Chapter 304 Unassailable

Mozi spoke in a grave tone, "I hold a different opinion concerning this judgment. Subjecting nearly ten million people to a 600-year sentence and forcing them to perform unpaid labor is clearly an excessively harsh penal measure, no different from tyranny.

"These Trisolarans, though they participated in the war, should not bear such a heavy cost for their actions.

"A 600-year sentence is an extreme form of torture for any living being. We should seek a more reasonable and humane method of punishment, rather than simply resorting to violence to counter violence.

"Such a verdict not only fails to achieve our objectives but is more likely to provoke additional dissatisfaction and resistance. We should re-examine this judgment and search for a solution that both upholds justice and reflects humanitarianism."

The prosecutor furrowed his brow upon hearing this, his voice betraying a hint of anger, "This is the conclusion our team arrived at after lengthy and in-depth discussions. In fact, the majority view is that such a punishment is already very lenient.

"We are still in a state of war with the Trisolaran world; they are prisoners of war for humanity, and unpaid labor is the default accepted rule.

"Even though a 600-year term sounds quite lengthy, considering the Trisolarans' current lifespan exceeding 3,000 years, this sentence actually only occupies one-fifth of their life. If converted to the lifespan during the Human Era, it would be roughly equivalent to 16 years.

"Does such a term not reflect the leniency of the human world toward them?

"Yet you describe it as 'violence against violence,' which makes me question whether you have lost your basic sense of right and wrong?"

Mozi shook his head slightly, "In all wars in human history, unless they have committed crimes against humanity or war crimes, ordinary soldiers usually do not receive overly harsh punishments; this is a respect for every life on the battlefield.

"Ordinary soldiers have an instinctive obedience to their superiors' orders, which stems from a submission to authority. Deep within everyone's heart, there may lurk a demon. The authority of reason and morality binds this demon within us, while the authority of barbarism and selfishness can completely unleash it.

"Human nature is neither fundamentally evil nor fundamentally good; conscience and morality are what we continually seek on the path of life. I am not clear what civilization is, but I think it ought to be moral. Humanity has taken thousands of years to transition from barbarism to civilization and should not pursue barbarism again. Perhaps we could be a bit more tolerant towards those who have erred.

"Even viewed from the perspective of lifespan, such punishment is still heavy. They were merely following orders; we are not brutal beasts to be so excessively harsh due to hatred."

The prosecutor let out a cold laugh, "Be mindful of your words.

"You show pity for the Trisolarans but lack the basic responsibility for human civilization.

"In this battle, the economic loss of humanity is just the tip of the iceberg, and what's more significant is those things that cannot be measured in value. If these were included, our losses would be ten times what was previously estimated.

"The fact that we can now handle the Trisolaran prisoners calmly is already the most restraint we can exercise.

"We have faced the greatest pressure and secured the maximum survival guarantee for the Trisolarans."

Mozi: "I understand your anger, and I do not deny it, but it is unfair to blame these losses entirely on the ordinary soldiers of the defeated side.

"Even if there is a need to pursue accountability, it should be directed at those Trisolaran high-ranking officials who made the decisions and issued the orders, rather than the ordinary soldiers who simply executed them."

Prosecutor: "Every word must be supported by solid evidence. We must bear absolute responsibility for our words; all opinions must not deviate from objective facts and reliable evidence. Pure subjective speculation or presumption is inadmissible here.

"The charges I have proposed are based on evidence that has undergone strict verification. According to the log information deciphered from the Trisolaran warships, their participation in combat with humanity was not simply carrying out a military mission, but they were indeed the planners and collectively propelled the invasion of the human world."

"Their thinking is highly convergent, with each individual becoming a participant in decision-making, which is fundamentally different from the decision-making system in our human world."

"Their executors are also executors, from the moment they left the Trisolaran Star System, all had a common purpose, which was to exterminate humanity and occupy the Solar System, a fact we cannot ignore."

"Mr. Mozi, you intentionally confuse Trisolarans as both decision-makers and executors, which is misleading to all of humanity. Their actions are far more complex than this."

"When they came to the Solar System, it was not merely about executing an order from a superior. They came with a bandit-like nature, intending to exterminate all of us, an action that is extremely despicable and unforgivable."

"The verdict we propose is not based on the great losses they have brought to humanity, but on the belief that they have committed war crimes."

This counter-attack on Mozi was irrefutable, and the simple confusion of concepts could not work. The human elites immediately struck back.

The judge sternly reminded, "Mr. Mozi, the court is a solemn place, and you certainly have the right to defend yourself. But please be aware that this is not a place for sophistry, please ensure that your statements are based on facts and logic."

Mozi continued to argue, "The relationship between Trisolaran's decision-making and execution is indeed different from ours, but we cannot simply define them as having committed war crimes.

"Their actions, although they may seem like aggression to us, are, for them, merely a desperate struggle for survival."

"On a cosmic scale, every civilization strives to ensure its own continuation and development. It is an eternal law of the universe."

"Just like a person on the brink of starvation and death, if he steals a piece of bread from a neighbor's house to survive, we cannot simply blame him."

"Similarly, we need to understand and judge the actions of the Trisolarans more deeply, rather than just based on surface phenomena."

The prosecutor scoffed, "Mr. Mozi, have you abandoned the last shred of dignity as a human? In order to exonerate the Trisolarans, it seems you have even abandoned the most basic concepts of right and wrong.

"The reasons you have proposed might have had some persuasive power before the final battle, but the current situation has fundamentally changed.

"According to indisputable evidence we have, the Trisolarans had already undergone a technological revolution before the final battle and successfully achieved Sixth Generation Hydrogen Fusion Technology. With abundant water resources on their home planet, they had completely freed themselves from the fetters of resource scarcity through hydrogen fusion.

"For them, having water resources means having unlimited energy. Their living space has greatly expanded, and their living environment has significantly improved.

"We could have cooperated and developed together. Regrettably, they still chose to invade us.

"Their motive is very clear, which is that their desire for living space is strong and endless. And the so-called Dark Forest Theory is but a seemingly reasonable excuse they've found for their aggressive behavior, cloaking their greed and expansionist desires in a layer of hypocrisy."

"They even delude themselves, believing that since the universe itself is a Dark Forest, it is only natural for them to eliminate all potential threats. Such twisted logic not only ignores the dignity of life but also exposes their cruelty."

"It is as if, simply because a neighbor has better living conditions, one plots to invade another's home. The reasoning is that without legal constraints, one can act wantonly."

"Such behavior must be met with severe punishment, as it also upholds justice and order."

Although Mozi had profound insights into many issues, when debating with human elites, he was obviously somewhat naive in terms of debate skills and experience.