Do allied firebombings during WWII constitute war crimes?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sure. They were also strategically idiotic and entirely counterproductive.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The thing you all need to understand about this particular bombing strategy is that the whole point was to kill large numbers of civilians (the theory advanced was that this would lead to a collapse in morale and so hasten the end of the war, which was... remarkable... given that its principle advocates were senior bods in the RAF who had surely noted that this was not what had happened when British cities were subjected to intensive bombing) and that it was a complete failure in all respects other than the body count, actually having the opposite effect to what was intended.

Additionally, just because one side commits atrocities does not negate the atrocities (which may well have been considerably worse, as they were in this instance) committed by the other. There is no need to defend appalling actions committed seventy years ago out of nervousness as to what the implications of doing so might be.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

True... but the RAF's heart was in the right place even if their actions in retrospect were wrong.

How can a policy that largely involved trying to kill as many civilians as possible (which was very explicitly its purpose: very precise calculations as to casualty rates were made) and which involved a cavalier attitude towards the safety of the people flying the planes be seriously described in such terms without irony? Of course maybe this is an elaborate trolling exercise and irony is indeed the purpose.

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I would have to dispute that morality was significantly different in 1945 to 2015. I knew all of my grandparents (who, incidentally, considered Harris to be a butcher) and I don't believe they had a significantly different understanding of morality to me.

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By that logic why discuss anything? Why even, for instance, participate in discussions on the internet? I doubt that anyone would greatly miss your presence.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Some people seem to think attacking Allied policy is automatically saying something ridiculous like "both sides were as bad as the other". It's not, it's a reflection that we can look back at our history and recognise our own nations did some appalling stunts to little meaningful effect,

Absolutely.

And of course the word 'our' there is interesting isn't it: it was all over seventy years ago now. I am not my grandfather and neither are you (not that mine would have much disagreed with what I have to say on this topic, but thats beside the point). This ought to lead to a greater freedom in terms of how we discuss these things.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Discussing is one thing.  Flying into a rage and banging out a screed on the internet is another.

Oh but I've done no such thing. I have instead posted clear and coherent arguments.

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I think you would find it more productive - no matter your reasons for posting here - to ask that of yourself.