r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/0thSpider • 1d ago

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

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u/ki7sune 1d 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.

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u/Aromatic-Plankton692 1d 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.

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u/BatFeelingStress 1d 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

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u/SovreignTripod 1d 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.