4 ms·

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_on_Blinding_Laser_Weapons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_on_Blinding_Laser_Wea...

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
bmitc 4y ago
The inanity and insanity of humans is that we have rules for our violence, from war to fighting sports.
- Dalewyn 4y ago
  People often forget that "proper" wars are really just another facet of diplomacy, with certain rules to be followed. Incidentally, no, what Russia is doing in Ukraine is not even anywhere remotely close to a "proper" war.
  - gnad_sucks 4y ago
    Thank you for your perspective, I agree on both counts. Sorry youre getting downvoted, but this is HN after all.
  - l33t233372 4y ago
    What you describe may have existed for parts of a few hundred years in areas of Europe, but it’s not the rule, and it’s certainly not the case today.
- abledon 4y ago
  my current favourite are the melee rules chinese/indian army has in the mountains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQJEiGiGc1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQJEiGiGc1I
  - zxexz 4y ago
    Became aware of this after reading Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson! Great book. There's a small subplot involving the Line of Actual control (LAC), which is what made me first aware of these rules.
    - wahern 4y ago
      China is slowly flanking India by quietly annexing strategic territory: https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/07/china-bhutan-border-villages-security-forces/ https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/07/china-bhutan-border-vil...
- shrimp_emoji 4y ago
  It was a lot more insane in WW1, before we had these rules. For example, they deployed gas that makes people vomit so soldiers can't keep masks on, followed by gas that dissolves the lungs so they suffocate on their own blood. Stuff that makes dying by conventional means merciful.
  - bmitc 4y ago
    My point is a bit of a dual one. The fact that we both have rules and need the rules support the inanity and insanity of it all.
    - XorNot 4y ago
      The defenders of a territory under attack aren't put in that position by any real choice of their own - none that is practical anyway. Being able to live with themselves after the conflict is over, being able to re-integrate them into civilized society, is an important facet of maintaining a peaceful society. You don't plan for everything going well (no one ever goes for war). You plan for when things don't.
  - bee_rider 4y ago
    The Unmitigated Pedantry dude (shows up on this site a bit) makes a decent argument that chemical weapons mostly were abandoned because they don’t work against top-tier militaries, not really because we decided wars should be polite after WW1. https://acoup.blog/2020/03/20/collections-why-dont-we-use-chemical-weapons-anymore/ https://acoup.blog/2020/03/20/collections-why-dont-we-use-ch...

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

bmitc 4y ago

The inanity and insanity of humans is that we have rules for our violence, from war to fighting sports.

Dalewyn 4y ago
People often forget that "proper" wars are really just another facet of diplomacy, with certain rules to be followed. Incidentally, no, what Russia is doing in Ukraine is not even anywhere remotely close to a "proper" war.
- gnad_sucks 4y ago
  Thank you for your perspective, I agree on both counts. Sorry youre getting downvoted, but this is HN after all.
- l33t233372 4y ago
  What you describe may have existed for parts of a few hundred years in areas of Europe, but it’s not the rule, and it’s certainly not the case today.
abledon 4y ago
my current favourite are the melee rules chinese/indian army has in the mountains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQJEiGiGc1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQJEiGiGc1I
- zxexz 4y ago
  Became aware of this after reading Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson! Great book. There's a small subplot involving the Line of Actual control (LAC), which is what made me first aware of these rules.
  - wahern 4y ago
    China is slowly flanking India by quietly annexing strategic territory: https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/07/china-bhutan-border-villages-security-forces/ https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/07/china-bhutan-border-vil...
shrimp_emoji 4y ago
It was a lot more insane in WW1, before we had these rules. For example, they deployed gas that makes people vomit so soldiers can't keep masks on, followed by gas that dissolves the lungs so they suffocate on their own blood. Stuff that makes dying by conventional means merciful.
- bmitc 4y ago
  My point is a bit of a dual one. The fact that we both have rules and need the rules support the inanity and insanity of it all.
  - XorNot 4y ago
    The defenders of a territory under attack aren't put in that position by any real choice of their own - none that is practical anyway. Being able to live with themselves after the conflict is over, being able to re-integrate them into civilized society, is an important facet of maintaining a peaceful society. You don't plan for everything going well (no one ever goes for war). You plan for when things don't.
- bee_rider 4y ago
  The Unmitigated Pedantry dude (shows up on this site a bit) makes a decent argument that chemical weapons mostly were abandoned because they don’t work against top-tier militaries, not really because we decided wars should be polite after WW1. https://acoup.blog/2020/03/20/collections-why-dont-we-use-chemical-weapons-anymore/ https://acoup.blog/2020/03/20/collections-why-dont-we-use-ch...