Something I read in one of these stories stuck with me, it went something like this: "When threatened badly enough Humans will turn the Geneva Conventions into the Geneva Checklist, do not provoke them!"
Yes we do have rules for war. They are just two plain and simple rules; First Rule of War is Win at any cost and the Second Rule of War is to ensure Rule 1 happens.
As a means to achieve rule 2 modern military doctrine for the last century has been to never enter a fair fight, ensure numerical superiority - preferably by at least a factor of 5, 10 or more if possible. Ensure technological and information superiority, ensure dominance in one branch of combat before moving on to the others. In planetary combat that means we establish complete naval dominance in a region before we move on to air and only then, once the battle clearly is won already, will we mop up on the ground. There is no reason why a similar doctrine wouldn't be in place for any future space based conflict, we will just add a couple more places of dominance to achieve before mopping up. Conquer a world? Establish a cordon to blockade vessels going to or from the world, establish far orbital followed by near orbital dominance, utilize orbital bombardment to reduce strong areas of resistance to glass, establish aerospace dominace, confine ocean going vessels to ports and sink any vessel that defies that order from orbit, establish complete inter-atmosphere air dominance and instruct the enemy to surrender, failure to do so leads to mopping up.
@@forgivemenot1 Well, besides the fact that air dominance hasn't been a factor but for a little over a century the combat doctrine during the 13th to the 17th century was one of predominantly attempting fair fights. Sometimes whole detatchments were held in reserve in order for the opposition to have a greater opportunity of victory that day. If your side had the vastly larger army such victories were offered as a consolation price, the war was all but won after all, let them slaughter a few hundred of our men to feel better about it. One has to remember that the flag officers and kings of the day held the value of the line troops lives in even less regard that politicians of today do. There are examples in aftermaths of 14th century warfare of officers executing even minorly wounded soldiers of their own sides to "tidy up the numbers". Furthermore, capitulation was often not offered until well after at least a few bloody clashes and sacks of townships had happened, one had to give the soldiery a chance at the pillaging and raping after all. I do however agree that the numerical superiority doctrine was well established before this time, even before the days of Sun Tzu. If you go back far enough naval technology wasn't a factor either and warfare was simply a land based one of encircling a city state and either starving them out or demand a glorious battle at a nearby field. Battle in those days was almost ritualistic, surprise assaults was seen as unsportsmanlike and could very well count against your supposed win in the eyes of the neighboring nations and city-states. Even though warfare were bloody affairs back then too they were also cleaner somehow.
@@forgivemenot1 to be fair, modern military doctrine is a culmination of all what our our species has learned since the first caveman struck his neighbor with a rock. It is one thing that I found funny. When you read of a great general, they are actually well educated and have read everything written about every war ever recorded.
There is a difference between being Peaceful and being Harmless. A species that is Peaceful has the will, power and means to be extremely Violent in the pursuit of Peace. Otherwise you're just Harmless.
We don't try very hard to avoid war. In fact, we have a nasty tendency to select violence as a first, second, and third choice over other options. In case you haven't been paying attention in History class, or bother to watch international news, there have been about 6 months TOTAL of peace in the world since 1900. 6 months. That's it - and I'm only talking about declared wars and de facto wars, not guerrilla actions and similar domestic fights. And no, we're not very good at it. Until literally the last 20 years, we seldom hit what we aimed at. Even today, 99% of all small arms rounds don't hit a single thing. We resort to area weapons because we suck at anything more accurate. We don't have good battlefield intelligence and situational awareness - the current Information War era where C4I actually is useable is unique in human history, and still is hugely incomplete. I suggest you read some actual Military History and understand that humans are really dumb when it comes to strategy, prediction, and countering and opponent's actions. For every Canae, there are dozens of Teutoburg Forests. A clear-eyed view of humans is that we are fundamentally a violent race that choses blunt methods over precise ones because we want results over limiting damage.
@@eriktrimble8784 Patronizing much? I am a retired Naval Intelligence Officer. I am extremely well read in military and other history and not just as it relates to naval matters. Those with a general tendency to choose violence are either mentally deficient and know no better, predators who would impose their will on those weaker than themselves, or are unlikely to have have their own life on the line.
@@eriktrimble8784Think about this, the assignation of archduke happened on june 28, a month later july 28 war was declared. During that time monarchs and diplomats raced around sending notes trying to prevent war. It was the rejection of the AH ultimatum and russia backing of serbia that started the war to end all wars.
@@HarryWHill-GAYes, that's right. Since ancient times, War wasn't something to look upon favorably. It's a waste of resources, risky and violent. It leaves marks on a society that can last thousands of years. Even today, countries don't benefit from wars as much as people would think. Sure, the military industrial complex can profit while a war lasts, but after the war is done things crash pretty hard if decisive and well thought out action isn't taken. And humans to begin with are social beings. We benefit the most from understanding and cooperation. It is our instinct to pursue those things. We only seek destruction and mayhem when either necessary, or when dumb leaders make us go for that option. And those leaders hardly ever last long.
There's a line in Deep Space Nine that a Ferengi named Quark says. "Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, Nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people, as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people... will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon."
@@pedobear8863 I think you need to rewatch the scene then because he's explicitly saying that he's not a "Good man" and pissing him off is not a good idea.
