Monbars the Exterminator only wanted your money.
Coup de foudre, coup de folie.
The first time an Atomic bomb was dropped on civilians, the justification given was that military lives would be saved. When the Emperor of Japan saw how destructive the weapon was to his countrymen, it was argued, he would realize the futility of continuing his military campaign against the United States. The loss of such a large civilian population was meant to demoralize the enemy and shock them into laying down their arms. The punishing blows to cities the size of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were undertaken within the context of the firebombing of Dresden, rocket attacks against London and near constant air war against large cities on both sides of the conflict. The waging of war had evolved from military combatants confronting each other in trench warfare to a campaign of terror from the air, dropping explosives from airships and planes over densely populated cities. These acts of barbarism demonstrated the complete breakdown of civilized behavior between nations.
The Draft Rules of Aerial Warfare, which were presented at The Hague, February 1923 specifically stated that Aerial Bombardment for the purpose of terrorizing the civilian population, of destroying or damaging private property not of military character, or of injuring non-combatants was prohibited. The Rules were supported by the United States but never enacted. Again on September 30, 1938, by unanimous resolution of the League of Nations Assembly, the following principles were recognized;
1) The intentional bombing of civilian populations is illegal;
2) Objectives aimed at from the air must be legitimate military objectives and must be identifiable;
3)Any attack on legitimate military objectives must be carried out in such a way that civilian populations in the neighbourhood are not bombed through negligence.
On September 1, 1939, the President of the United States, FDR, sent the following Appeal to the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and England.
“The ruthless bombing from the air of civilians in unfortified centers of population during the course of the hostilities which have raged in various quarters of the earth during the past few years, which has resulted in the maiming and in the death of thousands of defenseless men, women, and children, has sickened the hearts of every civilized man and woman, and has profoundly shocked the conscience of humanity.
If resort is had to this form of inhuman barbarism during the period of the tragic conflagration with which the world is now confronted, hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings who have no responsibility for, and who are not even remotely participating in, the hostilities which have now broken out, will lose their lives. I am therefor addressing this urgent appeal to every government which may be engaged in hostilities publicly to affirm its determination that its armed forces shall in no event, and under no circumstances, undertake the bombardment from the air of civilian populations or of unfortified cities, upon the understanding that these same rules of warfare will be scrupulously observed by all of their opponents.”
The Nuremberg Principles of 1945 established as a War Crime the wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity.
Resolution 1653, adopted by the United Nations, declares that a) The use of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons is contrary to the spirit, letter and aims of the United Nations and, as such, a direct violation of the Charter of the United Nations;
b) The use of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons would exceed even the scope of war and cause indiscriminate suffering and destruction to mankind and civilization and, as such, is contrary to the rules of international law and to the laws of humanity; c) The use of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons is a war directed not against an enemy or enemies alone but also against mankind in general, since the peoples of the world not involved in such a war will be subjected to all the evils generated by the use of such weapons; d) Any State using nuclear or thermo-nuclear weapons is to be considered as violating the Charter of the United Nations, as acting contrary to the laws of humanity and as committing a crime against mankind and civilization;
On July 8, 1996, the International Court of Justice rendered the following opinion;
The opinion of the International Court of Justice (“World Court”) came in response to a request from the United Nations General Assembly. The Court found that the threat or use of nuclear weapons “would generally be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict.” However, the Court was unable to make a determination “in an extreme circumstance of self-defense, in which the very survival of a State would be at stake.”
The United States of America has by its words and actions unequivocally threatened to replace the Government of Iraq, which act would by its very nature threaten the survival of the Republic of Iraq. It has threatened to drop over 3,000 bombs many of which will undoubtedly kill civilians and non-combatants, in the major cities of Iraq. Is mobilizing a substantial army of occupation on the borders of Iraq with a war plan that encompasses a blitzkrieg offensive into the very heart of the major cities of Iraq. This is a Coup-de-Foudre.
The premise for this action is the abiding fear that Iraq has in its possession a weapon of mass destruction, and the ruthlessness to use it. This is the Coup-de-Folie.
One action leads to the next. Who shall we blame?
Our President in an attempt to make the world safe for the United States is holding a loaded gun to the head of a madman he believes has a nuke, whereabouts unknown, moving about the countryside in a semi. The President through his actions is speaking these words;
“If you have the nuke, use it right now, in either case you’re a dead man.”
He will only succeed if the madman has an epiphany, begs forgiveness, tells him where to find the nuke and gives him a few token gold coins to make the execution quick and painless.
In all other scenarios, he fails.
BOB
p.s. Would this work against Kim Jong Il