Russia is escalating its use of weapons containing chemical substances, and deploying a new type of gas grenade.
  • yesman@lemmy.worldEnglish
    216·
    10 months ago

    The problem with the concept of “war crimes” is it implies honorable warfare exists.

    Why don’t the Russians asphyxiate people the ethical way: with white phosphorus? Are they stupid?

    • circuscritic@lemmy.caEnglish
      181·
      10 months ago

      War crimes have nothing to do with honor, and everything to do with horror. It’s product of statecraft, not a code chivalry.

      Also, white phosphorus is a legal illumination munition, but becomes illegal/warcrime when used as an incendiary device. It has nothing to with asphyxiation, or chemical warfare.

    • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      123·
      10 months ago

      White phosphorus doesn’t result in asphyxiation. It does burn, which is the reason it’s mostly used in flares. But, when used as an incendiary, it’s quite bad.

      • yesman@lemmy.worldEnglish
        61·
        10 months ago

        white phosphorus can cause asphyxiation in enclosed places like bunkers and tunnels in two different ways. By consuming all the oxygen, or by inhalation of the smoke it gives off.

        The smoke given off by WF is mostly Phosphorus pentoxide. It causes severe irritation and burns to eyes and the respiratory tract.

        Using WF off-label as a tear gas dates back to 1916.

    • Mango@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      10 months ago

      I think the idea is that countries have a better time getting their population to support a war of they have a chance of looking like the good guys. It also helps if every other country agrees to jump the guy doing the more evil shit.

  • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.worldEnglish
    92·
    10 months ago

    If the Russians are cool with poison gas, then they won’t mind seeing it on the streets of their own cities, right? I mean, since Russians have decided poison gas is not a war crime…

  • Mango@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    10 months ago

    Is it because they’re less pleasant to kill themselves with when they get hit by a drone?

  • Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.caEnglish
    3·
    10 months ago

    I wonder if there are such a thing as laughing gas grenades to make it so soldiers are laughing too much to accurately shoot.

  • Diplomjodler@feddit.deEnglish
    42·
    10 months ago

    Even Hitler and Stalin didn’t use chemical warfare because they knew the repercussions. But Putin is just too far gone at this point to see any reason.

  • AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Apparently this product is the stuff that’s in the original US “Mace”. It’s not much used any more because of its potential toxicity.