4 ms·
Perhaps it was the word choice: "can" implies that the killing would not be punished. Obviously any person can kill another, so to say "can kill" suggests a "li
by msellout 11y ago
Perhaps it was the word choice: "can" implies that the killing would not be punished. Obviously any person can kill another, so to say "can kill" suggests a "license to kill". If I were a policeman warning someone about a criminal, I would say "might kill" or some other phrase that discusses likelihood rather than capability.
- _yosefk 11y agoWell, yeah, but if a guy from the CIA murders a doctor in the US, will he be punished? I kinda think he will be. Is he likely to threaten a doctor with murder in the first place, as a way to ensure his relative is properly treated? I kinda think he's not. Why do you think a guy from the mossad is any different or will be treated any differently? Would you ever put "CIA" in the same sentence where you put "mossad" in your comment if the story happened in the US?
- msellout 11y agoBecause I can't imagine a policeman ever saying "he can kill you" except in a fictional setting where James Bond is licensed to kill and that policeman somehow knows about Bond.