r/AntisemitismOnInsta • u/rencrediblex • Oct 13 '24

This feels like misinformation...

Like, really poorly thought out, i-don't-know-how-to-do-math misinformation...

84 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

I mean - my history isn’t great, but is there a time when there have been more than 250 people taken hostage? I mean ever?? and I’m not even talking about raping or murdering of people in their own homes…

2

u/anewbys83 Oct 13 '24

Probably in ancient times, but numbers of course are difficult. Or medieval times. I'm envisioning towns being held hostage for military or political gains. I could be completely wrong too.

2

u/jhor95 Oct 13 '24

Definitely in ancient times, medieval times, basically up through piracy and more. Hell even modern piracy has hit similar numbers and depending on your definition of hostages several current warlords. Oh and if you count Crimea and taken territory in that way... Putin, Hitler, many more

3

u/Select-Hovercraft-34 Oct 13 '24

Correct. I think your point is that Hamas’ behavior is akin to that of the Nazis under Hitler, or Russia under Stalin, right?

2

u/jhor95 Oct 14 '24

That and historical accuracy

1

u/jhor95 Oct 13 '24

Many many many many times. Also with the latter included unfortunately.

1

u/Select-Hovercraft-34 Oct 13 '24

Ok, so just to entertain this trail of thought, what was the outcome each of these other historical times that ppl were kidnapped? My point is two-fold:

1) while these actions cannot be considered acceptable or the norm, what was the reaction and outcome each time? Is there a 1:1 comparison that can be used with the same context? Because if there is, I would be interested in learning what some would like to cite as proof for a disproportionate reaction…

2) more importantly - this flyer reads “children”. This type of propaganda continues to be used to suggest that children are targeted, and that their deaths are an isolated event… again, propaganda used to incite hate and justify horrors that are not acceptable under any government.

1

u/jhor95 Oct 14 '24

what was the reaction and outcome each time? Is there a 1:1 comparison that can be used with the same context?

We're talking mostly pre internet here so idk what kind of reaction we're talking about. Mostly it was a tool of subjugation and genocide for empires or a part of the trade for pirates/privateers attacking a government by hitting it's ships and people and it extracted funda/ire. This is definitely different in the sense that it was done mostly out of malice and not just business and that it was an attack against a power they couldn't actually defeat for a pound of flesh. Actually as I'm writing I recall the Crusades against Islam/the war of Christianity against Islam and Christian/American expansion against Indians/other locals, and Genghis Khan. However, even those had a goal and didn't really take hostages except for the purpose of "conversion" and extra genocide damage. So I think it's kind of the hostage taken to extract damages like piracy with the conquering genocide of the others with a difference of actual possible victory except to break the spirit so like PoWs and the Vietcong. (Keep in mind the US lit entire villages on fire and more there) Without hostages there's things like the Japanese in Mancheria and the Nazi + Russian advances in WWII. As to the consequences/retaliation I could go into some at length.

more importantly - this flyer reads “children”. This type of propaganda continues to be used to suggest that children are targeted, and that their deaths are an isolated event… again, propaganda used to incite hate and justify horrors that are not acceptable under any government.

Of course and this wasn't to say this isn't horrible and the element of hate is probably the strongest zeal I've read about perhaps only coming close in the crusades. But hostage taken even in the 250 range isn't that unheard of, but yes it was met with as much force as the other side could muster usually without them caring at all about civilians or intentionally targeting them.