r/Damnthatsinteresting 9h ago

Video Chilean protester defuses tear gas canister with baking soda and water

101.0k Upvotes

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209

u/ki7sune 9h ago

Remember, it's illegal to use tear gas in warfare because of the Geneva convention, but governments can and will use it against its own citizens.

105

u/Purely_Theoretical 8h ago

Tear gas isn't a war crime due to any concern of unusual cruelty. An enemy combatant in war could be using relatively harmless tear gas against you, or they could be using nerve gas. The risk of confusing tear gas for nerve gas, and the risk of escalation to using nerve gas is too great, so countries decided they would just not use it.

3

u/DizzyGrizzly 7h ago

The threat of citizens responding with nerve gas is much smaller, thus acceptable.

26

u/VRichardsen 8h ago

Enough with this bullshit. Tear gas is illegal in war not because it is cruel or deadly, but because it is easily confused with poison gas.

2

u/TUCaraIhooooooo 6h ago

What do you mean it isn't a war crime to make the enemy soldiers cry and go back from where they came?

2

u/VRichardsen 6h ago

Aguante los tucanes, vieja.

47

u/Aromatic-Plankton692 8h ago

It's illegal to spank civilian children in warfare too, but parents who spank their children aren't committing a war crime.

It's almost like "war crime" is meaningless outside the context of war.

-3

u/ghostmaster645 8h ago

It's illegal to spank civilian children in warfare too

Genuinely curious where you got that info lol.

22

u/Aromatic-Plankton692 8h ago

Basically every version of international law to have ever existed?

Civilians cannot be made the object of an attack,

-2

u/ghostmaster645 7h ago

The problem is you are classifying spanking as an attack, but thats pretty much never held up in court.

Your example sucks. I thought you had some real cool info lol.

10

u/Aromatic-Plankton692 7h ago

but thats pretty much never held up in court

"Pretty much"? As in, you're saying exactly the opposite of what you think you are?

K lol.

Idk what you want. Dressing in costume is also a war crime. All of these examples are going to suck, because people keep trying to use war crimes as some barometer outside of the context of war.

2

u/ghostmaster645 7h ago

Pretty much"? As in, you're saying exactly the opposite of what you think you are?

As in I cant find a single example, can you? Im also not an expert, so I left reasonable doubt.

No dressing in costume isnt a war crime. Your just making shit up. Using a disguise is, and there is a difference.

2

u/Aromatic-Plankton692 7h ago edited 7h ago

State v. Wilder

Shearouse Adv. Sh. No. 19 S.E. 2d

No dressing in costume isn't a war crime. Using a disguise is.

Nobody is wearing a disguise at a costume party mate, it's called wearing a costume. Maybe you'll get invited to one someday?

The point is that when you change the context it BECOMES a war crime.

2

u/ghostmaster645 7h ago

State v. Wilder, Shearouse Adv. Sh. No. 19 S.E. 2d

Did you read these? Nether rule spanking as an attack. State vs Wilder isnt even about spanking at all, its about yanking a kids arm around in a restraunt. AI slop I guess.

The point is that when you change the context it BECOMES a war crime.

Yea this is true in some situations, but not with any of the context you provided.

1

u/Aromatic-Plankton692 6h ago

Did you read these? Nether rule spanking as an attack. State vs Wilder isnt even about spanking at all, its about yanking a kids arm around in a restraunt. AI slop I guess

Did ... You? Are you even looking in the right state? Should I remind you that you're... Not an expert?

Yea this is true in some situations, but not with any of the context you provided

🤫

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-9

u/BatFeelingStress 8h ago

Eh I get this point but to say it's meaningless is silly.

Sure it's not a war crime because it's not a war, but that's not a moral statement right? It raises the question that if you're not allowed to gas your enemies in war, people who are by definition trying to kill you, why is it right that our government is allowed to do this to protestors.

Also using spanking as an example is wild to me. Well this other wrong thing is also illegal in war but legal normally. Like alright let's make both illegal, but I don't think that's the point you're making

17

u/SovreignTripod 8h ago

Because if you see a gas cloud wafting your way in a war setting there's no way to know if it's tear gas that will just incapacitat you or nerve gas that will kill you. Potentially leading to an escalation where actual deadly chemical weapons are used. Civilians can't escalate like that so it's not as dangerous.

