# What is the Opposite of a War Crime?  Samuel Moyn on Making War More “Humane”

- Link: https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/2023/08/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-war-crime-samuel-moyn-on-making-war-more-humane/
- Published: 2023-08-01T15:35:34-04:00

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Last week, the Biden administration agreed to share evidence with the International
Criminal Court of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. President Biden insists Vladimir
Putin has “clearly committed war crimes.” But however atrocious Russia’s tactics
are, is there a version of this war – or any act of war – that is not?

In this week’s [episode](https://www.noneoftheabovepodcast.org/episodes/s4ep20) 
of None Of The Above, the Institute for Global Affairs’ [Mark Hannah](https://twitter.com/ProfessorHannah)
speaks with historian [Samuel Moyn](https://twitter.com/samuelmoyn) about the evolution
of America’s thinking on war. From the interwar period to today, war has gone from
being something that should be prevented to something that should be made more humane.
Through this transformation, Moyn argues, American politicians might face less pressure
to avert or end wars. So, while there is an argument to be made for Putin’s arrest,
Moyn pushes us to think about whether focusing on the distinctions between “humane”
war and battlefield atrocities might make the atrocity that is war itself more likely.

**Listen Here:** [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-war-crime-samuel-moyn/id1460825733?i=1000623054789)
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**This podcast episode includes references to the Eurasia Group Foundation, now 
known as the Institute for Global Affairs.**