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http://www.centenarynews.com/article?id=1616 http://www.centenarynews.com/article?id=1616 My understanding is that the Americans were using these ships to carry

http://www.centenarynews.com/article?id=1616 http://www.centenarynews.com/article?id=1616 My understanding is that the Americans were using these ships to carry arms. Is it even in debate anymore that the Lusitania was carrying arms anymore? Hiding bombs under orphans and sick folks is dirty business I recall how much we criticized the Iraqis for doing the same.

nostrademons 10y ago
My point is that in times of war, belligerents on all sides will resort to dirty business regardless of what the rules of war say. If the Lusitania was carrying arms (which I'd vaguely heard and have no reason to doubt), that'd support my point.
- 24837 10y ago
  Honestly, I'm not sure if you're trolling. Your first post went on at length (and with sources!) about how rules aren't worth anything because they'd be broken anyway. Example: German submarines attacking a civilian ship in WWI. Unfortunately you missed the most important point in your story - which is that this ship wasn't so innocent and civilian after all. Rather than ignoring the rules, the Germans broke them in retaliation AFTER the Americans had done so first. The message here is not "rules never work", as your first post implies. It's rather "if you (US) brake the rules, expect the others (Germany) to do so as well in retaliation." The fact that Lusitania was carrying arms does not support your initial point but rather changes the story and implications entirely.
  - uzoodoo 10y ago
    OP might not have been aware that Lusitania was filled with ammunition. The point doesn't change. The point is still about how rules aren't worth anything because they'd be broken anyway. Example: Filling a civilian ship with ammunition. It doesn't matter who started it first.
  - nostrademons 10y ago
    I said nothing about whether rules aren't worth anything or not. I said that they will be broken. The former is a normative statement. The latter is a positive one. A lot of my comments here attempt to describe the world as I've observed it, not the world as I'd like it to be. I have plenty of opinions about how I'd like it to be, as well, but I usually don't share them because opinions are like assholes: everybody has one but thinks that others' stinks.

nostrademons 10y ago

My point is that in times of war, belligerents on all sides will resort to dirty business regardless of what the rules of war say. If the Lusitania was carrying arms (which I'd vaguely heard and have no reason to doubt), that'd support my point.

24837 10y ago
Honestly, I'm not sure if you're trolling. Your first post went on at length (and with sources!) about how rules aren't worth anything because they'd be broken anyway. Example: German submarines attacking a civilian ship in WWI. Unfortunately you missed the most important point in your story - which is that this ship wasn't so innocent and civilian after all. Rather than ignoring the rules, the Germans broke them in retaliation AFTER the Americans had done so first. The message here is not "rules never work", as your first post implies. It's rather "if you (US) brake the rules, expect the others (Germany) to do so as well in retaliation." The fact that Lusitania was carrying arms does not support your initial point but rather changes the story and implications entirely.
- uzoodoo 10y ago
  OP might not have been aware that Lusitania was filled with ammunition. The point doesn't change. The point is still about how rules aren't worth anything because they'd be broken anyway. Example: Filling a civilian ship with ammunition. It doesn't matter who started it first.
- nostrademons 10y ago
  I said nothing about whether rules aren't worth anything or not. I said that they will be broken. The former is a normative statement. The latter is a positive one. A lot of my comments here attempt to describe the world as I've observed it, not the world as I'd like it to be. I have plenty of opinions about how I'd like it to be, as well, but I usually don't share them because opinions are like assholes: everybody has one but thinks that others' stinks.