You gotta admit, the man had a point. Good people do not need to follow a check-list to be good, they just need to be themself. I have ONE rule: When i make a promise i do my best to keep it. I do not often make a promise... I remember i once shut up a stubbern female friend by simply giving my word that she would not have her way. This is why to always keep your word, but almost never give it. Trust
Reminds me of an old 50's short story. Humans send rockets to Mars, but it turns out the Martians aren't so happy with that, so they send a message to Earth, saying any further rockets with result in war, and they will destroy any rockets and then attack Earth, using their superior Martian technology. Year pass, and Earth keeps to themselves, no more rockets. Then one day, Martian cities blow up, and their civilization is in ruins. Because the Earth scientists had spent their time inventing teleportation, and sent nukes instantly to Mars.
Humans have no rules for war, only doctrines, theorems, manifests, etc, detailing the best ways to do it. The galaxy's species had been at war with each other since time immemorial, but Humanity had been at war with itself since long before achieving space travel. The things humanity was willing to inflict upon its own would put the universe's ethics into null state. Shudder the thought of what humanity would do to other species, far away, with whom they now shared enmity. Humanity made no rules for war against the other races of the Galaxy. For humanity felt no need. They had perfected war to a science, plumed its essence, and understood its depths. The Galaxy mere infants in war by comparison.
Indeed we test our war doctrine among ourselves and the best one became adopted for more than a thousand. We are doing the same thing, we perfect ourselves in war until one day we are tired of war that is when we reach space, instead we pursue peace and prosperity but we never forget our bloody chapter of our origin.
and some of us don't understand/do escalation, we don't go step by step, "you step on my foot, I stomp yours" instead some of us do this "you step on my foot, I cover you in burning thermite"
@@oldnotweak i get the point, but thermite isn't very easily applicable. Just a headshot at point blank range is so much easier, even a 100y old granny can do it.
@@AwoudeX Since they're point blank range, anyway, since they're on my foot. Yep. You have a blink to realize the mistake, back off, and apologize, or the gloves come off.
In the Mass Effect serie, there is two main warmongering species: The Krogans who are giant turtles constantly fighting, with regeneration powers and able to survive in the most toxic/radioactive environements. And the Turians, whose entire society is based around war and hierarchy and whole life is dedicated to it, also they have litteral metal plaques in their skin. And both are wary of humans who are sometimes refered to as "just as bad, maybe worse than the Krogans". Yeah, good old fashioned humans, getting 1st or 2nd place as "most dangerous species in the galaxy" through sheer will to fight.
The thing is, it's not even necessarily will to fight that scares everyone there - it’s just how quickly humanity spread through the relay network after discovering it. Like, humanity opened something like a hundred and fifty relays before first contact. The next most curious/expansionist species opened something like sixty. And that’s not even getting into how rapidly humanity picks up and develops technology compared to everyone else
There is a fanfiction of Garrus instructing some Turians about humans and their capabilities. About how the earth has every ecosystem known, jungles, deserts, tundra, oceans, woodlands, plains and how humans have adapted to survive them all. How Turians look at humans as "squishy" but fail to realize that "squishiness", that fat and muscle means that they can outlast other races without rations because a humans body will eat itself to keep going. How humans look soft, but their muscle is no joke, their clawless digits will find purchase in the most unlikely places and bring a level of strength to bear that is astounding (imagine grabbing a Turian mandible and breaking it) Worst of all, humans take spite to a whole nother level. Screw retreat, screw surrender. They will accept death as long as they can inflict mass casualties and pain on their enemies. Humans were prey that harnessed their fear to become the apex predator on their planet.
@@joshuachapman2065 >,> that wouldnt happen to be the one where hes talking to turians about sleeping with shepard would it? cause he wips that description out before getting more.... detailed lol.
When humanity arrived on the scene of Mass Effect, the Galactic Council of the time predicted it would require the entire galactic armada + uplifting the Yahg to put us down. We were a *Rachni level threat* and we had only just barely become FTL when we made first contact in that setting. Imagine an alternative timeline where humanity had gone undiscovered for another decade?
Reminds me of a quote from the DC film Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Batman backs Darkseid into a corner by hacking and reprogramming 500 Helspores from Darkseid's armory so that Batman could turn Apokolips into a free-floating fire pit with a push of a button if he so chose. "Well...played. Had the Kryptonian or the Amazon taken that gamble, they would have lost. They do not have the strength of character to destroy an ENTIRE PLANET to achieve success. But YOU? A HUMAN? *You kill your own kind to win battles.* An admirable quality. Take the girl. I shall make no move against her."
I'm fairly certain that Humans DO have rules (or guidelines) for Total War. 1. Win at any cost. 2. Destroy the Enemies ability to fight back. 3. Destroy the Enemies desire to fight back. 4. Make it public, an example to all others. 5. Offer to return to peaceful trade and diplomacy.
Except there's no reason to presume it's realistic. In fact, it runs counter to how humans have generally behaved (both in diplomacy and warfare) for the past 3000 years...
I would like to say a starting rule is don't attack children, civilians, or medics but... As per the saying of Pirates of the Caribbean; its more guidelines than anything.
Human: Rules of engagement are very simple for my species, #1: Leave no witnesses. Rule #2: Glass the planet! Alien: Uh, wouldn't Rule #2 become irrelevant because of Rule #1? Human: Did I SUTTER??
“To be prepared for war, is the best way to preserve peace.” - George Washington “You’re remembered for the rules you break, not the rules you follow.” - Douglass McArthur
Alien: "Your level 2 species should know its place." Humans: "Hold my beer..." also: Alien: "Your ship was in the wrong place!" Humans: "So, you have chosen death."
