888
war, war never rules (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 1 day ago by TotallynotJessica to c/onehundredninetysix
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[-] TotallynotJessica 57 points 1 day ago

Even when a war is necessary to prevent a worse outcome, it is still bad

[-] edible_funk@lemmy.world 11 points 21 hours ago

Pacifism is so logically inconsistent.

[-] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 78 points 1 day ago

Well yeah, but if that's the only kind of war that a military is planning on fighting, IMO it's a bit much to call it "evil".

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 20 points 1 day ago

As militaries are a tool of states to protect their sovereign power: That's not what militaries do, though.

I don't want to die for a state. Even if that state is being challenged in it's sovereignity.

[-] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 35 points 1 day ago

Of course depending on a defensive war, but often times you're not fighting for the state, but your loved ones. Like on a smaller scale nearly everyone would defend the people close to them from harm, for example trying to stop a rapist from abusing your wife/sister/daughter of course not limited to women. Rape can be used against men as well.

In a defensive war the goal of states sovereignty and you defending your loved ones can align.

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 day ago

but often times you're not fighting for the state, but your loved ones.

If I'm part of a state's army, I'm fighting for the militaristic goals of that state. That state only has an interest in my "loved ones" insofar as it's the population they require to achieve their political aims. My loved ones aren't benefactors of the state. That's just state propagana.

Your rape example has little in common from militaristic conflict that it's simply a non-sequitur.

In a defensive war the goal of states sovereignty and you defending your loved ones can align.

I think you misunderstand what wars are to a state: In war, two or more states fight for their interest by destroying an opponents people and resources by destroying their own people an resources. I'm not a resource that's willing to be used up.

[-] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 day ago

What if the state attacking is doing so for the purpose of murdering you and your family and everyone who remotely looks like you or shares your culture?

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 day ago

That still doesn't mean that I'd be ready to die for another state.

[-] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 day ago

So you prefer to roll over and get genocided?

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 day ago

Not what I said.

I'd flee or if there's any reasonable chance to survive, I'd join some self-defense militia. But I wouldn't die for a state.

[-] prettybunnys@piefed.social 20 points 1 day ago

Arbitrarily drawing the line at your feet for what form of group is acceptable doesn’t change that your self-defense militia would in fact be akin to “a state” in the context of what is being discussed.

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 day ago

it were a state, I wouldn't have a say in whether or not I will help in defending that state.

[-] Amir@lemmy.ml 5 points 23 hours ago

There are enough states with voluntary recruitment?

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 2 points 22 hours ago

How long do you think that remains voluntary once a state of emergency is called out due to war?

[-] howrar@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago

So if your land gets taken over, you'll go somewhere else and take someone else's land?

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 5 points 22 hours ago

Is that hou you view refugees? As "taking someone else's land"?

Ok, Mr Musk. /s

[-] howrar@lemmy.ca 4 points 22 hours ago

There's a big difference between inviting someone into your home and someone entering uninvited. There's also a big difference between inviting one person into your home versus ten people.

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 3 points 21 hours ago

Ok. I'll better not ask you about your opinion on the "refugee crisis" of 2015 or what you think about refugees drowning in the mediterranean sea.

You're probably also in favour of male Ukranian refugees between 18 and 60 in losing their residence permit in Germany in 2028.

[-] howrar@lemmy.ca 3 points 20 hours ago

I don't know enough about these situations to comment on them. In isolation, a non-zero amount of suffering and death is obviously worse than none. But the world isn't an isolated bubble like that. When you consider everything in its totality, it's no longer so obvious what the correct objective should be, and that's with the assumption that we can even even devise a measurable score for any of these objectives. Do we care for a lower bound on everyone's quality of life? Do we want to maximize some quality of life average or total? Do we want to maximize the duration of human existence? Who is this "everyone"? Everyone alive today? Everyone who will ever exist? Do we give the same weight to every person? Or should we use some discounted weighting so that present humans get higher priority than future humans? Or should we put a cap on how much of our collective resources we can allocate to any given individual?

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 1 points 19 hours ago

What the fuck are you talking about?

Whatever tangent you're on about: I can't experience anything anymore if I'm dead. And I'm sure as shit doing anything in my power not to die "for my nation".

[-] howrar@lemmy.ca 2 points 18 hours ago

I don't know. You brought up all those other scenarios. I don't know how they're relevant either.

Anyway, why would it not be a good thing if others want to put their lives on the line so that you can live your life in peace, or flee successfully if it comes to that?

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 1 points 10 hours ago

why would it not be a good thing if others want to put their lives on the line so that you can live your life in peace

I reject the premise that this is what the military is doing.

I live in Germany and currently the German government is amping up militarisation which actively increases the risk of war with Russia which in turn endangers my life.

[-] Narauko@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

I live in Germany and currently the German government is amping up militarisation which actively increases the risk of war with Russia which in turn endangers my life.

Do you believe that Germany disbanding their military and turning over control of the country to Putin endangers your life less? Does this extend to everyone in your community? Everyone inside the geographical borders of Germany?

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

I reject the premise that Russia (or "Putin") wants to invade Germany.

Yes, I'd prefer Germany to disband their military... and police for that matter.

But considering how unrealistic this scenario is: I'd prefer Germany to reestablish diplomatic connections with Russia. Since the only other alternative is war with Russia.