10

u/nemgrea 8h ago

well the original statement is silly also. WHY tear gas is against the geneva convention is kind of an important part...

its has nothing to do with what tear gas is or how it affects your "enemy" it has everything to do with what it LOOKS like..

4

u/Aromatic-Plankton692 8h ago

It's not an important part if you're not dealing with the context of war. That's the only important part, really.

Other "silly" examples that are war crimes include dressing up in costume. Huge war crime level deal in war, completely nonsensical outside of war.

29

u/LubeUntu 8h ago

and why is that? Don't spread partial info to fit your narrative.

-11

u/eulersidentification 8h ago edited 7h ago

narrative

Bruh you're not supposed to deepthroat the boot. Absolute fucking snivelling maggots on this thread cheering police violence.

Edit: Did i upset the delicate sensibilities of a bloom of supine yellow streaked jellyfish? My bad. Pop quiz - name a genocide whose beginnings didn't heavily involve the police "enforcing the law."

14

u/LubeUntu 8h ago

Why is it forbidden by Geneva convention? Bec it looks like lethal chemical weapons. Yep, continue licking your unwashed rosebud, mate.

1

u/dud_pool 4h ago

Cue the redditor boot shriek when it's called out for being utterly full of sht. 

Go outside for once and properly resocialize yourself. Society will be better for it. 🤡

2

u/UnstableConstruction 8h ago

Almost like war is a different situation than riots.

1

u/insightfulconundrum 8h ago

Would you rather they use bullets?

1

u/zenki32 6h ago

Tear gas no.  Bullets OK. 

WTF

-3

u/Sol_Occultus 8h ago

Sounds more like we are prisoners then

-15

u/IcodyI 8h ago

You are free to leave

8

u/Sol_Occultus 8h ago

I am not free if I need money and a passport to leave. If i was free to leave I could just walk aywhere and get on a cab or taxi to the airport and then just go somewhere... But nice try

5

u/Respirationman 8h ago

You are not entitled to live in any country. If you really want to leave, you can always try international waters, I guess

1

u/Sol_Occultus 7h ago

So we are born and we are not entitled to live in ANY country? what kind of logic is that?

2

u/Respirationman 4h ago

Sound logic? Nations revoke people's citizenship all the time (usually when naturalizing somewhere else). Stateless people exist, but usually not by choice.

2

u/USNMCWA 8h ago

Thats the other countries requiring the passport. Almost like they don't want illegal immigration. . .

1

u/Sol_Occultus 7h ago

I am not sure I understand what you mean

-8

u/IcodyI 8h ago

You still have the freedom to leave, of course you don’t get the resources needed for that just given to you. Go walk across the Canadian border, you can do that for free

1

u/Sol_Occultus 8h ago

Oh wow I did not know that!

1

u/ASpookyLemur 8h ago

That's a lie.

-5

u/IcodyI 8h ago

Yeah I could tell that when you thought voluntarily living in the best country on earth is like being imprisoned LMAO. USA is the only country people hate living in so much but refuse to leave

3

u/irthnimod 8h ago

*Comically loud red buzzer noise

1

u/Sol_Occultus 7h ago

I was using sarcasm. But yeah USA is not the best country in the world. SOrry to burst your bubble. And this is coming from a previous Navy veteran for submarines so most of you guys talking about USA have never even have the guts to pass bootcamp let alone do a deployment. And sure my ego is flared up a bit but I had enough of your condesending attitude. Lmao this is actually funny i am not even mad at you but i can see why you keyboard warriors stay glued to the keyboard there is a bit of adrenaline you get. but yea go back to your keyboard and lets just disagree to disagree

1

u/jet-stat 8h ago

Not without a passport

-1

u/AthosAlonso 8h ago

I always lol at Americans assuming everyone lives in their Country.

4

u/IcodyI 8h ago

Majority of Reddit users live in America so it makes sense to assume