Firing Squads

[kickingzebra]

Today I was lucky enough to see a collection of photographs of an old soldier.
These were scanned and nicely preserved.

The problem is, these were photographs of European Soldiers, Executing by 2 or three man firing squad, UNIFORMED japanese soldiers.

With lovely little footnotes about the nasty nipponese empire/soldier they were killing, and the autographs of the shooters.

Now I now damn well New Zealanders were also guilty of this, but tell me, isn't that a war crime? A crime against Humanity?

And some of these people we called heroes, they lived distinguished lives. But they would shoot an anarmed man, in their captivity, in cold blood!!

WTF??

They were very graphic, you could see the look of fear on the Japanese faces, and then the anguish on the face, as after they had been shot, they spun to the ground. Dammit, the smug whitey bastards that didn't actually shoot were sitting around with great smiles on their faces, watching and applauding. This is only 5 guys at most, but, I am just like, disgusted, and feel dirtied, that people should do that, and be proud of doing it.

Hot blood, war, killing etc, I can understand that, but cold blood for entertainment?? Far Koff!!

Whats your thoughts people?

[Sniper]

The Japanese people deserved it after the prison camps. The Law in the Geneva convention says you may not excecute a surrendering soldier. If these soldiers were POWs who committed a crime, then unfortunatly the punishment handed to them was death

[kickingzebra]

80 photos... Somehow I doubt they were all criminals. Execution for crimes, well, maybe, when rations etc are tight, but to me, it seems more criminal on the whiteys part, than anything else...

[Sniper]

Thing thing is, its horrible now adays when we are looking at the photos. No one really has too might right to comment unless they were there.

[kickingzebra]

That is a point, but to forget our own indiscretions in the past would be unforgiveable. History may yet be the only real teacher we have...

[Ixion]

Thing thing is, its horrible now adays when we are looking at the photos. No one really has too might right to comment unless they were there.

Care to extend that logic to Belsen-Belsen. Or Auschwich ?

[Ixion]

Incidentally, KZ , did you start this post in Pointless Drivel? Or did someone move it here ?. Cos its not pointless, nor drivel.

[Sniper]

The germans were a different story and it has been proved beyond doubt that the attempted extermination of the Jews was an act of very sick men.

I don't believe that the people owho executed japanese or the japs that executed the allies were wrong in doing so. Think back to those days when your best mates head had just exploded and you were covered in his brains, the last thing you would want to do is leave the culprit in a prison to be released when the war is over.

OK the war was the act of people behind desks and in bunkers, but its still sad to see that your average Joe bloggs was brought out to "fight for his country" which isn't a bad thing, but some wars should be fought on the inside.

Why is this in PD?

[kickingzebra]

I started it here for lack of a Murdering dutchmen shoot unarmed japanese soldiers in uniform thread... wasn't sure where to put that
Won't complain if you decide to move it

(to prove to all the people that think I want to kill everything that isn't white european in origin; that i do indeed have a heart...)

Sniper, your best mates head being blown off, and your reaction, is a hot blooded reaction. If you kill someone in hot blood, the charge is usually manslaughter. much lesser than murder. Murder is a cold calculated act, and an informal firing squad of two or three guys killing eighty unarmed men in Unifrom, is a war crime.

[Sniper]

A war crime is judged as such when the deasths are classed as genocide. Depends on how you look at it to see if its cold blooded murder or hot headed killing.

[kickingzebra]

I'd be curious to see what Geneva convention has to say on it, and who ratified said convention.

[Sniper]

Its been a while since I could quote the geneva conventions laws, but I also believe that those said laws are just that.... laws. I know many people who break the law and in war time emotions run high and laws fly out the window.

[kickingzebra]

I can understand, and even accept that to a point, but again, the magnitude. One or two, private ryan style. But 80?? Think of all the people you regularly associate with, if they were to all be killed, I doubt there would be 80.

Where does the line come up?

[Sniper]

True, I see what you mean. It almost like the vietnamese and the chinese. They did the same thing and its called genocide.

I think in the western world people belive that they are too oppressed hence the reason they think they get away with this. Just like the US trying Saddam Hussein, I bet if an easten country gets hold of GW Bush, he could be tried for war crimes too. (Or blatant stupidity)

Why is this in PD? Is it possible to be shifted as its a rather good thread and could use some more points of veiw.

[kickingzebra]

That is a point. I'm a Bush supporter, I would have to claim the trump card, they have declared war on terrorism in general, innocent casualties, in a guerilla warfare scenario are always going to be hard to track down. But are probably slimmer than the non combatants, aid workers, photographers etc being killed by the psychos.

If we are to hold our head up high, and proclaim we are on the side of justice, we have to be beyond reproach. Situational ethics I suppose, sure they may not have had the resources to look after those captured, but what about prisoner exchanges, work programmes, or good old fashioned brain washing? I draw the line well short of blowing em apart.

The ones that go over the line in iraq, or other conflict, when it comes out, they are usually dealt to promptly, and harshly, and publicly (except the ones we don't know about)