It wasn;t the dismissive remarks that caused humanity to sigh and engage, it was the laughing afterward. Diplomatically we know dismissive lines are spoken, but the true thought of the opposition was revealed with their following emotion based responce.
Spoken like a weakling who has never had power in its life. Unlike you, I CAN take and dominate. I don't because having the ability to do a thing doesn't give me a right to, and I don't care to dominate anything. Don't confuse the rest of us as being as pathetic and malicious as you. What you would do with power(evidenced in your own indictment of humanity as a whole, which amounts to a confession on your part) is not what actual dangerous men do with it, and that's part of why you're so weak.
The story could be about Canadians and how they go to war. If you don't know then check it out, they were feared by the Germans in both wars for their ferocity and lack of pity or compassion.
Give us a single project, or an overwhelming enemy and watch us band together to Do The Thing. Granted, we have numerous ideas and will form a thousand groups to study the problem from all angles. Humans are great for the attitude of "I can beat on him because he's my brother. You aren't even family. You ain't allowed to beat on my brother. Period."
War is Hell. War is Waste. I Hate War. If you wish to rob me of my rights or my property. Then you are forcing war upon me. I will defend myself with all my might and all the destruction I can bring to bear upon those who force me to war. I will not spare you. I will not have compassion for you. You, by forcing war upon me have killed the person I was and wished to remain. I will not forgive, nor forget, what you have done to me nor mine by stealing my life from me. Do not expect Mercy from what I become, when you force me to War. "The most terrifying force of death comes from the hands of Those who wanted to be left Alone. They try, so very hard, to mind their own business and provide for themselves and those they love. They resist every impulse to fight back, knowing the forced and permanent change of life that will come from it. They know that the moment they fight back, their lives as they have lived them, are over. The moment Those who wanted to be left alone are forced to fight back, it is a form of suicide. They are literally killing off who they used to be. Which is why, when forced to take up violence, Those who wanted to be left alone, fight with unholy vengeance against those who murdered their former lives. They fight with raw hate, and a drive that cannot be fathomed by those who are merely play-acting at politics and terror. TRUE TERROR will arrive at these people's door, and they will cry, scream, and beg for mercy... but it will fall upon the deaf ears, of Those who just wanted to be left alone." - Author Unknown
Lies, your honour and assembled gentlebeings. We humans do, in fact, have rules for war. We just sometimes disagree on which ones apply... And we have the flexibility to know when to selectively forget a couple.
Is this taken from somewhere? Reminds me a little bit of a web-novel. Aliens attacked. Humans were, "oh, you have complicated four digit passwords... lol". It is a fascinating idea where tech is tech. How you use it is the key. As a species the Xeno's were more homogeneous and therefore didn't need to defend constantly against cyber attacks.
"We don't like war," said the human. "We're far too good at it and you aren't. Vary unsportsmanlike." "Fighting you guys is like mowing the lawn. Just because I don't wanna do it doesn't mean I can't."
Peaceful does not mean Harmless. A Harmless Man will not hurt anyone because he cannot hurt anyone. A Peaceful Man will not hurt anyone because he chooses not to.
Reminds me to one I saw that described how humans did horrible things to a warmonger species, but I cannot remember the name. In the end it's being narrated from the perspective of a survivor and warns the rest of the species to avoid going to war with humans.
I remember hearing something opposite of this that I liked. Somethkng like, "The other species of the galaxy laughed when they heard humans had rules for fighting wars. They stopped laughing when they saw how humans fought without rules."
We have Plenty of rules for war though... Not all agree on those rules, and to few follow them, but we Do have them. What weapons we cant use, how to treat prisoners, how to behave as the occupying force, etc.
The fact that we *have* rules for war is kinda weird. It's like you can have a group of people, after the war, tell you that you cheated and did Bad Things. You killed the Other Side too efficiently, or were too mean. And that's right. We do have to stand with the rest of the planet and kill each other politely and with fewer Bad Things, because we can all make the Big Bad Things and no one wants them used on their own people. Imagine if we had Outsiders who weren't part of the Home Team. No rules for fighting them. We can be as creative and destructive as we want to be. We're a VERY creative, destructive species.
So what I'm gathering is that we'll go at each other's throats over our human cultural differences and beliefs, but if another society not from earth decides to fuck with us, we'll level their entire planet? Yeah I can get behind this. I just had my Aria AI whip something up from the perspective of a non-human diplomat. Report from Diplomat Zorax of Planet X-41 Subject: Cautionary Report on Humanity's Cunning and Tenacity To: High Council of Galactic Diplomacy Date: Sol 5,432,102 Overview: As the appointed diplomat from Planet X-41, I bring forth a cautionary report on the deceptive and resilient nature of the inhabitants of Earth, known as humans. My observations during my tenure on Earth have unveiled a disturbing aspect of human behavior that poses a significant threat to intergalactic peace and harmony. Analysis: Cunning Nature: Humans possess a remarkable ability to adapt and strategize in the face of challenges. Their history is rife with instances of outwitting opponents through elaborate schemes and intricate plans. They excel in the art of deception, making it difficult to anticipate their next move. Tenacity: Despite their individualistic tendencies, humans exhibit remarkable unity when faced with a common threat or goal. They have a propensity to put aside their cultural, religious, and political differences in pursuit of a shared objective. This collective resilience makes them formidable adversaries. Willingness to Cause Havoc: Humanity's history is marked by conflicts, both internal and external. They have shown a willingness to resort to extreme measures to protect their interests or assert dominance. The destructive capabilities of their advanced weaponry are a testament to their readiness to wreak havoc if provoked. Unity in Conquest: One of the most concerning aspects of human behavior is their ability to unite against a perceived external threat. They have demonstrated time and again that when faced with a common enemy, they can set aside their internal disputes and focus on conquest and domination. Recommendations: Exercise extreme caution when engaging with human representatives in diplomatic negotiations. Avoid provoking or threatening Earth in any manner that could trigger a unified response from the human population. Strengthen surveillance and intelligence gathering on human activities to anticipate any potential threats to intergalactic peace. Consider implementing a non-interference policy with Earth to avoid escalating tensions and conflict. In conclusion, the humans of Earth possess a complex and dangerous combination of cunning, tenacity, and unity that make them a formidable force in the galaxy. It is imperative that we approach interactions with Earth with the utmost caution and strategic foresight to prevent any potential catastrophe that may arise from underestimating their capabilities. End of Report
Something I read in one of these stories stuck with me, it went something like this: "When threatened badly enough Humans will turn the Geneva Conventions into the Geneva Checklist, do not provoke them!"
