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Culture War Roundup for the week of October 28, 2024

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The big trend with the GWB was the abolishment of the rules of war. There were no prisoners of war, only terrorists who can be tortured in any which way.

Were the people captured while acting as uniformed members of a recognized belligerent state's regular military? If not (and not within a few closely-associated civilian professions like military sutlers and contractors), they're not legally POWs under the Geneva Conventions. And even then, the Convention does not bar prosecution of POWs for acts which contravene the laws of war, such as indiscriminate attacks against civilians.

Pashtuns can't have any reason to oppose the Afghan government.

They absolutely can - they're just not POWs when they're captured fighting out of uniform, or attacking civilians; they're insurgents/terrorists.

Palestinians are completely justified in having armed resistance and participating in an armed conflict.

Sure, that's a moral claim. They can fight if they want to. But if they choose to fight, they then can't complain about the consequences of the other party fighting too.

They are not terrorists, they are armed combatants participating in an armed conflict.

They are not fighting in uniform so as to readily distinguish themselves from the civilian population, and are engaging in indiscriminate attacks against civilians.

There is no special terrorist clause in the Geneva convention.

No, there is a specific definition of who gets protection under the convention as a lawful combatant. Hamas and Hezbollah fighters do not qualify.

Israel is clearly trying to depopulate Gaza in order to steal the land.

Low-effort mindreading.