[mdlug] OT - IR jamming

[Dave Arbogast]

Aaron Kulkis wrote:

>Dave Arbogast wrote:
>  
>
>>>|> If anyone's interested in building an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space
>>>|> Modulator I've got a neutronium barrel - practically new - that I can
>>>|> contribute to the project. Full disclosure: the anti-matter containment
>>>|> field is a big flaky.
>>>|>
>>>|> Allen
>>>|>
>>>| WOW!  I guess the censorship of our press during this war has been
>>>| effective in confusing me ;-)
>>>
>>>LOL - and I was just wondering when the FBI was going to show up at
>>>Allen's door and cart him off to Gitmo.
>>>
>>>- --
>>>Thomas Cameron, RHCE, RHCX, CNE, MCSE, MCT
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>LOL !!  Would not be the first US Citizen to be hauled there w/o court, 
>>trial, lawyer, etc.
>>    
>>
>
>Of course, to get such special treatment, you have to work
>at it -- specifically, to train with, and swear allegience
>to people who are at war with the United States.
>
>At that point, you're no longer a civilian, and you fall
>under Geneva Convention rules.  If you choose to carry out
>your struggle without wearing a uniform (which can be as
>simple as an identification armband), or do other things
>such as setting up military facilities among the civilian
>populace, and other ways of deliberately causing your
>enemy's actions against you to maximize civilian casualties,
>or placing military equipment in protected places (such as
>hospitals, religious sites, etc.) then you're a war
>criminal, and even the Geneva Convention classfies you as
>an "illegal combatant" and you have NO protections --
>basically, the life and well-being of an illegal combatant
>are at the whim of his or her captors.
>
>Legal combatants must be freed upon the end of hostilities,
>as they are not detained for reason of wrong-doing, only to
>prevent them from returning to the fight.
>
>Illegal combatants have no such rights.
>
>During WW2, several Germans, along with one U.S. citizen
>were landed on the Atlantic Coast, for the purpose of
>committing sabotage against American industry.
>
>As they were all dressed in civilian clothes, and wore
>nothing to identify themselves as combatants, they
>all (including the U.S. Citizen) got the Jose Padilla
>treatment.  6 of the 8 were executed, including the
>U.S. citizen.
>
>Similarly, although many are reluctant to admit it,
>when a bunch of aviators participated in "The Great
>Escape" from a German POW camp (yes, the movie is
>based on a real event, and quite accurately), and
>most wore civilian clothing (or uniforms modified
>to look like civilian clothing), and many were
>captured, with 50 executed, IN THIS INCIDENT the
>Gestapo actually was operating within the Geneva
>Convention.
>
>  
>
Then we have become as bad as Joseph Stalin when we ignore our 
Constitution and the Geneva Convention. These "Enemy Combatants" held in 
Cuba were denied protection under the Geneva Convention for YEARS !!  
There were their Red Cross visits ? Don't get me started about water 
boarding either.

We committed various war crimes in W.W.II as well. The fire bombing of 
the German civilian population was intentional and criminal. So were the 
to atomic bombs vaporizing civilians in Japan, putting US citizens in 
prison w/o trial because they had Japanese heritage...  There are more 
examples I am sure.

Part of the responsibility of being the only current super power is 
sticking to the rule of law. We have not been in this war - FISA is 
another good example. Safety is of no value when you trample the very 
liberty from tyranny you are combating. The end does not justify the 
means any more for them than it does for us.

-dave

PS - Stalin literally worked countless former German POW's to death 
after the war. I saw some of the fruits of their forced labor in my 
wife's home town in Ukraine.....  we went on a short trip outside of 
town. The road was the best road I have seen there, but was in the 
middle of nowhere and went to a small group of "summer residences". I 
asked about this road and the laughing response was "It is the Nazi 
road. It has 4m deep foundation rather than normal 1.2m. It was made 
after the war by the German POW's"