3. TIL The Bikini Atoll’s flag is similar to the USA flag, but with black stars r...

TIL The Bikini Atoll’s flag is similar to the USA flag, but with black stars representing islands destroyed by nuclear testing, to serve as a reminder of the debt the US still owes them for nuclear fallout and radiation poisoning.

This seems to entirely hinge on the definition of "innocent civilian".

If the US decided to go bomb Sri Lanka tomorrow because for whatever reason we decided "fuck the Tamil Tigers" and killed 30,000 civilians in the process, I'd call the civilians "innocent". Note that the Tamil Tigers are an insurgent group, not the government of Sri Lanka.

However, when it's a government waging war, its citizens are more than just people that exist within a specific region; they're assets. They often provide political support as well as material support, usually in the form of arms manufacturing or logistics management, but their mere lives are an asset unto themselves. The government knows that, in order to be totally defeated, the invader must subdue the populace itself; killing leaders is not sufficient (see: Vietnam)

The people that died that day were material assets to Imperial Japan. Yes, they were civilians, but calling them "innocent" hides nuance that's an important factor.

And, for the record, it's never "factually incorrect" to yell "think of the children". That does not mean it's useful.

/r/todayilearned Thread Parent Link - crwflags.com
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