NationStates Jolt Archive

ok, lets say its 5 years in the future………the mugabe regime in Zimbabwe has fallen and coalition forces have moved in to stop widespread ethnic violence, distribute aid and restore democracy. We’ll say a draft has been called out and you find yourself a lieutenant in command of a platoon of soldiers way out in the middle of nowhere.

one day a Shona (majority in Zimbabwe) representative to the interim government is assassinated. The Shona in your region blame the other ethnic groups. A mob of them is coming down the road toward the two minority villages in your sector. One of the villages is populated by Ndebeles and one is populated by Bantus. We’ll just say the Bantus are wealthier than the Ndebles and their village has commodities like a library, as school house and running water.

you’ve got a limited number of soldiers and the heaviest weapons you’ve got are 30-calebres and 2 ½ inch shoulder fired rockets. You’ve called for re-enforcements but they’re 3 hours out. You’ve only got enough men to protect one village

do you let the Bantu village be razed to the ground figuring that since their wealthier and better educated they’ll be better able to deal with the after-math of the looting and pillaging

or do you let the Ndebele village be burnt to the ground figuring the Bantu have less to loose?

I evacuate the Ndebele village, taking everyone to the Bantu village, putting all my eggs in one basket I can protect and protecting the most economic intrests. I post signs warning of entering the Ndebele village upon pulling out and place a couple of boobytraps in the village to give the warnings teeth. I set up a defensive perimeter around the Bantu village and sit tight.

Next.

neither, I lead a strike straight to the mob before they split for the villages.

neither, I lead a strike straight to the mob before they split for the villages.The mob is civilians, unadvisable. You'd probably kick ass, but the repercussions would be far reaching.

I evacuate the Ndebele village, taking everyone to the Bantu village, putting all my eggs in one basket I can protect and protecting the most economic intrests. I post signs warning of entering the Ndebele village upon pulling out and place a couple of boobytraps in the village to give the warnings teeth. I set up a defensive perimeter around the Bantu village and sit tight.

Next.

probobly should have specified, it would be assumed you'd take in all the civilians

the question is more about whose villiage do you save - the poor one or the rich one?

probobly should have specified, it would be assumed you'd take in all the civilians

the question is more about whose villiage do you save - the poor one or the rich one?I answered that part of the question. I protect the richer village, the greater economic interest.

But I don't ignore the poor village. The signs and boobytraps aren't much, but hey, you do what you can and hope for the best.

Protecting life is foremost and then you think of the greater regional economic interest. Protecting the Library and such does the region the most good.

though I do appreciate everyone's creative platoon tactics the primary question of the post isn't being answered

let's say the shona are heavily armed, there are a couple thousand of them and your trying to avaid casualties

on of the villages has to burn, you can't avoid it

do you choose the rich village because the poor people have less to loose, or do you choose the poor village because the rich villagers with their money and education will be better able to deal with aftermath

I answered that part of the question. I protect the richer village, the greater economic interest.

indeed, that was a general commend

this is about choosing a village, not villagers

No one is ignoring the question. I agree with the first answer.

The poorer village "will burn," since we are going to save the library and whatnot -- we save "more" that way, since those things are WORTH more.

But there is nothing in your scenario that suggests we cannot evacuate the poor village and have the refugees flee to the wealthier village. (Even if we have extremely limited time, we may be able to spare a small contingent to defend them long enough to get most of them out, yes?)

Moreover, with any luck and some decent diplomacy, we can say to the wealthy group, "Hey... Ummm, since we just stepped in to save your people and everything you own, do you think you could do us a favor and help rebuild this poor village?"

It's the closest thing to a "win/win" scenario we have!!

indeed, that was a general commend

this is about choosing a village, not villagers
:confused: :confused: What part of my post didn't you understand?

I made the choice, I protect the village with the most economic assets, The rich village.

The justification is not that I'm favoring the rich over the poor but protecting the greater of the regional economic assets. You mentioned things like a library and school in the richer village, those are the things I choose to protect.

:confused: :confused: What part of my post didn't you understand?

I made the choice, I protect the village with the most economic assets, The rich village.

The justification is not that I'm favoring the rich over the poor but protecting the greater of the regional economic assets. You mentioned things like a library and school in the richer village, those are the things I choose to protect.

I understood your post entirely

but I figured that all the villagers would have been evacuated to where ever the soldiers ended up

I probobly should have put that in the original post so people wouldn't have to adress that as if it were in question

I'd find something else for my men to be busy with. A great tragedy would happen, but any controversy would be avoided and no-one's career would be blighted by making the wrong decision. The military would look good on TV helping the survivors, the way would be clear for me to become a Captain, and hey, it's all done under a UN mandate, these things happen.

Cynical, yeah, but if we were talking self-interest, being realistic, you know this makes sense.

(Sorry for undermining the whole point of the dilemma) :p