I love this because I can totally see this happening when facing extinction.
Especially when Canadians are involved :)
@@ruthgar9753as an American I 100% agree.
Canadians: ....wait, you do that at the start?
gevena convention? more like geneva suggestion
Yes we do have rules for war. They are just two plain and simple rules; First Rule of War is Win at any cost and the Second Rule of War is to ensure Rule 1 happens.
As a means to achieve rule 2 modern military doctrine for the last century has been to never enter a fair fight, ensure numerical superiority - preferably by at least a factor of 5, 10 or more if possible. Ensure technological and information superiority, ensure dominance in one branch of combat before moving on to the others. In planetary combat that means we establish complete naval dominance in a region before we move on to air and only then, once the battle clearly is won already, will we mop up on the ground.
There is no reason why a similar doctrine wouldn't be in place for any future space based conflict, we will just add a couple more places of dominance to achieve before mopping up. Conquer a world? Establish a cordon to blockade vessels going to or from the world, establish far orbital followed by near orbital dominance, utilize orbital bombardment to reduce strong areas of resistance to glass, establish aerospace dominace, confine ocean going vessels to ports and sink any vessel that defies that order from orbit, establish complete inter-atmosphere air dominance and instruct the enemy to surrender, failure to do so leads to mopping up.
Rule 0: don’t fuck with our boats. We like our boats.
@@nanomage Modern military doctrine? You mayhappen need to pick up a copy of Sun Tzu The Art of War, the ‘doctrine’ is as old as war itself.
@@forgivemenot1 Well, besides the fact that air dominance hasn't been a factor but for a little over a century the combat doctrine during the 13th to the 17th century was one of predominantly attempting fair fights. Sometimes whole detatchments were held in reserve in order for the opposition to have a greater opportunity of victory that day. If your side had the vastly larger army such victories were offered as a consolation price, the war was all but won after all, let them slaughter a few hundred of our men to feel better about it. One has to remember that the flag officers and kings of the day held the value of the line troops lives in even less regard that politicians of today do. There are examples in aftermaths of 14th century warfare of officers executing even minorly wounded soldiers of their own sides to "tidy up the numbers".
Furthermore, capitulation was often not offered until well after at least a few bloody clashes and sacks of townships had happened, one had to give the soldiery a chance at the pillaging and raping after all. I do however agree that the numerical superiority doctrine was well established before this time, even before the days of Sun Tzu. If you go back far enough naval technology wasn't a factor either and warfare was simply a land based one of encircling a city state and either starving them out or demand a glorious battle at a nearby field. Battle in those days was almost ritualistic, surprise assaults was seen as unsportsmanlike and could very well count against your supposed win in the eyes of the neighboring nations and city-states. Even though warfare were bloody affairs back then too they were also cleaner somehow.
@@forgivemenot1 to be fair, modern military doctrine is a culmination of all what our our species has learned since the first caveman struck his neighbor with a rock. It is one thing that I found funny. When you read of a great general, they are actually well educated and have read everything written about every war ever recorded.
There is a difference between being Peaceful and being Harmless. A species that is Peaceful has the will, power and means to be extremely Violent in the pursuit of Peace. Otherwise you're just Harmless.
Very well spoken (in this case written)
"Peace is not sought, it is enforced"
Peace through power
Not fragile like a flower, fragile like a bomb.
@@goddessmelanisia "Fragile like a flower, Volatile like a nuke."
“Speak softly but carry a big stick” - Theodore Roosevelt
There is a reason why humans try so very hard to avoid war. It is not because we are afraid of it. It is because we are so very, VERY good at it.
We don't try very hard to avoid war. In fact, we have a nasty tendency to select violence as a first, second, and third choice over other options. In case you haven't been paying attention in History class, or bother to watch international news, there have been about 6 months TOTAL of peace in the world since 1900. 6 months. That's it - and I'm only talking about declared wars and de facto wars, not guerrilla actions and similar domestic fights.
And no, we're not very good at it. Until literally the last 20 years, we seldom hit what we aimed at. Even today, 99% of all small arms rounds don't hit a single thing. We resort to area weapons because we suck at anything more accurate. We don't have good battlefield intelligence and situational awareness - the current Information War era where C4I actually is useable is unique in human history, and still is hugely incomplete.
I suggest you read some actual Military History and understand that humans are really dumb when it comes to strategy, prediction, and countering and opponent's actions. For every Canae, there are dozens of Teutoburg Forests.
A clear-eyed view of humans is that we are fundamentally a violent race that choses blunt methods over precise ones because we want results over limiting damage.
