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Chrysophylax comments on Open thread, 11-17 March 2014 - Less Wrong
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Look at what warfare was like in China or Japan before major Western influences (not that is was much better after Western influences).
Vastly inferior to, say, warfare as practiced by 14th-century England, I'm sure. I also point you towards the Rape of Nanking.
You are comparing modern westerners with historical Buddhists. Try considering contemporary Buddhists (the group it is blindingly obvious I was referring to, given that the discussion was about the present and whether contempary non-western groups all lack moral qualms about torture).
I observe that you are being defensive.
I meant the modern west. However,
Which was committed by people who were (at least theoretically) Buddhists.
We were? In the comment of mine that started this discussion I wasn't just referring to contemporary groups.
However, let's restrict to contemporary states. I take it you count the historically Buddhist countries that are currently under communist regimes as "not really Buddhist" since communism is officially atheist. That leaves, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka.
Japan was rather nasty until being beaten by the West, and there are signs it'll become nasty again given the chance to the extent it doesn't that's clearly due to western influences. South Korea and Taiwan are too weak to do much externally, but are admittedly nice places to live, also highly westernized. Dido for Singapore, although it has very strict laws (I approve of them but suspect you might not). Cambodia is somewhat of a mess even if you discount the Khmer Rouge as not Buddhist. Thailand is ok although not powerful enough to do much externally, also rather westernized. Burma is in the running for most oppressive government on the planet. Sri Lanka is dealing with its Tamil minority in a somewhat nasty manner.