WAR PERVERSITIES HAVE BEEN WITH HUMANKIND FOR AGES

Sir,

War brutally and barbarically disregards human dignity. After a millennia of slaughtering, humankind should have developed beyond warfare, but it has not. Universally, the law recognises the right to self-defence, though. I may kill an attacker who unlawfully tries to kill or seriously injure me if my action is the only proportional way to prevent imminent harm, but right does not have to yield to wrong. Russia invaded Ukraine, at least as far as we know. Ukrainians had to defend themselves against cruel imperialist foreign rule. When we were still able to watch Russia on Today TV, President Vladimir Putin’s explanations convinced me that mainstream Western media reports were essentially true.

Smallpox

The many perversities of war have been with humankind for ages. In 1346, Mongol warriors catapulted rotten plague-infected cadavers over the walls into the besieged Crimean city of Caffa. Smallpox has often been spread intentionally. Rape has happened during most wars, either to acquire the enemy’s women, as revenge, or as an expression of frustration and hatred. The Bible contains several examples of the destruction of property and looting, sometimes sanctioned or even ordered by God. Historical texts show that the Crusaders fought not only for the cross but for loot too. International humanitarian law has emerged through several conventions and other international law instruments. The Rome Statute of 1998, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC), is a recent example. These rules seek to limit the effects of armed conflict and to prevent suffering that is not justified by ‘military necessity’. Principles of ‘the law of war’ include a distinction between the necessary and unnecessary; proportionality; humanity; and honour, also known as chivalry.

Destruction

The unjustified plunder and destruction of property, cities and villages are often mentioned as prohibited acts, as are attacks on buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science … and even historical monuments. Several war crimes are criminal offences under the ordinary law of the relevant states. Rape, torture, assault and malicious damage to property are examples. The killing of prisoners of war or soldiers who surrendered is murder, by almost any standards, regardless of it being labelled as a war crime. Do we regard war as a contact sport, like rugby, with rules to prevent injury, where a player could be sent to the sin bin after dangerous or ungentlemanly conduct, such as a high tackle or eye-gouging? Targeting civilians is a war crime. In the Southern African bush war landmines that exploded only up to hip height were allegedly used. The purpose was not to kill but to take off limbs, to leave soldiers on crutches for all to see. Is this suffering unjustified by military necessity, or is the negative effect on enemy morale a legitimate aim? Is the hidden sharpshooter who aims for the knees of the target first, before the head, a war criminal?

Attempt

International humanitarian law is an attempt to save a tiny bit of what we regard as standards of good taste, morality, decency and human dignity, which we pretend to believe in after ages of savagery. It is often impractical and hypocritical. But brutal realism, honesty and, therefore, cynicism are not always what we need. Hypocrisy has a small role to play in our attempts to lift ourselves from the stinking depth of the worst in us – ‘the horror’ Colonel Kurt became a part and perpetrator of. After all, we also try to soften the inhumanity of hard capitalism with labour and consumer protection laws. The famous philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, said: “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster.”

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