There’s a reason why they were able to recruit children. Because the US and their allies have created an environment in Yemen where children would rather be soldiers than actual children.
Houthis offer salaries and food baskets for families of those who are willing to join them, which works well given the deteriorated humanitarian and economic situation,” said a female human rights activist in Sanaa. You see the same circumstances in a lot of third-world countries America has decided to fuck up.
Of course my perspective on both is consistent. There is no moral justification for sending a human who’s brain is as undeveloped as a child’s to war. I doubt most people would say it was justified to send intellectually disabled adults to war either. I sure wouldn’t want to see guys with Down’s Syndrome in body armor and carrying a rifle, not having a true conception of the actual danger they’re in or maybe even what they’re fighting for.
I think that’s a fair perspective and one I generally agree with. But I also see a compelling argument for “self defense.” Children are victims of war, maybe they need to be able to defend themselves in times of war at home.
It’s one thing to use child soldiers as cannon fodder or in wars of aggression, but maybe another when they’re defending their homes and themselves. I’m not sure
Putting them on the front lines puts them on the offensive, not the defensive. Sure, let them keep weapons in their home or whatever if they are threatened. That’s a different issue. Then it becomes defensive.
But that is not what is going on. What is going on is that they are being conscripted and put on the battlefield. It’s just not morally defensible.
You’re making this argument from a place of moral privilege. Yes, child soldiers are bad. But this has become a necessity for them and their survival based on foreign countries to deciding to screw them over because of their ethnicity and what side of a border they were born on. How effective or even necessary would this recruitment tactic be if Yemen wasn’t facing the struggles they currently are. Who is directly responsible for these struggles?
I’m not advocating for the use of child soldiers. I’m advocating for the elimination of actions where children feel the need to stop becoming children and start becoming soldiers. Putting the full blame on just the Houthis who are stuck between a rock and a hard place is being very disingenuous.
They do not have to put children on the battle lines. That is a choice and that choice is both a war crime and a human rights violation. That needs to be acknowledged.
If you’re being wiped out by an invading army. Then a lot of things become necessary. This isn’t some kind of political or religious battle. This is a fight for their lives.
What force? The article you provided says recruitment, not force. They are literally telling these kids that we can help support you if you help us fight these invaders. True, they are young. But the US literally has similar recruitment tactics for the poor and the desperate as well. If you’re joining some kind of military organization, you’re either patriotic or desperate (usually).
Also, survival is a necessity. So yes, it is necessary. Otherwise, these kids would go play soccer instead of picking up a gun.
There’s a reason why they were able to recruit children. Because the US and their allies have created an environment in Yemen where children would rather be soldiers than actual children.
And the Houthis could tell them no. Children’s brains are not developed enough for them to consent to being sex workers or soldiers.
Underage Western men fought in the world wars
And?
If your perspective on both is consistent, more power to you, but putting that out there for others who may judge things differently in that case.
Of course my perspective on both is consistent. There is no moral justification for sending a human who’s brain is as undeveloped as a child’s to war. I doubt most people would say it was justified to send intellectually disabled adults to war either. I sure wouldn’t want to see guys with Down’s Syndrome in body armor and carrying a rifle, not having a true conception of the actual danger they’re in or maybe even what they’re fighting for.
I think that’s a fair perspective and one I generally agree with. But I also see a compelling argument for “self defense.” Children are victims of war, maybe they need to be able to defend themselves in times of war at home.
It’s one thing to use child soldiers as cannon fodder or in wars of aggression, but maybe another when they’re defending their homes and themselves. I’m not sure
Putting them on the front lines puts them on the offensive, not the defensive. Sure, let them keep weapons in their home or whatever if they are threatened. That’s a different issue. Then it becomes defensive.
But that is not what is going on. What is going on is that they are being conscripted and put on the battlefield. It’s just not morally defensible.
Granted, I just see some grey area. Home: justified. Neighborhood? City? Country? Hard to say.
You’re making this argument from a place of moral privilege. Yes, child soldiers are bad. But this has become a necessity for them and their survival based on foreign countries to deciding to screw them over because of their ethnicity and what side of a border they were born on. How effective or even necessary would this recruitment tactic be if Yemen wasn’t facing the struggles they currently are. Who is directly responsible for these struggles?
No, I am making an argument based on human rights and international war crimes.
There is no justification to equip children with weapons and put them on battle lines. They do not have consent to be there.
And I am not alone on this-
The Arab Center agrees- https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/child-soldiers-in-yemen-cannon-fodder-for-an-unnecessary-war/
Human Rights Watch agrees- https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/13/yemen-houthis-recruit-more-child-soldiers-october-7
Amnesty International agrees- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2017/02/yemen-huthi-forces-recruiting-child-soldiers-for-front-line-combat/
ReliefWeb/OCHA agrees- https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/militarized-childhood-report-houthis-recruitment-yemeni-children-during-war-february
If all of those organizations disagree with you, maybe you should rethink your position?
I’m not advocating for the use of child soldiers. I’m advocating for the elimination of actions where children feel the need to stop becoming children and start becoming soldiers. Putting the full blame on just the Houthis who are stuck between a rock and a hard place is being very disingenuous.
Full blame? No.
Blame? Yes.
They do not have to put children on the battle lines. That is a choice and that choice is both a war crime and a human rights violation. That needs to be acknowledged.
If you’re being wiped out by an invading army. Then a lot of things become necessary. This isn’t some kind of political or religious battle. This is a fight for their lives.
I’m sorry… are you saying that it is necessary for them to force children to die in battle?
What force? The article you provided says recruitment, not force. They are literally telling these kids that we can help support you if you help us fight these invaders. True, they are young. But the US literally has similar recruitment tactics for the poor and the desperate as well. If you’re joining some kind of military organization, you’re either patriotic or desperate (usually).
Also, survival is a necessity. So yes, it is necessary. Otherwise, these kids would go play soccer instead of picking up a gun.