[-] Narauko@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

While a utopia is always an admirable goal, I would like to know what diplomatic relations look like in your viewpoint with Russia. Further, why is Russia invading Ukraine? Do you believe that if Ukraine capitulated, disbanded their military and became Russia that the people of Ukraine would be safer?

Do you believe that the current Russian government would stop expansionism with just the annexation of Ukraine?

[-] Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 1 points 9 minutes ago

While a utopia is always an admirable goal, I would like to know what diplomatic relations look like in your viewpoint with Russia.

Diplomatic relations are not utopian by any stretch. It's literally this or all out war with Russia. For reference as to what diplomatic relationships with Russia could look like: Look at China, India, Iran or pre 2022 Germany and how they inttract with Russia.

Further, why is Russia invading Ukraine?

I'm not here to disentangle that historical ball of yarn. Also: I believe that you're already predetermined to call me names if I don't give you the answer that you already accepted as the one truth.

Do you believe that if Ukraine capitulated, disbanded their military and became Russia that the people of Ukraine would be safer?

I think that if Ukraine accepted the treaty of March 2022, then hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians would still be alive. Also: Russia never wanted to annex the whole of Ukraine.

Do you believe that the current Russian government would stop expansionism with just the annexation of Ukraine?

Again: I reject the premise. Russia never wanted to annex Ukraine.

[-] MrChewy@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

Still very far from ideal to kill soliders of the invading army, cuz they're also people with lives and aren't always willing in their choice, or worse case, indoctorinated. There truly are monsters whom love wars and killing and enter the army exactly because, but those are almost certainly a minority

Edit: I'm not exactly sure why, but it seems like my comment is being read as if in opposition rather than in addition. I'm not saying "don't kill", I'm saying "shame it did come to that", where it did come to that because of military as a concept. Military as a reaction to other militaries only exists as a need to other militaries existing as well. So if there was no military to exist in the first place, there would simply be no need for one as a reaction either

[-] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 29 points 1 day ago

Sure it's not ideal but I won't cry for any dead Russian soldiers. You walked across that border, you deserve to die.

[-] MrChewy@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I wouldn't phrase it as 'deserve', but yeah, obviously. Pacifism is as bad of a failure when it doesn't prevent those whom bring harm from doing so. I have no issue with them dying since it did come to that point. But I still, personally, believe that I can get to grieve for them nonetheless. It's not contradictory as I see it.

(I'm more than open to a discussion and even invite for someone to correct me if I'm wrong, not in the sense of "I challange" as much as "I want to improve")

[-] athatet@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

Idk. If you’re coming to kill me fuck you. I don’t really care about your justification.

“Ooh, but I was indoctrinated, it wasn’t my fault” No. You are coming to kill me so fuck you.

[-] olafurp@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I get it's not what I would like to happen in general that a soldier invades another country. Still, they have to die in order to avoid being occupied. It's a different debate on which is worse and depends a lot on the occupying country and the recipient, generally occupation bad tho.

[-] Rich_Benzina@feddit.it 34 points 1 day ago

I think every army that had to defend their home country would have preferred doing other things, and until 2022 i honestly tought that invasions were a thing of the past, at least in Europe. Russia showed otherwise, now i think that being capable of defending yourself is important. You dont have to have a ginormous army like the US but you have to be enough of a threat that somebody would think twice before attacking.

[-] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 5 points 19 hours ago

I live in Australia and until 2024 I thought we don't need an army, we're so far from any threats. But now I think we need to build drone bombers so we can drone strike some IDF bases.

[-] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

You're right, all war is bad. War sucks and it should never have to happen. Even wars fought for good reasons are still terrible and it would be a better world if they never had to be fought at all.

The part you're missing is that war is not the military. They're different things. Militaries fight wars, that doesn't mean that wars will magically stop happening to everyone who gets rid of their military. It would be wonderful to live in a world where militaries aren't needed, but instead we live in a world where many countries live under the constant threat of invasion.

The Canadian military maintains a constant presence in Latvia, because if we didn't, Russia would walk in there tomorrow and take over. My wife just finished a tour. The Latvians don't resent the presence of our military, they love us. Everywhere she went, barring some very specific exceptions, people were glad to see them. They felt happy, reassured by their visible presence. People from the other side of the world who had upended their lives to spend six months away from family and loved ones defending their tiny little country from the threat of brutal autocratic rule.

No one wants these things to be necessary, but they are, whether we like it or not. We would not be living in a better world right now if, in 1939, the whole world had just rolled over and let the Nazis walk in without a fight, would we?

[-] Omnipitaph@reddthat.com 1 points 1 day ago
[-] TotallynotJessica 6 points 1 day ago

War is always nasty, cruel, and terrible for the people involved, even if it is a just fight. Killing people is nothing to celebrate and there is nothing honorable about it

[-] Omnipitaph@reddthat.com 3 points 23 hours ago

I agree with you. The rest of this comment may seem to imply otherwise, but two things can be true at the same time.

There is celebration to be had in not being genocided by successfully overcoming an invading force though. There is celebration to be had when you've eliminated a threat to your family's lives.

If someone wants to play stupid games, let them win stupid prizes. I don't agree with murder, but killing in self-defense, even at scale, is reasonable. I would even go as far as to say it is good to live a longer, safer life. As far as "good" and "bad" are just projections of human's fear of discomfort and suffering, and desire for pleasure and comfort.

It is good to live, it is bad to die. If soldiers didn't want to die, they wouldn't go to war. They made their choices. Its a weird use of free-will in my opinion, but its an option.

this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2026
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