A weapon, arm, or armament is any device used
with intent to inflict damage or harm to living beings, structures, or
systems. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of
activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, self-defense, and warfare.
In a broader context, weapons may be construed to include anything used
to gain a strategic, material or mental advantage over an adversary.
While just about any ordinary objects such as sticks, stones, cars, or pencils can be used as weapons, many are expressly designed for the purpose – ranging from simple implements such as clubs, swords and guns, to complicated modern intercontinental ballistic missiles, biological and cyberweapons. Something that has been re-purposed, converted, or enhanced to become a weapon of war is termed weaponized, such as a weaponized virus or weaponized lasers.
While just about any ordinary objects such as sticks, stones, cars, or pencils can be used as weapons, many are expressly designed for the purpose – ranging from simple implements such as clubs, swords and guns, to complicated modern intercontinental ballistic missiles, biological and cyberweapons. Something that has been re-purposed, converted, or enhanced to become a weapon of war is termed weaponized, such as a weaponized virus or weaponized lasers.
Law enforcement is any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society.[1] Although the term may encompass entities such as courts and prisons, it is most frequently applied to those who directly engage in patrols or surveillance to dissuade and discover criminal activity, and those who investigate crimes and apprehend offenders,[2] a task typically carried out by the police or another law enforcement agency. Furthermore, although law enforcement may be most concerned with the prevention and punishment of crimes,
organizations exist to discourage a wide variety of non-criminal
violations of rules and norms, effected through the imposition of less
severe consequences.
Violence is defined by the World Health Organization as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation", although the group acknowledges that the inclusion of "the use of power" in its definition expands on the conventional understanding of the word.[2] This definition involves intentionality with the committing of the act itself, irrespective of the outcome it produces. However, generally, anything that is excited in an injurious or damaging way may be described as violent even if not meant to be violence (by a person and against a person).
War is a state of armed conflict between societies. It is generally characterized by extreme aggression, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces. An absence of war is usually called "peace". Warfare refers to the common activities and characteristics of types of war, or of wars in general.[1] Total war is warfare that is not restricted to purely legitimate military targets, and can result in massive civilian or other non-combatant casualties.
Legitimate military target
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions,
Article 52, provides for the general protection of civilian objects,
hindering attacks to military objectives. Article 52 states, "In so
far as objects are concerned, military objectives are limited to those
objects which by their nature, location, purpose or use make an
effective contribution to military action and whose total or partial
destruction, capture or neutralization, in the circumstances ruling at
the time, offers a definite military advantage."
Any attack must be justified by military necessity:
An attack or action must be intended to help in the military defeat of
the enemy, it must be an attack on a military objective,[1] and the harm caused to civilians or civilian property must be proportional and not excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.
- Legitimate military targets include: armed forces and persons who take part in the fighting; positions or installations occupied by armed forces as well as objectives that are directly contested in battle; military installations such as barracks, war ministries, munitions or fuel dumps, storage yards for vehicles, airfields, rocket launch ramps, and naval bases.
- Legitimate infrastructure targets include lines and means of communication, command and control, railroad lines, roads, bridges, tunnels, and canals that are of fundamental military importance.
- Legitimate communications targets include broadcasting and television stations, and telephone and telegraph exchanges of fundamental military importance.
- Legitimate military-industrial targets include factories producing materiel (arms, transport, and communications equipment) for the military; metallurgical, engineering, and chemicals industries whose nature or purpose is essentially military; and the storage and transport installations serving such industries.
- Legitimate military research targets include experimental research centers for the development of weapons and logistics.
- Legitimate energy targets include installations providing energy mainly for national defense, such as coal and other fuels, and plants producing gas or electricity mainly for military consumption. Attacks on nuclear power stations and hydroelectric dams are generally, but not always, prohibited by the laws of war.[2]
Note: Some of these may be civilian institutions, such as a
university being used for academic research in peacetime being used for
military research in time of war. Universities may be prime targets as a
result. Factories making stereo equipment may be pressed into service
for the manufacture of telecoms hardware.
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—which humans tend to have naturally.[1]
The questions of whether there truly are fixed characteristics, what
these natural characteristics are, and what causes them are among the
oldest and most important questions in philosophy and science.
The concept of human nature is traditionally contrasted not only with
unusual human characteristics, but also with characteristics which are
derived from specific cultures, and upbringings. The "nature versus nurture" debate is a well-known modern discussion about human nature in the natural sciences.
These questions have particularly important implications in ethics, politics, and theology. This is partly because human nature can be regarded as both a source of norms
of conduct or ways of life, as well as presenting obstacles or
constraints on living a good life. The complex implications of such
questions are also dealt with in art and literature, the question of what it is to be human.
Human nature may also refer to:
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