• AeonFelis@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    10 months ago

    A bow is usually considered a weapon while a car isn’t, but the car has much more destructive power than the bow. It’s not the destructive power that makes something a weapon.

    • MrFunnyMoustache@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      10 months ago

      But even if you replace the bow with a brick, it is still a weapon when someone smashes people’s faces with it.

      • AeonFelis@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        10 months ago

        And a soft piece of sponge is also a weapon when you force it in someone’s throat. If you define “weapon” like this, almost anything is a weapon. You lose the distinction between a bow that was designed for killing and a brick which was designed for building.

        But more importantly - if everything can be a weapon when used as such, then saying that an interstellar capable spaceship is a weapon says nothing about spaceships themselves or interstellar travel itself.