Some of it is scale while other aspects hint at a difference in quality. As far as direct differences in quality, America had agent orange because it went out of it’s way to create it. America had operation Phoenix because it went out of it’s way to create an extra-legal arm of the state.
As far as difference in scale, at a certain magnitude difference of scale represents a difference in quality. Quantitative changes lead qualitative outcomes. People have their limits of what evil they are willing to do to each other. When those limits are removed that is a difference in quality. Mass murder of civilians, burning of villages of people alive, raping children in front of their parents. That represents a different kind of thing. I don’t think the French were willing to go there.
I think that’s a good question. Does France have a My Lai incident or anything comparable to agent orange? Is it just a difference in scale?
Some of it is scale while other aspects hint at a difference in quality. As far as direct differences in quality, America had agent orange because it went out of it’s way to create it. America had operation Phoenix because it went out of it’s way to create an extra-legal arm of the state.
As far as difference in scale, at a certain magnitude difference of scale represents a difference in quality. Quantitative changes lead qualitative outcomes. People have their limits of what evil they are willing to do to each other. When those limits are removed that is a difference in quality. Mass murder of civilians, burning of villages of people alive, raping children in front of their parents. That represents a different kind of thing. I don’t think the French were willing to go there.
I really like how you phrased this!
Thank-you!