this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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Under the Third Geneva Convention, prisoners of war (POW) must be:

  • Treated humanely with respect for their persons and their honour
  • Able to inform their next of kin and the International Committee of the Red Cross of their capture Allowed to communicate regularly with relatives and receive packages
  • Given adequate food, clothing, housing, and medical attention
  • Paid for work done and not forced to do work that is dangerous, unhealthy, or degrading
  • Released quickly after conflicts end
  • Not compelled to give any information except for name, age, rank, and service number

Just a thought. I'd rather be a POW than a homeless disabled person in the USA. I'd have more rights, respect, better support, and better care.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner_of_war

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[–] Atin@lemmy.world 93 points 3 months ago (5 children)

The US broke most of these when they invaded Afghanistan and Iraq.

[–] Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 46 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Unidentified Marine #1: Alpha took three artillery hits. Somebody has an idea we're here. We've got four hours of daylight to make it to our next position. We're not going to deal with these surrenders from division. Send them all back the way they came.

(Soundbite of dog barking)

Unidentified Marine #2: Roger that, sir.

(Soundbite of Marines speaking)

Unidentified Marine #3: We have orders, Nate.

(Soundbite of dog barking)

(Soundbite of Arabic spoken)

Unidentified Marine #4: Are they (beep) serious? Send them back where? Back to the (beep) death squads?

Unidentified Marine # 2: Sir, under articles 13 and 20 of the Geneva Convention, we're obligated to take care of and protect any (beep) that surrenders to us.

Unidentified Marine #1: Division has ordered us to un-surrender these Iraqis.

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 30 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Unsurrender is a terrifying phrase.

[–] Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 14 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah it's a very haunting and impactful scene in general too, I think the show did a good job of depicting it.

[–] needanke 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 months ago

Generation Kill. Definitely worth a watch in my view.

[–] masquenox@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

It's a phrase that could only have been invented in the USA. So yeah... pretty damn terrifying.

[–] ilega_dh@feddit.nl 14 points 3 months ago

“Oh sorry we thought is was called the Geneva Checklist”

[–] johny 14 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They used the term ‘nongovernmental combatant’ (aka terrorist), because a war can only be between states these combatants were not legally POW and thus had no right whatsoever.

[–] dustyData@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago

Under law, there's no such a thing as 'war', there are armed conflicts. It is also incorrect that armed conflicts can only happen between states, there are international, non-international conflicts and there are other situations of armed violence. And there are different level of international and human rights law that apply different depending on the type of conflict. There's also parts of tne resolutions that state that it doesn't matter what you call them, they're still POW and you still have to treat them as such. The real problem is that the US hasn't ratified any of those resolutions and conventions because they fear having any diplomatic oversight, the US has committed so many war crimes that it would take decades of research just to sort out the last half of the 20th century.

Finally, even if international humanitarian law doesn't apply, then international human rights law still does. But the US plays with rules based international order as their toy because they have the biggest guns and it is hard to front them. And before any of the what abouters comes here to reply, Russia and China are just as bad. No international neocolonialist empire is free of human rights violations.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Wait until you hear about Americas crimes in Vietnam and the rest of South East Asia!

S.E.A: "Can I get a little of those freedoms you claim to uphold?"

USA: "Absolutely fucking not"

[–] Atin@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Central and South America too.

[–] Th4tGuyII@fedia.io 59 points 3 months ago

Sounds great until you realise these rules, with respect to POWs, are broken so often that they're barely worth the paper they're written on.

[–] PineRune@lemmy.world 55 points 3 months ago (1 children)

That's only when a country follows these rules. Some countries don't care and will tortue POWs and then ask, "What are you gonna do about it?" Because nobody is able to hold them accountable.

[–] Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 32 points 3 months ago

Like America lol.

[–] wabafee@lemmy.world 34 points 3 months ago (1 children)

US broke those list like a bingo card.

[–] YeetPics@mander.xyz 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

Oh yea, absolutely. Joining a very small group of war criminal countries including (but not limited to); Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, Malaysia, Venezuela, Mexico and of course Palestine+Israel (feat genocide).

Man that felt good, fuck all those places I listed for their war crimes/criminals.

You agree I'm sure.

[–] bizzle@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I've never heard of Mexican war crimes im gonna go look it up brb

[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

They don't. All these people saying these excuses are doing so to dismiss their conscious because they are the true monsters but unable to openly recognize their own reflections. When tides turn, these are the people that sway in the wind of Nazi like horrors and atrocities. I doubt any of them realize it directly. When I was much younger I was just as naive of an idiot, and just as clueless about what disability is really like. There is no monster as scary or atrocious as ignorant indifference.

[–] masquenox@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

Oh look... a white supremacist desperately trying to "whatabout" more than a hundred years of US terrorism.

[–] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 22 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Okay but did you consider that most American prisoners are brown??? Checkmate lib rule

[–] j4k3@lemmy.world -3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

If I take up arms as a guerilla fighter I qualify as a POW upon capture. Flipped tables play no games.

[–] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 26 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I can guarantee you disabled people don’t have those rights in basically any country except maybe finland.

I’m from switzerland and if it weren’t for family taking care of me I’d be dead on the street.

[–] FireTower@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

And North Korea's constitution guarantees a 'Right of Relaxation'. That is ink spilled on a page. POWs often have (and will in the future) had those dignities denied.

[–] vatlark@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Let's keep things civil everyone.

I never had success using my phone in the shower so I'm surprised to see a summary of a legal document in a shower thoughts post.

[–] No_Eponym@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

never has success using my phone in the shower

Me, reading Lemmy replies to my comments and realising that this isn't what the engineers intended when they gave an IP rating to my phone:

[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

Provided reference for a thought for clarity.

I do take offense at the many excuses and terrible behavior of people telling me tough, get over it, etc., by inference or directly. No joke, when my folks die soon, so will I. I did nothing to deserve this horrifically abusive fate. This is the gun pointed at my head with a bullet in the chamber. I'm aware of it constantly, but have no way of changing things. If you want to defend that kind of nonsense or call it equal that is on you. This is lives versus ignorant stupidity that is abusively hurtful to me. If that bothers people's stupid politics I don't give a damn. A person's life and right to exist in peace is far greater than anyone's right to a shitty opinion. I want nothing to do with anyone that cares to argue against that, as they are arguing for murder and complicit bystanders. MLK said it best, "Bad things happen when good people do nothing."