@@eriktrimble8784 Patronizing much?
I am a retired Naval Intelligence Officer. I am extremely well read in military and other history and not just as it relates to naval matters. Those with a general tendency to choose violence are either mentally deficient and know no better, predators who would impose their will on those weaker than themselves, or are unlikely to have have their own life on the line.
@@eriktrimble8784Think about this, the assignation of archduke happened on june 28, a month later july 28 war was declared. During that time monarchs and diplomats raced around sending notes trying to prevent war. It was the rejection of the AH ultimatum and russia backing of serbia that started the war to end all wars.
@@HarryWHill-GAYes, that's right. Since ancient times, War wasn't something to look upon favorably. It's a waste of resources, risky and violent. It leaves marks on a society that can last thousands of years. Even today, countries don't benefit from wars as much as people would think. Sure, the military industrial complex can profit while a war lasts, but after the war is done things crash pretty hard if decisive and well thought out action isn't taken.
And humans to begin with are social beings. We benefit the most from understanding and cooperation. It is our instinct to pursue those things. We only seek destruction and mayhem when either necessary, or when dumb leaders make us go for that option. And those leaders hardly ever last long.
There's a line in Deep Space Nine that a Ferengi named Quark says.
"Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, Nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people, as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people... will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon."
Reminds me of a line from Doctor Who: "Good men don't have rules, now is not the time to find out why I have so many."
It's "Good men follow rules, And today is not the day to find out why they have so many"
@@pedobear8863 I think you need to rewatch the scene then because he's explicitly saying that he's not a "Good man" and pissing him off is not a good idea.
@@ericlanglois3782 really? Which episode was it then. I only remember him talking to a woman
@@pedobear8863 Episode name is "A Good Man Goes to War", it's near the end of the conflict that he says that quote.
You gotta admit, the man had a point. Good people do not need to follow a check-list to be good, they just need to be themself. I have ONE rule: When i make a promise i do my best to keep it. I do not often make a promise... I remember i once shut up a stubbern female friend by simply giving my word that she would not have her way. This is why to always keep your word, but almost never give it. Trust
Never confuse kindness with weakness
Many do.
Nor acquiescence with peace.
@@jean-louislalonde6070 and that's the problem
@@jean-louislalonde6070
Many more confuse weakness with kindness
Reminds me of an old 50's short story. Humans send rockets to Mars, but it turns out the Martians aren't so happy with that, so they send a message to Earth, saying any further rockets with result in war, and they will destroy any rockets and then attack Earth, using their superior Martian technology. Year pass, and Earth keeps to themselves, no more rockets. Then one day, Martian cities blow up, and their civilization is in ruins. Because the Earth scientists had spent their time inventing teleportation, and sent nukes instantly to Mars.
Savage
Dude they got offered peace and still they choose freedom.
That sounds cool, like it's something said about Leonidas.@@wenstonbenitez1826
Old habits die hard.
"Hey, I don't like that thing."
"How you gonna get rid of it?"
"Just throw a nuke at it."
"Fair enough."
@@wenstonbenitez1826This is particularly fun in light of Helldivers 2 success. They offer Freedom and a nice hot cup of Liber-tea.
Humans have no rules for war, only doctrines, theorems, manifests, etc, detailing the best ways to do it. The galaxy's species had been at war with each other since time immemorial, but Humanity had been at war with itself since long before achieving space travel. The things humanity was willing to inflict upon its own would put the universe's ethics into null state. Shudder the thought of what humanity would do to other species, far away, with whom they now shared enmity. Humanity made no rules for war against the other races of the Galaxy. For humanity felt no need. They had perfected war to a science, plumed its essence, and understood its depths. The Galaxy mere infants in war by comparison.
Indeed we test our war doctrine among ourselves and the best one became adopted for more than a thousand. We are doing the same thing, we perfect ourselves in war until one day we are tired of war that is when we reach space, instead we pursue peace and prosperity but we never forget our bloody chapter of our origin.
“How far are you willing to go?” “Exactly one step further than the enemy.”
and some of us don't understand/do escalation, we don't go step by step, "you step on my foot, I stomp yours" instead some of us do this "you step on my foot, I cover you in burning thermite"
@@oldnotweak i get the point, but thermite isn't very easily applicable. Just a headshot at point blank range is so much easier, even a 100y old granny can do it.
@@AwoudeX Since they're point blank range, anyway, since they're on my foot. Yep. You have a blink to realize the mistake, back off, and apologize, or the gloves come off.
As the philosopher Dalton said, "Be nice, until it is time not to be nice."
Oh we have rules. They're just not necessarily YOUR rules though...
more of guidelines in these cases
@@bevans4712 More of a philosophy, really.
@@goldengryphon More of optional morals, in these circumstances.
@@RealThermite more a checklist of immoral but effective tactics
They are called Human rights for a reason
“The first rule of being a ninja is to do no harm. Unless you need to do harm; in which case, do Lots of harm!”
-Master Splinter
“Shoot it til it stops twitching!”
Machiavelli, "If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared."
Just remember, the Geneva conventions only apply to human conflicts. And just barely.
When dealing with other species, it's the Geneva suggestions.
As chuckles has once said... "Geneva Conventions, more like Geneva Suggestions"
"Mostly Harmless" Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Mostly. The most dangerous word to overlook in any description. "They mostly come out at night. Mostly."
Any species that has phrases like "the sun never sets on our Empire" and "manifest destiny" should not be trifled with.
