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<blockquote data-quote="NoOneofConsequence" data-source="post: 811425" data-attributes="member: 5400">It's astonishing how many people seem to think that executing prisoners for convenience sake is a morally good act in war. Just because you can't feed your enemy doesn't mean that you can just kill them all, Geneva convention or no Geneva convention.As to alignment based response - All good alignments would seek to avoid execution for expediency's sake. The only way execution might enter the equation is for war crimes - an LG response - however, this would probably need a trial.LG - might be willing to release the FG if it swears to quit the field, forfeit all treasure and not return to the siege. If it made these oaths and then returned to the siege, then all future calls for mercy from the attackers could be legitimately ignored as ruses, at least until the siege is lifted.NG &amp; CG - similar to LG but with an increasing likelihood of doing something to guarantee that the FG complies with its oaths - like cursing it or hamstringing it, thereby permanently crippling the giant and making it impossible for it to attack again.The truth of this seems to be that war makes it hideously difficult to stay good morally. The great tragedy of war is that survival requires that a little evil be done by everyone. Maybe this is a good lesson for us all.To quote the author of The ShortTimers, the book that Full Metal Jacket was based on, &quot;War is ugly because the truth can be ugly and war is very sincere. War never says 'Only joking!'&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="NoOneofConsequence, post: 811425, member: 5400"] It's astonishing how many people seem to think that executing prisoners for convenience sake is a morally good act in war. Just because you can't feed your enemy doesn't mean that you can just kill them all, Geneva convention or no Geneva convention. As to alignment based response - All good alignments would seek to avoid execution for expediency's sake. The only way execution might enter the equation is for war crimes - an LG response - however, this would probably need a trial. LG - might be willing to release the FG if it swears to quit the field, forfeit all treasure and not return to the siege. If it made these oaths and then returned to the siege, then all future calls for mercy from the attackers could be legitimately ignored as ruses, at least until the siege is lifted. NG & CG - similar to LG but with an increasing likelihood of doing something to guarantee that the FG complies with its oaths - like cursing it or hamstringing it, thereby permanently crippling the giant and making it impossible for it to attack again. The truth of this seems to be that war makes it hideously difficult to stay good morally. The great tragedy of war is that survival requires that a little evil be done by everyone. Maybe this is a good lesson for us all. To quote the author of [i]The ShortTimers[/i], the book that [i]Full Metal Jacket[/i] was based on, "War is ugly because the truth can be ugly and war is very sincere. War never says 'Only joking!'" [/QUOTE]

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