::::::::
The Chinese have a saying "The centre of everybody's universe is the bridge of their nose" by this I believe they mean that each person views the world from their own perspective informed by their own history, wants and needs.
From this logic one persons 'acceptable collateral damage' is another persons 'innocent victim of excessive force' (given that we value people who are close to us more than strangers).
Given the concept of "The six degrees of separation" (I myself can prove I am no more that five steps to Osama Bin Laden) we ought to be able to communicate with our 'opposition' rather than bomb them and the innocent people around them.
Of course such an approach would undermine the "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" approach by which we have run our world since time immemorial.
