Patton and War Crimes

[rotorgun]

A very fascinating 7 pages of reading gentlemen. I offer the following along the moral side of this argument to consider: "he who is merciful unto the Cruel will eventually be cruel unto the Merciful" (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:16). I can't remember the name of which person who said "To show mercy to your enemy during war is the height of folly", but it is apt. If one takes a legal point of view than the killing of an enemy who has surrendered, or in the act of surrendering is wrong. If one looks at it dispassionately though, it an unfortunate byproduct of war. I daresay even God himself views it so.

I quote General Robert E. Lee "It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow to fond of it". Many of the combatants of the WWII from every country committed murder of POWs at various times; from the SS to the headhunters of Borneo. As for wanton killing of civilians; from the Rape of Nanking to the Rape of Berlin, from Rotterdam to the fire bombing of Japan such acts occurred on such a vast scale as to astonish the mind. The only good thing about war is it's expeditious ending. That's why Sun Tzu claimed that "War is of vital concern to the state."...something Japan and Germany should have thought deeply about before allowing themselves to be deceived by the militarists and demagogues.

PS: Hi everyone! I missed you guys!