over and over, unproductively. In less tense times, it is usually stuff like “should driving on highways be illegal on saturdays around the orthodox community?” and stuff like that.
If you come onto a thread that is specifically about what is going on Israel right now, and say “I’m just trying to have an ethical discussion,” it comes off as extremely disingenuous. I’m sorry.
If you come onto a thread that is specifically about what is going on Israel right now, and say “I’m just trying to have an ethical discussion,” it comes off as extremely disingenuous. I’m sorry.
You’re taking my words out of context of the whole conversation that’s happening, and being intellectually dishonest.
I was speaking about that question, as a “jumping off point” to the larger discussion on what’s happening in Gaza right now.
Again, no it’s not disingenuous because it covers what’s being discussed in the very same topic. It’s real time and it’s happening.
You cannot hand wave that away as much as you want to. Both can be true, and allowed.
You’re just being emotional and defensive when you don’t need to be, to protect your team.
I’m not attacking your team, I’m just trying to have a conversation.
I’m asking it as a moral dilemma, a thought experiment, generally speaking, and not to this current situation.
Fundamentally, is it ethically/morally right to risk/kill an innocent person who is being used as a shield, when trying to kill someone who is trying to kill you?
They’re not saying that, at least I haven’t heard them say that, and I’ve been watching the coverage daily.
They’re definately risking everyone in the area, but they’ve also warned everyone in the area to get out of the area, before they go in.
You have to be pretty naive about how Israeli govt. Leadership tables these kind of things, which you could be forgiven for if you don’t follow these things. But most American Jews, myself included, know how messed up Likud’s approach to this kind of stuff is.
People responding keep not answering the point I’m asking, instead of trying to turn it into me attacking Israel, for some reason.
Because it is extremely disingenuous to frame it like this. Even in this hypothetical scenario, you absolutely have the responsibility to try to save that innocent person’s life as well as your own.
While we could imagine hypothetical scenario where killing civilians is justified, it is pretty clear that is not the scenario Israel is facing right now.
The hell it is, that’s just an excuse for not wanting to answer the question.
My question gets down to the crux of the point, where the arguing from all of us comes from, and what should be done next comes from. And it needs answering.
It’s not hypothetical, it’s happening right now, in real time, in front of us.
So does that mean you attack or not attack the person trying to kill you? Who’s life is more important, your own, or the person being used as a shield?
Well, Israel has to go into Gaza to destroy Hamas, and Hamas is using Palestinian citizens for shields, so that’s exactly the scenario Israel is facing right now.
You can’t hand-wave that away, because it’s uncomfortable to deal with.
Yes, the carpet bombing campaign has been Israeli troops going into Gaza. Oh wait, no it hasn’t they have been amassing reservists at the border.
This includes multiple of my relatives who are Israeli reservists. Obviously I do not want them to be put into harms way, but I fail to see how carpet bombing a place where 2 million people live does that. Perhaps you have some magical insight that my Jewish reservist relatives don’t.
Starving them out, cutting off water, power to hospitals… this isn’t pre-emptively attacking terrorists using human shields, its cruel and unusual collective punishment, and even the govt. leaders of Israel don’t bother to try to justify it when they are actually asked. Their response to these questions from journalists haven’t been “these are human shields.” The response has been “you didn’t talk about dresden in WWII.” Just disgusting.
You don’t see the carpet bombing as a step one and step two, which is coming very soon, is Israel actually going into Gaza with force, with all those reservists they called up?
Yes, but I don’t understand how carpet bombing protects them or helps them rescue hostages. They will still be in grave danger if they enter gaza, perhaps even more danger in this environment. It’s hard to pick out any military doctrine that suggests otherwise. This has been a repeated criticism of this type of military activity, across campaigns all over the world and recent history. I supposed you could compare it to allied bombing of axis forces, but I would argue that those campaigns were carried out as part of a much more stringently determined military strategy, rather than as a per reactionary action.
The opposite, actually. There would be less places for Hamas to attack/sniper from, and easier to see the battlefield and all the participants in it.
All I was trying to do was get a conversation going on the ethics of attacking someone who’s using third-party innocence as shields, and not literally pass judgment on what’s going on on the ground today, just using it as an example for the overall ethical discussion.
There was a scifi book I read some decades ago they had the exact same scenario, and I was just trying to get input from today’s Humanity to see if it jives with the solution that the author of the novel had come up with.
People are being too emotional and defensive to have these kind of conversations though it seems.
I was just trying to create content on Lemmy for us to read.
If you want to talk about ethics on Lemmy, go create an ethics discussion community or host your own server. Discussing “ethics” in the context of Israel’s actions and policies is something that I have done over and over and over, unproductively. In less tense times, it is usually stuff like “should driving on highways be illegal on saturdays around the orthodox community?” and stuff like that.
If you come onto a thread that is specifically about what is going on Israel right now, and say “I’m just trying to have an ethical discussion,” it comes off as extremely disingenuous. I’m sorry.
You’re taking my words out of context of the whole conversation that’s happening, and being intellectually dishonest.
I was speaking about that question, as a “jumping off point” to the larger discussion on what’s happening in Gaza right now.
Again, no it’s not disingenuous because it covers what’s being discussed in the very same topic. It’s real time and it’s happening.
You cannot hand wave that away as much as you want to. Both can be true, and allowed.
You’re just being emotional and defensive when you don’t need to be, to protect your team.
I’m not attacking your team, I’m just trying to have a conversation.