Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by injeolmi_love 922 days ago
The problem with 3 is global radicalization. Attempts to suppress populations can only work with the ability to convince the population to take your side; in the case of large scale bombing campaigns, the result is more radicalization and an increase in attacks elsewhere.
2 comments

In some situations the US has gone to war with countries who not long after are close allies. Germany comes to mind, but there are others. In other cases the situation you describe is more accurate. What are the primary factors that influence one outcome or another?
The allied powers exercised total media control in Germany and Japan. This strategy is no longer possible due to social media.
It’s not obvious to me that giving in to present-time radicals reduces long-run/future radicalization.

I don’t claim that humans are perfectly rational in all activities, but appeasement hasn’t generally worked in the past.

That is not necessary the dilemma. The dilemma could also be whether to let "present time radicals" tease Washington war mongerers into doing something that is in the long term interest of the radicals.