Laws of War?

Laws and morals are created, by societies, they don't exist out of the ether.

Whether you believe laws and morals should be shaped by politics or not, they are.
Societies and politics are two different things. Related, but different. Moreso when using politics to mean the art of statecraft as performed by politicians vs. the underlying strata of politics that informs society (a la "everything is political", which is often degraded as a left wing exaggeration. I agree with it, but that's an aside).
Who says anything about absolving anyone. This is a calculation. I do believe it to be a morally superior calculation than "all violence is equally bad" but no one gets absolved of anything.
What is the calculation in service of though? Because it reads like a justification. If it's not a justification, what is it? Simply an observation?
 
Societies and politics are two different things. Related, but different.
Is that really a meaningful distinction? A society is a polity – it is going to have some kind of politics – even when it might the kind that denies it is politics...
 
Is that really a meaningful distinction? A society is a polity – it is going to have some kind of politics – even when it might the kind that denies it is politics...
Sure. I live in a society. I don't live in politics.

Well, I do, but that's more by choice 😅

A society will of course have "politics" insofar as in-groups and out-groups go, but the laws of the land also matter. I can't just declare my village independent and start making new laws - even if I had the support of everyone where I live. The law doesn't allow it, and even if I went into (career) politics, the political landscape would not allow it.
 
Sure. I live in a society. I don't live in politics.

Well, I do, but that's more by choice 😅

A society will of course have "politics" insofar as in-groups and out-groups go, but the laws of the land also matter. I can't just declare my village independent and start making new laws - even if I had the support of everyone where I live. The law doesn't allow it, and even if I went into (career) politics, the political landscape would not allow it.
Politics is interested in you, even if you would not be interested in politics.

Living in a society is being political – even if the politics of said society denies it is politics.

You thinking on politics is downright strange here.
 
Politics is interested in you, even if you would not be interested in politics.

Living in a society is being political – even if the politics of said society denies it is politics.

You thinking on politics is downright strange here.
How is it strange? I already mentioned the two types of politics, one you appear to be confirming here ("everything is political"). It's a part of the existing viewpoint I'm sharing with the thread.

Saying "politics is interested in you" doesn't really pertain to there being different meanings to the words "politics" and "society". I'm political as-is!
 
How is it strange? I already mentioned the two types of politics, one you appear to be confirming here ("everything is political"). It's a part of the existing viewpoint I'm sharing with the thread.

Saying "politics is interested in you" doesn't really pertain to there being different meanings to the words "politics" and "society". I'm political as-is!
Hm, yes... yes, you did say that, I can see on second take. Apologies.
 
I mean, in addition to war crimes we also have the concept of criminal wars - in theory, any use of military force that isn't strictly in defense against aggression is criminal in itself regardless of the actual conduct of the soldiers involved...and of course we also have the concept of criminal war aims e.g. Germany's ww2 intention of annihilating the Polish people or Russia's current war aim of annihilating Ukraine.
 
okay whatever

why did you even start this thread if you're just going to respond to arguments and examples with reflexive denial
To talk about the concepts, of course, strain of military expediency on it, strain of politics on it, strain of public opinion on it, the numerous intersections, if you will.
 
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