# Diogenes the Cynic: US troops engaged in "genocide" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 16, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101 "2005-01-16T23:49:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/1 "2005-01-16T23:49:12Z")
I’ve never pitted anybody before, not people who I found to be stooopit, or bothersome, or even nuts. For some reason this crosses the line for me. Ah well [In this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5726467&postcount=39) from [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=297174) > [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I’m saying that the US military is engaged in a campign of genocide. 100,00o civilians murdered for no motherfucking reason whatsoever is genocide. How is that NOT genocide? To start with genocide is [The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group.](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=genocide) So your claim is false to facts. Other than that I’m really not sure where to begin or what to say. I’m blown away that someone who I find to be a (generally) reasonable and intelligent guy could seriously be accusing the US forces in Iraq of being engaged in a campaign of genocide. Fighting a mismanaged war? Ok. Have a moral obligation to refuse to pick up a gun and fight? Maybe. But they’re there because they chose to protect America up to and including the cost of their own lives. It is their commander in chief’s fault that they were sent over for bogus and/or occult reasons. (by occult I mean hidden) And, jeez, Bush may be stupid, corrupt, and funny lookin’, but he didn’t order or even suggest a campaign of genocide. Match your rhetoric up with reality, this is just nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/2 "2005-01-16T23:58:16Z")
So you just want to pick a semantic nit? :rolleyes: Ok, technically, it’s mass murder, not genocide. I’m going to go ahead and call it genocifde anyway just to piss you off. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/3 "2005-01-17T00:04:15Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > So you just want to pick a semantic nit? :rolleyes: No, I believe your characterization of the US troops is both insulting and stupid. I believe that when you use words as heavily loaded as ‘genocide’ it behoves you to back it up. I believe that spewing hateful rhetoric (eg. that US troops are engaged in a campaign of genocide) is a bad thing and that you should not do it. > [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Ok, technically, it’s mass murder, not genocide. That would still be false to facts. Or are you honestly suggesting that the US troops are engaged in a campaign of mass murder? Are those their orders? Or are they, instead, engaged in a horribly managed and possibly doomed attempt to bring stability to Iraq? > [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I’m going to go ahead and call it genocifde anyway just to piss you off. If you do you’ll look like a hatemongering idiot and although IANAMod and I’m not implying you’d be banned or anything… You’d be a real jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/4 "2005-01-17T00:06:57Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I’m going to go ahead and call it genocifde anyway just to piss you off. 😛 Funny, you sound like a…what’s the word? Troll. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/5 "2005-01-17T00:11:55Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > So you just want to pick a semantic nit? When you use loaded, powerful words like “genocide” to describe the Iraqi war, we’re not talking so much about semantic nits as we are you trying to reinvent the English language to further your own rhetorical ends. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/6 "2005-01-17T00:20:03Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > So you just want to pick a semantic nit? :rolleyes: > > Ok, technically, it’s mass murder, not genocide. > > I’m going to go ahead and call it genocifde anyway just to piss you off. 😛 That’s a pretty big fucking nit, there. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/7 "2005-01-17T00:30:27Z")
**DtC** , I will not pit you personally, but I do want to comment. Although I think the war is a horrible criminal act which has required a sort of brainwashing of society, the word _genocide_ has a specific meaning that must not be deluted just for your aggravating pleasure. It is not a semantic nitpick and you know why it’s not. Aside from that, I don’t know why you seem so angry here lately. I hope that you channel your anger in an appropriate direction so that you can have some relief from what ever is bothering you. If I am mistaken, please forgive. You have been too valuable to the Straight Dope too long for me not to say something when I have a chance. Or maybe it’s just me. Or this foin’ war. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/8 "2005-01-17T00:35:56Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > When you use loaded, powerful words like “genocide” to describe the Iraqi war, we’re not talking so much about semantic nits as we are you trying to reinvent the English language to further your own rhetorical ends. Is mass murder less loaded? ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/9 "2005-01-17T00:37:06Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Is mass murder less loaded? Only slightly, and I think it’s just as innapropriate a description of the Iraqi war as “genocide.” ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/10 "2005-01-17T00:37:28Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Is mass murder less loaded? Even mass murder is not an organized effort to totally wipe out a population. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/11 "2005-01-17T00:37:33Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s a pretty big fucking nit, there. These are sloppy times: “Invasion of Iraq is part of the war on terror” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/12 "2005-01-17T00:38:43Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > These are sloppy times: > “Invasion of Iraq is part of the war on terror” I’d like to think that **Diogenes** would hold himself to a higher standard. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/13 "2005-01-17T00:42:29Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > Only slightly, and I think it’s just as innapropriate a description of the Iraqi war as “genocide.” I do too. Let’s see if I can save this argument some time: -Murder requires somebody to intend to kill all those Iraqis. -The Iraqis are dead no matter what, so intent doesn’t matter to them, the result is the same. Onward we go. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/14 "2005-01-17T00:47:46Z")
C’mon Digenes give me a little credit. If Bush wanted to wipe out Iraw or the Middle East I would have done it for him by now. I mean, geez, do you think I’m incompetent? 🆒 Only half kidding - but I’ll let you figure out which half! ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/15 "2005-01-17T00:48:20Z")
Honestly, if the US army was interested in genocide, there would be absolutely no fucking doubt about it. This goes for Israel too, while we’re at it. Not to mention the implied slur against every single other nation on the earth that is not lifting a finger to stop our apparently insane genocidal actions. Fuck, nobody is even bothering with an embargo to put pressure on us. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/16 "2005-01-17T00:50:15Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > So you just want to pick a semantic nit? :rolleyes: > > Ok, technically, it’s mass murder, not genocide. > > **I’m going to go ahead and call it genocifde anyway just to piss you off.** (bolding added) 😛 No, you’re not, **Diogenes**. That’s throwing gasoline onto a fire, a.k.a. trolling. There’s enough overwrought rhetoric about this war. We certainly don’t need you making discussions even more inflammatory. Consider this a warning, **Diogenes**. Ratchet it back or we will dispense with your presence. TVeblen Pit mod ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/17 "2005-01-17T01:14:19Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > No, you’re not, **Diogenes**. That’s throwing gasoline onto a fire, a.k.a. trolling. There’s enough overwrought rhetoric about this war. We certainly don’t need you making discussions even more inflammatory. Consider this a warning, **Diogenes**. Ratchet it back or we will dispense with your presence. > > TVeblen > Pit mod Can I still say I think it’s mass murder? ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/18 "2005-01-17T01:39:32Z")
I gotta admit I can see Dio’s point. Honestly, how can you say the wholesale slaughter of civilians isn’t mass murder? It’s no less of a stretch than calling it “protecting our country.” To my mind, it’s much less of a stretch than calling it “protecting our country.” Please. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/19 "2005-01-17T01:41:48Z")
There is still a vast difference between a war whose results are mass murder, and an organized campaign of genocide. That accusation still deserves a retraction. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101/20 "2005-01-17T01:43:36Z")
Calling it a “war” is little more than a deoderant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diogenes-the-cynic-us-troops-engaged-in-genocide/285101.md?page=2)