Newsweek

  • Nine@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This quote ignores the issue of sociopaths, which may constitute up to 10% of people in every group.

    How so? You don’t have to have empathy to see the non-human costs. Or do I not understand what you’re saying?

    Weapons usable in war should be as easy to get as notebooks and pens. Or at least as smartphones. Then we’ll see some kind of peace (the medieval way, there’ll be more small-scale violence, but less large-scale violence as in war, and less death all things considered).

    Correct me if I’m wrong. What I’m understanding from this is that your claim is that more weapons means more peace on a larger scale? I could agree, in theory, if we were still fighting with sticks and blades. However it seems like you’re claiming that making modern weapons of war accessible as notebooks and pens is the solution to large-scale violence?

    • vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org
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      1 year ago

      How so? You don’t have to have empathy to see the non-human costs. Or do I not understand what you’re saying?

      For humans, including sociopaths, costs are subjective. Wiping out their enemy completely may be preferable to having some economic gain simply due to satisfaction.

      I could agree, in theory, if we were still fighting with sticks and blades.

      Pay attention to what they use now in actual war zones. These are definitely not sticks and blades, but in many cases commodity hardware.

      Also, to be honest, typical Soviet field artillery pieces and ammunition for them are not so expensive and complex to produce or even buy. They’d still have uses.

      However it seems like you’re claiming that making modern weapons of war accessible as notebooks and pens is the solution to large-scale violence?

      Yes, because of the weaker side always being able to inflict some damage on the attacker.

      Notebooks and pens were an exaggeration, of course, and I meant not things like tanks and jets, but, again, small drones, small mortars, dumb MLRS like Soviet M-8 (“mountain Katyusha”) and similar guerilla stuff.