Kevin Simler

Is there a principled distinction between suicide-bombing and falling on a grenade to save your squad?

@KevinSimler is this a reductio ad absurdum of behaviorism?

@hamandcheese actually (at the risk of betraying the weird headspace I'm in), it's an earnest question.

@hamandcheese Related: suicide bombing vs. volunteering for war.

@KevinSimler To give an earnest answer, the solider is acting to save lives, the terrorist to destroy lives.

@hamandcheese Yeah, my bad. My follow-up Q also asked to distinguish suicide bombing from volunteering for war. A: targeting civilians?

@KevinSimler Suicide bombing is specifically a kind of kamikaze strategy. Commanders try to keep their soldiers alive when possible.

@hamandcheese "When possible" seems pretty weak. Generals often send units on what are effectively suicide missions.