Showing mercy to disabled enemy combatants is tactically superior for three reasons: it encourages adversaries to surrender rather than fight to the death; it yields valuable intelligence from prisoners; and it establishes a standard of conduct that protects one's own captured soldiers from reciprocal brutality.

In intense conflicts, short-term ceasefires are frequently a strategic maneuver rather than a genuine move towards peace. While peace talks are publicly highlighted, both sides often use the downtime to rebuild their arsenals and rest their forces, making the truce a tool of war itself.

Recent actions, like alleged 'double-tap' strikes on first responders, suggest the current military leadership, influenced by the Secretary of Defense, views violations of armed conflict laws not as failures but as necessary tactics for achieving victory.

Since Vietnam, the public's unwillingness to watch televised atrocities has made total war impossible. Conflicts now devolve into asymmetric battles where the weaker side bleeds the stronger empire until political will at home evaporates, making decisive "victory" a relic of the past.

Against an enemy employing asymmetric warfare, achieving total victory may be impossible without resorting to indiscriminate killing and infrastructure destruction. Since modern Western societies lack the moral appetite for such tactics, decisive military wins become elusive.

During military operations, all sides release conflicting stories. The official government version, the enemy's counter-narrative, and online conspiracies are all weapons in an information war, requiring extreme skepticism to discern any semblance of truth.

The rules of engagement are more than a moral obligation; they are a practical tool of war. When an enemy force believes they will be treated fairly upon surrender, they are more likely to lay down arms. This makes adherence to the law of armed conflict a strategic advantage, not a hindrance.

By designating elite Ukrainian military units like the Azov Corps as terrorist organizations, Russia circumvents international law. This legal maneuver allows them to strip soldiers of their POW status, prosecute them as criminals, impose long prison sentences, and exclude them from prisoner swaps.

Executing complex military operations publicly reveals sensitive tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Adversaries like Russia and China study these events to deconstruct US capabilities, from mission sequencing to electronic warfare. This exposure of the 'revolver's shots' depletes the element of surprise for future, more critical conflicts.