Not to mention "Hold my beer and watch this!"
Don't forget ‘Promised Land’ and ‘Remember what the Amalekites have done to us, says our Holy Bible!’
To quote Shran, “Do not push the pink skins to the thin ice.”
I have happily met both the actor who said that, and the actor who's char comments on it. Jeffrey Combs and the late Gary Graham.
"We don't seek peace because we fear you, we seek peace because we fought amongst each other enough to know what human war looks like"
We seek peace because we fear ourselves. We don't always know how to stop when we get going.
This story reminds me of a phrase I can't remember what tv show it came from.
"Just because I don't like to fight doesn't mean I can't"
In the tv show Leverage there’s a similar quote: “I don’t like guns. Doesn’t mean I can’t use them”
Quigley. "I said I have no use for handguns, not that I didn't know how to use them."
@@geraldfrost4710 YUP.
Statements to that general effect were made in a couple of Audi Murphy movies, too.
Steven Seagal had a similar line in "The Glimmer Man", "It's not that I can't fight. I'm not supposed to. It's against my religion."
In the Mass Effect serie, there is two main warmongering species: The Krogans who are giant turtles constantly fighting, with regeneration powers and able to survive in the most toxic/radioactive environements. And the Turians, whose entire society is based around war and hierarchy and whole life is dedicated to it, also they have litteral metal plaques in their skin.
And both are wary of humans who are sometimes refered to as "just as bad, maybe worse than the Krogans". Yeah, good old fashioned humans, getting 1st or 2nd place as "most dangerous species in the galaxy" through sheer will to fight.
The thing is, it's not even necessarily will to fight that scares everyone there - it’s just how quickly humanity spread through the relay network after discovering it. Like, humanity opened something like a hundred and fifty relays before first contact.
The next most curious/expansionist species opened something like sixty.
And that’s not even getting into how rapidly humanity picks up and develops technology compared to everyone else
There is a fanfiction of Garrus instructing some Turians about humans and their capabilities. About how the earth has every ecosystem known, jungles, deserts, tundra, oceans, woodlands, plains and how humans have adapted to survive them all. How Turians look at humans as "squishy" but fail to realize that "squishiness", that fat and muscle means that they can outlast other races without rations because a humans body will eat itself to keep going. How humans look soft, but their muscle is no joke, their clawless digits will find purchase in the most unlikely places and bring a level of strength to bear that is astounding (imagine grabbing a Turian mandible and breaking it) Worst of all, humans take spite to a whole nother level. Screw retreat, screw surrender. They will accept death as long as they can inflict mass casualties and pain on their enemies. Humans were prey that harnessed their fear to become the apex predator on their planet.
@@joshuachapman2065 reminds of zaheed explaining how to remove à krogan carapace with a knife.
@@joshuachapman2065 >,> that wouldnt happen to be the one where hes talking to turians about sleeping with shepard would it? cause he wips that description out before getting more.... detailed lol.
When humanity arrived on the scene of Mass Effect, the Galactic Council of the time predicted it would require the entire galactic armada + uplifting the Yahg to put us down. We were a *Rachni level threat* and we had only just barely become FTL when we made first contact in that setting. Imagine an alternative timeline where humanity had gone undiscovered for another decade?
It called "F**** around and Find out" LOL
Moral of the story:
The ship was exactly where it was supposed to be. You had your war in the wrong place.
Reminds me of a quote from the DC film Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Batman backs Darkseid into a corner by hacking and reprogramming 500 Helspores from Darkseid's armory so that Batman could turn Apokolips into a free-floating fire pit with a push of a button if he so chose.
"Well...played. Had the Kryptonian or the Amazon taken that gamble, they would have lost. They do not have the strength of character to destroy an ENTIRE PLANET to achieve success. But YOU? A HUMAN? *You kill your own kind to win battles.* An admirable quality. Take the girl. I shall make no move against her."
That’s why it’s called the Geneva Suggestion. And we never fail to add more pages to it.
'Speak Softly but carry a Big Stick' personified!
"Humans Don't Have Rules For War" The Geneva Conventions are mere suggestions.
"Don't touch the boats"
-habitual linecrosser
It's never a war crime the first time, The Fat Electrician.
Geneva checklist - Canada and Poland
"It would be so funny if both WW2 and WW3 got kicked into action because of someone screwing with Hawaii-"
-Another line from habitual linecrosser
Be careful with the humans... they bite!
Humanity, F**k Yeah!
Them: your level 2 species know your place
Me: those are fighting words
I'm fairly certain that Humans DO have rules (or guidelines) for Total War.
1. Win at any cost.
2. Destroy the Enemies ability to fight back.
3. Destroy the Enemies desire to fight back.
4. Make it public, an example to all others.
5. Offer to return to peaceful trade and diplomacy.
Yeah. Simple Rules.
Humans have a lot of rules for different things. They tend to be simple. We're a simple people.
Humans always look for a diplomatic solution because the alternative is frightening as we know what we are and capable of
Broke the first rule of engagement, never underestimate your opponent
Earth ambassador: We detest violence.... but we're DAMN good at it!
This story becomes all the more clear when one learns about the istorical origin of the whole "Olive branch" metaphor.
I really like this story! I like it when humanity is portrayed in a realistic way and not always as a dog to be kicked by every species in the cosmos.
HFY a whole genre focused on us human deathworlders.
Except there's no reason to presume it's realistic. In fact, it runs counter to how humans have generally behaved (both in diplomacy and warfare) for the past 3000 years...
that's a very opposite of reality, a childish fairy tale
Should we consider this a "proportional" response? lol
Or 'appropriate'
I would like to say a starting rule is don't attack children, civilians, or medics but...
