Originally Posted by azimuth

Fair enough. Now I understand. When I refer to the 'law of the jungle', it is to demonstrate that we must position ourselves as bigger, meaner, hungrier predators than they are. Targeting civilians need not be the case. There are other ways to do it. We are just not willing to go there.....yet.

Should we temporarily suspend our notions of decency and human sanctity to deal with them at their level?

If we wish to survive where other great societies failed, then yes, we'd better do what it takes.

I'm not convinced that dropping a nuke is necessary yet. Though we'd be well advised to fight fire with fire in the event that a despotic regime begins to gain nukes regardless of the ability to deliver.