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05/19/10 8:08 PM

#651837 RE: hap0206 #651832

I would not shed a single tear if warmongers like Hitler, Stalin and Churchill were tried and executed for their war crimes; FDR, well, his crime was mostly in trampling on the Constitution and lying to the American people.

The recognition of war crimes is important: while war is hell and should be avoided at almost all cost (except for liberty and freedom when being invaded), when war has already started, it is important to have an incentive for war leaders to stick to militarily effective tactics/strategies, instead of wanton destruction of civilian lives in "terror-kills" or "fury-kills" that accomplish no military objective and achieve no military advantage, at least nothing compared to the scale of loss of human lives. Otherwise, why not just remove all Military Police, and let the troops loose on the civilians wherever they go?

A good war leader is one who knows the cost-effective ways of accomplishing objectives (war is extension of politics), not just a bloodthirsty warmonger. Dresden Bombing simply was not cost-effective in logistics, in personnel, in war resource allocation, and most importantly all was a political disaster that stiffened German resistance and made allies look horrible in the eyes of the neutrals.