As per the saying of Pirates of the Caribbean; its more guidelines than anything.
The American Doctrine: Don't touch our boats.
Human: Rules of engagement are very simple for my species, #1: Leave no witnesses. Rule #2: Glass the planet!
Alien: Uh, wouldn't Rule #2 become irrelevant because of Rule #1?
Human: Did I SUTTER??
Don't worry, humans generally prefer "porportional" responses.
Why am I suddenly visualizing a chubby electron guy doing air quotes?
“To be prepared for war, is the best way to preserve peace.”
- George Washington
“You’re remembered for the rules you break, not the rules you follow.”
- Douglass McArthur
Alien: "Your level 2 species should know its place."
Humans: "Hold my beer..."
also:
Alien: "Your ship was in the wrong place!"
Humans: "So, you have chosen death."
It wasn;t the dismissive remarks that caused humanity to sigh and engage, it was the laughing afterward. Diplomatically we know dismissive lines are spoken, but the true thought of the opposition was revealed with their following emotion based responce.
Alien: "Your ship was in the wrong place."
Human: "So was your fleet, station, planet..."
We do know our place. you're the one that's confused.
Don't push the Pinkskins to the thin ice.
In one hand I hold an olive branch, a symbol of peace among my people. In the other I wield the sword of war. Which one do you wish to receive?
Well, like the saying goes: Speak softly and carry a big Super Fleet with state of the art technology
A good story well narrated.
Thanks 😊
Yes all ur story's u narrated is excellent 👏
AI Trash
RUclips won’t let me put a like on this video. I’ll like it.
Its an app update issue. I had to update.
Perhaps Earth"s president was a Teddy Roosevelt 's clone.... with the Iron Lady 's one as PM! 😱
Traders not traitors
Miners not minors lol
The rule is: what ever makes us look kewl and gets the ladies motors running. That's how we do it on Super Earth.
"Always remember, members of this esteemed council, our pursuit of peace is for your benefit not ours"
At the end of it, when they mentioned the olive branch, a better ending would be to mention that they hold a clutch of arrows in the other hand.
"Don't touch humanity's ships!"
Love these short stories
To be fair if humans have the power to take and dominate, they will take and dominate.
Restraint is not a trait they have in abundance.
Spoken like a weakling who has never had power in its life.
Unlike you, I CAN take and dominate. I don't because having the ability to do a thing doesn't give me a right to, and I don't care to dominate anything.
Don't confuse the rest of us as being as pathetic and malicious as you. What you would do with power(evidenced in your own indictment of humanity as a whole, which amounts to a confession on your part) is not what actual dangerous men do with it, and that's part of why you're so weak.
The story could be about Canadians and how they go to war. If you don't know then check it out, they were feared by the Germans in both wars for their ferocity and lack of pity or compassion.
Fantastic series.
Glad you enjoyed it
I like this one, very cool. You put out some great stories, keep them coming please.
The aliens just learned the meaning of the phrase "fuck around, and find out" the hard way.
I imagine it’s going to be very embarrassing when our first contact reads back to us our Humanaboo Centrist Fanfics.
This sure is si fi has humans being peaceful 😊
Give us a single project, or an overwhelming enemy and watch us band together to Do The Thing. Granted, we have numerous ideas and will form a thousand groups to study the problem from all angles.
Humans are great for the attitude of "I can beat on him because he's my brother. You aren't even family. You ain't allowed to beat on my brother. Period."
War is Hell. War is Waste. I Hate War.
If you wish to rob me of my rights or my property.
Then you are forcing war upon me.
I will defend myself with all my might and all the destruction I can bring to bear upon those who force me to war.
I will not spare you.
I will not have compassion for you.
You, by forcing war upon me have killed the person I was and wished to remain.
I will not forgive, nor forget, what you have done to me nor mine by stealing my life from me.
Do not expect Mercy from what I become, when you force me to War.
"The most terrifying force of death comes from the hands of Those who wanted to be left Alone.
They try, so very hard, to mind their own business and provide for themselves and those they love.
They resist every impulse to fight back, knowing the forced and permanent change of life that will come from it.
They know that the moment they fight back, their lives as they have lived them, are over.
The moment Those who wanted to be left alone are forced to fight back, it is a form of suicide.
They are literally killing off who they used to be.
Which is why, when forced to take up violence, Those who wanted to be left alone, fight with unholy vengeance against those who murdered their former lives.
They fight with raw hate, and a drive that cannot be fathomed by those who are merely play-acting at politics and terror.
TRUE TERROR will arrive at these people's door, and they will cry, scream, and beg for mercy... but it will fall upon the deaf ears,
of Those who just wanted to be left alone."
- Author Unknown
Canadian here : I understand and agree.
Lies, your honour and assembled gentlebeings. We humans do, in fact, have rules for war. We just sometimes disagree on which ones apply... And we have the flexibility to know when to selectively forget a couple.
Is this taken from somewhere?
Reminds me a little bit of a web-novel. Aliens attacked. Humans were, "oh, you have complicated four digit passwords... lol".
It is a fascinating idea where tech is tech. How you use it is the key. As a species the Xeno's were more homogeneous and therefore didn't need to defend constantly against cyber attacks.
mistaking kindness for weakness is never a good idea just like being peaceful and harmless
"It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it" ~Robert e lee.
Humans will go to great lengths when threatened or attacked.
