Expectations of condemnation

Mike wasted his time replying by email to PNN, saying:

NRT doesn't bother to post articles condemning Palestinian suicide bombers because we don't need to. We don't support people who target innocent civilians and we assume our readers are in the same boat and that being the case, there's no interesting angle to write about. The mainstream media covers these stories already.

To that I will add that there's also a difference of expectations. I don't spend a lot of time on atrocities commited by terrorists because I expect them to be monsters. But I expect something far better from the military forces of organised governments. These people are supposed to be "the good guys"; therefore I expect them to act like it. They have more power, and therefore a greater obligation to show restraint. Whether fighting an all-out war or the "war on terror", I expect them to act with the restraint and respect for civilian lives and human rights demanded by international law. And if they don't, they're no better than the "thugs and terrorists" PNN denounces.