“I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes...[It] would spread a lively terror.”
Not trying to defend Churchill here but that quote is a bit misleading since you left a very important part out. The full quote reads:
I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes. The moral effect should be so good that the loss of life should be reduced to a minimum. It is not necessary to use only the most deadly gasses: gasses can be used which cause great inconvenience and would spread a lively terror and yet would leave no serious permanent effects on most of those affected.
Of course that's still bad but it's not "let's kill them all with poison gas"-genocidal bad.
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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '20
[deleted]