the numbers don’t matter nearly as much as the intent
But how do you judge intent without numbers? I do believe the US didn’t have a genocidal intent in the invasion of Iraq, and didn’t commit genocide, but the ratio of civilians to military who died is disproportionately high compared to that of Ukraine invasion by Russia. I’m sure you can go to fox news of 2003 and find right wing talking heads, journalists and politicians talking of all Iraqi as terrorists to be eliminated. You can do the same for some deranged Russian nationalist politicians and journalists. How, other than numerically and by policy, can you judge the intent? I can determine Israel is enacting genocide against Palestinians because of the horrendous murder rates of civilians, including through forced starvation and besiegement, because of indiscriminate bombing against civilian infrastructure (which, like it or not, is rare in the invasion of Ukraine in comparison with even the invasion of Iraq), etc.
the numbers don’t matter nearly as much as the intent.
“merely” planning a murder is illegal, same with genocide.
there’s this weird idea that an event can only ever be a genocide after all the victims have died. that’s not true, and never has been.
But how do you judge intent without numbers? I do believe the US didn’t have a genocidal intent in the invasion of Iraq, and didn’t commit genocide, but the ratio of civilians to military who died is disproportionately high compared to that of Ukraine invasion by Russia. I’m sure you can go to fox news of 2003 and find right wing talking heads, journalists and politicians talking of all Iraqi as terrorists to be eliminated. You can do the same for some deranged Russian nationalist politicians and journalists. How, other than numerically and by policy, can you judge the intent? I can determine Israel is enacting genocide against Palestinians because of the horrendous murder rates of civilians, including through forced starvation and besiegement, because of indiscriminate bombing against civilian infrastructure (which, like it or not, is rare in the invasion of Ukraine in comparison with even the invasion of Iraq), etc.