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From: phipps@fortune.UUCP (Clay Phipps)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Innocent Civilians / Re: Flame On America
Message-ID: <2410@fortune.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 1-Feb-84 23:15:37 EST
Article-I.D.: fortune.2410
Posted: Wed Feb  1 23:15:37 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 7-Feb-84 13:50:51 EST
References: <132@ames-lm.UUCP>
Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA
Lines: 35

The claim that there are no such things as "innocent civilians" in total war
is fallacious; "innocent civilians" are those who were involved, 
without their consent, in a war by the decisions of their government
or some other government.

Ironically, by my definition, citizens of totalitarian states,
be they rightist or leftist, are the most "innocent".
They have little or no say in how their government behaves.
As far as voting is concerned, there may be a pseudoelection to ratify
a single-party slate of "candidates", or no election at all.
When was the last time that the people of the Soviet Union got to choose 
between a pacifist and a warmonger (or make any choice at all) 
for president of their country ?

In the democracies, the citizens sometimes have the *opportunity*
to make clear choices between "peace-loving" and "warmongering" candidates,
or between deployment of nuclear weapons and nondeployment
(as was the case in recent European elections) so citizens of these countries
must take some responsibility for the actions of their leaders.
They also have less of a claim of innocence.
If Reagan starts a major war, we must keep in mind that at least some of us
voted for him.  Of course, not all of the citizens are old enough to vote.

By the way, the fallout and other side effects from a nuclear war 
are not likely to be so well behaved as to stop precisely at the borders
of only those countries who are voluntarily involved in the war.
I'm sure that this has a lot (everything ?) to do with the strong opinions
held by our Canadian neighbors and European allies.

-- Clay Phipps

-- 
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