gemini://alexschroeder.ch/2024-04-04-eye-for-an-eye

I often think about the number of dead killed in an incident and the number of dead killed in the reaction. It's not really revenge but a sort of "we can strike back so we should" and then people don't know when to stop.

Personally, I find that "an eye for an eye" is terrible advice.

I have no words for "a hundred eyes for an eye."

Think about Gaza in 2024: over 30,000 dead in half a year.

> As of 5 March 2024, over 31,000 people (30,228 Palestinian and 1,410 Israeli) have been reported as killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 94 journalists (89 Palestinian, 2 Israeli and 3 Lebanese) and over 136 UNRWA aid workers.

> On 7 October 2023, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 764 civilians, were killed, and 248 persons taken hostage during the initial attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. – Casualties of the Israel Hamas war

30228 Palestinians dead after the original incident killed 1139 is more than 25:1.

I wonder about Iraq, too: 300,000 dead in over 20 years.

> Documented civilian deaths from violence: 187,116 – 210,566

> Total violent deaths including combatants: 300,000 – Iraq Body Count

> Another justification included the alleged connection between the regime of Saddam Hussein and that of terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda that had attacked the United States during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. – 2003 invasion of Iraq

> Excluding the hijackers, the attacks killed 2,977 people, injured thousands more … – September 11 attacks

300,000 dead after the original incident killed 2,977 is more than 100:1.

The two seem somehow related, I just can't put it into words. High tech weapons against civilians, drones, city warfare, a population that hates the invader, news so terrible I can't even finish reading the Wikipedia articles.

Oh, and out of curiosity, I had to look up the situation in Ukraine, too.

> Ukrainian forces: ~70,000 killed, 100,000–120,000 wounded (US estimates) … Russian forces: ~120,000 killed, 170,000–180,000 wounded (US estimates) … the United Nations confirmed that by 31 January 2024, 10,378 civilians had been killed and 19,632 had been injured, but said they believe the real number is higher. – Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War

#Israel #Palestine #Ukraine #Russia #Palestine #Ukraine #Russia #Ukraine #Russia #Russia

2024-04-04 An eye for an eye