Re: HIGH TECH WONDER INDIVIDUAL WEAPON

From: "Glenn M Wilson" <triphibious@juno.com>

> In your scenario it's not peace.

Damn right!

> It may not be declared war (when's the last time *that* was done?) but
it
> is definitely not a crowd of Christmas shoppers.  The threat of deadly
> force (those bombs/guns) takes it out of the level of crowd control.
> They are the ones forfeiting their rights to be treated as
non-combatants

Absolutely. Even the 6-month old babies.

> >The US Army has already been faced with similar situations,
schoolkids
> >tied on the front of tanks etc. You have a choice of losing your life
> >or losing your soul.

> Or your mind.

Oh yes. I've worked at the Department of Veteran's Affairs, so I'm quite
familiar with "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder".
Suffer a bit from it myself - but not disabling, and had nothing to do
with
military action. But I know it's real, and can bite you on the Bum even
decades
later.

> Speaking strictly theoretically of course:
>
> Sometimes you have to accept the cards dealt are rotten with all
options
> morally unacceptable and *the mission* doesn't allow pulling back or
nice
> behavior and then, God Forbid,  you call in the artillery strike
because
> *they* won't know what is happening until afterwards.

> And they can blame it on you.  Sometimes that's what leaders have to
do

Good call. God help us, that's the best you could do. Zoomies would be
even better.

IMHO having a few grenade launchers with barf gas or similar "reduced
lethality" weapons around *even if they weren't all that non-lethal*
would allow the users to fool themselves that they weren't killing
babies.
Who knows, it might even be true. Would save beaucoup psychological
casualties in later years amongst your own guys - or yourself.
That was the point I was trying to make.

> Sometimes war sucks and sometimes the behavior that passes for
> "operations short of war" is worse.

Yes, Sherman had it right.

>It's better when it's a game.

I think we'll end this thread on a note of "Amen, Brother".