See, you noted two things there I agree with. One is that in reality if your goal isn't genocide, targeting civilians does not help your efforts before or after

See, you noted two things there I agree with. One is that in reality if your goal isn't genocide, targeting civilians does not help your efforts before or after victory. Second is that UN security concil members after WW2 and "war crimes" being a thing commit war crimes without accountability, these days it only applies to weak countries. Who will prosecute the victor? Anothe nation by means of another war? When I said genocide is a modern invention I meant it being a specially clasiffied crime. Of course it happened plenty? Natives in the americas and australia can tell you so as well but it was just war at the time. As recently as the 1800s it was not a crime to go hunting for indians without provocation. > Punishing a whole population for that, including children, elderly and other non-combatants, is wrong. Regardles of which side is doing it. Again, I find myself explaining that right and wrong are out of the window at that point. You have such views because in the west it is rare to be afraid that you as a civilian and your family will be killed by the other side. When your whole country is in the fear and terror of war, killing civilians becomes very popular. The US has not fought a single war of self-defense since WW2 so I see why this sentiment is popular. Nuking japan did have popular support and was a celebrated thing afterwards as well by the majority. Your hindsight judgement is irrelevant and for future wars you should understand that when it is a war of self defense and survival there are no rules similar to how when a person is fighting for their lives they will not and cannot be expected to follow any rules. In general, I agree with you that killing unarmed people is wrong, even as collateral damage. My point on this thread is that such opinions of morality are vain and even damaging against the ultimate goal of victory and survival in war. The unclean way I would put it is: polishing turd won't make it clean.