# Is this My Lai, Part II? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 26, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371 "2006-05-26T21:13:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tripwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tripwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripwire)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/21 "2006-05-29T14:16:31Z")
There is no purpose for the US to deliberately have a policy of murdering civilians. However, it is pretty clear that the military simply lies to to the public whenever they have to, and that should not necessarily be surprising (after all, sometimes they have legimate reasons for not immediately telling the truth). As with any element of secrecy, when there is no real oversight, it gets used primarily for ass-covering rather than legitimate security purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/22 "2006-05-29T23:42:24Z")
> [@Spavined Gelding](#): > > You will do me the kindness of explaining your proposition more fully, with illustrations? > > My position is that bad behavior by soldiers is a default condition that will assert itself unless it is constantly and strenuously restrained. It is like walking a biting dog on a crowded street – unless kept on a tight leash someone is going to be bitten. > > I will not accept that slaughter is my government’s policy in this ill conceived and ill advised foreign adventure. As far as costly blunders go, I anticipate that historians will include our invasion and occupation of Iraq with Napoleon III’s invasion of Mexico, the war in Vietnam and some what below Napoleon I’s and Hitler’s invasion of Russia. I do not, however, let my detestation of this fool war interfere with my understanding of the nature of armies and the role of discipline in their operation. If I may nit pick that a little; Hitler pretty much had to invade Russia, to shorten arguments he needed its oil to keep going… hmmm, OK, maybe it´s not so much of a stretch to make the comarison. 😉 But seriously, Hitler didn´t have other choice (besides trying to make peace). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/23 "2006-05-30T00:02:18Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Stopped taking your irony supplements? Is there a whoosh or something that I missed? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/24 "2006-05-30T05:59:33Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Is there a whoosh or something that I missed? Please review post #3, then post # 13. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/25 "2006-05-30T11:40:24Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Please review post #3, then post # 13. Yes, I did so-but what was **Inigo Montoya** referring to? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/26 "2006-05-30T12:19:25Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yes, I did so-but what was **Inigo Montoya** referring to? Inigo made the “It’s okay that civilians were killed, God will sort them out!” comment in Post 3. He was being extremely sarcastic; he does not actually believe that it’s okay to kill civilians. BobLibDem, in Post 13, thought he was being serious. Therefore, Bob was whooshed. It’s probably the clearest, most obvious whoosh in the history of the board. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/27 "2006-05-30T12:35:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Inigo made the “It’s okay that civilians were killed, God will sort them out!” comment in Post 3. He was being extremely sarcastic; he does not actually believe that it’s okay to kill civilians. BobLibDem, in Post 13, thought he was being serious. Therefore, Bob was whooshed. > > It’s probably the clearest, most obvious whoosh in the history of the board. I figured as much-I just wondered if it was a reference to an actual quote or what have you. Thanks. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/28 "2006-05-30T12:43:26Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I figured as much-I just wondered if it was a reference to an actual quote or what have you. > > Thanks. > > :smack: It’s from the sack of the French town of Béziers during the Albigensian crusade: > [@](#): > > Beziers was a Languedoc stronghold of the Cathars, whom Catholics determined were heretics and whom they exterminated in the Albigensian crusade. Béziers was the first city to be sacked, on July 22, 1209, burning the cathedral of Saint Nazaire, which collapsed on the terrified inhabitants who had taken refuge inside. Béziers was then destroyed and all its remaining inhabitants killed. > > The commander of the crusade, Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester, was acting on the advice of the Papal Legate to the Crusaders, Arnaud-Amaury, the Bishop of Citeaux. When the commander asked the monk how they should they treat the inhabitants when they captured the city because not everybody in the city was a heretic – some of them were good Catholics, the monk famously replied, “Kill them all, God will recognize His own” / “Neca ecos omnes. Deus suos agnoscet.” (From wikipedia). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371/29 "2006-05-30T12:59:23Z")
Thanks. I have heard the story before, but that was way back in my history of the middle ages course and damned if I can remember everything from back then. I HAVE heard the quote, “Kill them all, let God sort 'em out” before, so I figured it was something like that. Me= :wally [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-my-lai-part-ii/358371.md?page=1)