All Hank, all the time.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Adder
Not that I believe that Israel is engaged in genocide ('cause they are not), but this does not help you. Is there not close question as to whether Hamas and Hezbollah are either a national or a religious group? They certainly have national aspirations. And, in theory at least, they share a set of religious convictions.

No, there is not even a close question as to whether Hamas and Hezbollah are a national or a religious group. There is no question at all.

Neither claims to be a religion. Neither claims to be a nation.

Their aspirations to be political parties do not make them national groups.

And I note that there is nothing in there that says the victims of genocide must all be innocents. Certainly there were enemy combatants among the victims of genocide in Rwanda and Balkans.

Yes, but there is something in there about intent. If your intent is to kill the guerillas who are launching missiles at you, the fact that all of the guerillas belong to the same terrorist army, or political party, or religion, or ethnic group, is irrelevant -- it isn't genocide.

The intent in Rwanda was to kill all Tutsi. That's how what had been a civil war -- even an ethnic war -- became a genocide.

I'm just saying this may not be your strongest line of argument.

Yes, well. When someone suggests that maybe Hezbollah is a religious or ethnic group for purposes of establishing genocide, it's a little difficult to take his critique very seriously.