When the media are showing horrible crimes of child rapists or murderers, people cannot compete in who is more evil. They want to inflict the worst possible pain on the culprit.
But when it comes to my favorite dichotomy “us/them”, people unleash their animalistic instincts whether it is the Israeli-Hamas conflict (the humanitarian catastrophe respectively) or the Russo-Ukrainian war. But please note these are just examples.
For those who cherish life and are not evil
Every war (either civil or normal) is cruel, and senseless in most cases. So when a soldier or civilian dies (no matter what side he was from), we should respect his dignity. And even if we cannot ignite our compassion, we should never wish for his death.
For some people, this goes without saying. But as the Russo-Ukrainian war is unfolding, every news about Ukrainian military successes and the death of Russian soldiers makes a lot of Czechs cheering their suffering.
Even if they supported the war, even wanted to start it, they are humans and the people wishing them death should cherish their lives no matter how adversary they may be against them.
The more the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complicated, the more one-sided Czech people are. The news went in a style: “40 Palestinians killed” And Czech response liked by other people? “Nothing has really happened!”
Paramedic: They killed my whole family. I won’t treat them
There were a lot of stories about Ukrainian parademics being affected by the war. I heard such things as the whole family of one parademic was killed. It resulted in her determination not to treat wounded Russian soldiers.
Why people may understand it from the human standpoint, the Geneva Conventions are higher than one particular sad fate.
It is the same with Russians wishing death to Ukrainians. There is – even from the normal morality standpoint – no justification.
Law-abiding citizens have become evil torturers
If there is anything I detest more, it is labeling the bad murderers (and I am really not justifying murderers) as the worst scum (you may have had a few different genes and you are among them). And then we have people who would never hurt, torture, or kill someone on the streets.
But when it comes to war, people are, well, what they are – animals. Brutal genital mutilation, beatings, electro shocks, waterboarding, stress positions, mock execution, sexual violence, and sleep deprivation. Just dads from families.
At least elementary human rights should apply everywhere
If there was anything something fruitful in the horrible and evil 20th century, it was the creation of human rights.
All of it should be respected in such tragic events as war. And the rights shouldn’t just be applied to one particular but they should be in effect all around the world.
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