Extend your right hand for negotiation, but hold a sharp blade in the left for when it goes to shit. -Bater
"We don't like war," said the human. "We're far too good at it and you aren't. Vary unsportsmanlike."
"Fighting you guys is like mowing the lawn. Just because I don't wanna do it doesn't mean I can't."
Like mowing the lawn. And about as difficult.
Just don't get on our bad side and you'll be ok.
The rules for war are just another weapon of war
docile does not mean defenseless
We unleashed the Swiss and the Canadians
"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt"- Sun Tzu
'Fairness' is determined after the fact by the victors.
Humans melted back into their roles as traitors. Lol 3:27
When are people gonna learn the lesson?
*STOP TOUCHING THE BOATS!*
We've already told you - Leave The Hecking Boats Alone!
Xenos: Acting a fool.
Humanity: Have you lost your got damn mind??! *Grabs the space belt*
Peaceful does not mean Harmless.
A Harmless Man will not hurt anyone because he cannot hurt anyone.
A Peaceful Man will not hurt anyone because he chooses not to.
Sometimes the pursuit of peace requires the utter and complete destruction of an enemy.
Reminds me to one I saw that described how humans did horrible things to a warmonger species, but I cannot remember the name. In the end it's being narrated from the perspective of a survivor and warns the rest of the species to avoid going to war with humans.
Aahh yes the “GENEVA SUGGESTIONS”
subtitles in the end: 'traitors', should be 'traders'
Remember guys. Only "Mostly" harmless.
War: break things and unalive the enemy.
When you unalive enough beings, the other side quits.
To be fair. They did not sign the geneva suggestion i mean...convention
The other lesson: "Don't touch Humanity's boats!"
Thank you I like this one!
I remember hearing something opposite of this that I liked. Somethkng like, "The other species of the galaxy laughed when they heard humans had rules for fighting wars. They stopped laughing when they saw how humans fought without rules."
awwwWWW you done did it NOW!
" War does not determine who is right, only who is left." Bertrand Russell.
"Don't mess with our ships."
We have Plenty of rules for war though...
Not all agree on those rules, and to few follow them, but we Do have them. What weapons we cant use, how to treat prisoners, how to behave as the occupying force, etc.
The fact that we *have* rules for war is kinda weird. It's like you can have a group of people, after the war, tell you that you cheated and did Bad Things. You killed the Other Side too efficiently, or were too mean. And that's right. We do have to stand with the rest of the planet and kill each other politely and with fewer Bad Things, because we can all make the Big Bad Things and no one wants them used on their own people.
Imagine if we had Outsiders who weren't part of the Home Team. No rules for fighting them. We can be as creative and destructive as we want to be. We're a VERY creative, destructive species.
@@goldengryphon i think rules of war are neccessary for organized warfare, and thus evolves naturally as technology and capabilities improve
Good old Geneva Suggestion.
"You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 than you can get with just a kind word..." Marcus Cole.
So what I'm gathering is that we'll go at each other's throats over our human cultural differences and beliefs, but if another society not from earth decides to fuck with us, we'll level their entire planet?
Yeah I can get behind this. I just had my Aria AI whip something up from the perspective of a non-human diplomat.
Report from Diplomat Zorax of Planet X-41
Subject: Cautionary Report on Humanity's Cunning and Tenacity
To: High Council of Galactic Diplomacy
Date: Sol 5,432,102
Overview: As the appointed diplomat from Planet X-41, I bring forth a cautionary report on the deceptive and resilient nature of the inhabitants of Earth, known as humans. My observations during my tenure on Earth have unveiled a disturbing aspect of human behavior that poses a significant threat to intergalactic peace and harmony.
Analysis:
Cunning Nature: Humans possess a remarkable ability to adapt and strategize in the face of challenges. Their history is rife with instances of outwitting opponents through elaborate schemes and intricate plans. They excel in the art of deception, making it difficult to anticipate their next move.
Tenacity: Despite their individualistic tendencies, humans exhibit remarkable unity when faced with a common threat or goal. They have a propensity to put aside their cultural, religious, and political differences in pursuit of a shared objective. This collective resilience makes them formidable adversaries.
Willingness to Cause Havoc: Humanity's history is marked by conflicts, both internal and external. They have shown a willingness to resort to extreme measures to protect their interests or assert dominance. The destructive capabilities of their advanced weaponry are a testament to their readiness to wreak havoc if provoked.
Unity in Conquest: One of the most concerning aspects of human behavior is their ability to unite against a perceived external threat. They have demonstrated time and again that when faced with a common enemy, they can set aside their internal disputes and focus on conquest and domination.
Recommendations:
Exercise extreme caution when engaging with human representatives in diplomatic negotiations.
Avoid provoking or threatening Earth in any manner that could trigger a unified response from the human population.
Strengthen surveillance and intelligence gathering on human activities to anticipate any potential threats to intergalactic peace.
Consider implementing a non-interference policy with Earth to avoid escalating tensions and conflict.
In conclusion, the humans of Earth possess a complex and dangerous combination of cunning, tenacity, and unity that make them a formidable force in the galaxy. It is imperative that we approach interactions with Earth with the utmost caution and strategic foresight to prevent any potential catastrophe that may arise from underestimating their capabilities.
End of Report
I hate when I'm hit by an arrent plasma torpedo
Thank you that was a very good short story. I really like the comments.
''melting back into their roles as TRAITORS, diplomats and explorers'', that was harsh...
Typo? lol.
This would make like the best series ever
There is a peace found only on the other side of war.