re: #421 Perplexed

Do we base what we do to innocents on how our innocents are treated?

Of course not. However, there is a problem which is recognized by academic historians — it’s called “presentism.” What can happen is that someone will read a historical account of event X, then exclaim: “Why, that is utterly unacceptable!” (especially when viewed by today’s standards.) Imperial Japan never signed the 1929 Geneva Conventions with regard to POWs…British, Canadians, Americans, etc., who were captured by the Japanese were routinely tortured, starved, beaten, and used for medical experiments, etc. That was “par for the course.” (and even the POW treatment of those interned by the Japanese in no way compares to what the Jewish population of Europe underwent.) Given this context a moaning about the “horrors” of any American run camp, really, just pales by comparison…