Regardless, such massacres remain the responsibility of organized institutions to avoid; blaming the enemy, however culpable they may be for the circumstances, is not sufficient to absolve the institution of blame. When your civilian casualty ratio is 80%-95%, something has gone very fucking wrong that goes far beyond mere bad circumstances. Fuck, man, WW2’s civilian casualty ratio wasn’t that bad. Vietnam’s civilian casualty ratio wasn’t that bad. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the US hit 15%-20% civilian casualty ratio, and that was widely considered reckless at best.
When a purportedly professional military ends up killing 5 times the number of civilians as militants, that’s a moment to step back and fucking reflect, or else implement reform, not plead that it was really tough and that they should get a pass just this once.
I’m not going to dispute that. Just wanted to say that while Indira Gandhi tried to eradicate an insurgency, she didn’t hate Sikhs and Sikh officers and soldiers were part of government’s actions.
Unfortunately (and predictably), after her assassination there were anti-Sikh riots. A year later there was bombing of Flight 182. Only one accused was found guilty.
Regardless, such massacres remain the responsibility of organized institutions to avoid; blaming the enemy, however culpable they may be for the circumstances, is not sufficient to absolve the institution of blame. When your civilian casualty ratio is 80%-95%, something has gone very fucking wrong that goes far beyond mere bad circumstances. Fuck, man, WW2’s civilian casualty ratio wasn’t that bad. Vietnam’s civilian casualty ratio wasn’t that bad. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the US hit 15%-20% civilian casualty ratio, and that was widely considered reckless at best.
When a purportedly professional military ends up killing 5 times the number of civilians as militants, that’s a moment to step back and fucking reflect, or else implement reform, not plead that it was really tough and that they should get a pass just this once.
I’m not going to dispute that. Just wanted to say that while Indira Gandhi tried to eradicate an insurgency, she didn’t hate Sikhs and Sikh officers and soldiers were part of government’s actions.
Unfortunately (and predictably), after her assassination there were anti-Sikh riots. A year later there was bombing of Flight 182. Only one accused was found guilty.
As I said, clusterfuck.