To wish we lived in a hypothetical world where only women were physically able to fight in wars (let's say men were still stronger but immobilised during times of war)?

[Carla786]

I read Naomi Alderman's The Power (where women suddenly gain the ability to give men electric shocks at will) recently and it got me thinking about other hypotheticals.
What if, hypothetically, men became immobilised when wars broke out, so armies had to be all-female?

I suppose if men couldn't fight maybe wars would focus on cyber attacks and other indirect forms. I can't help thinking they would be less directly physical but I suspect they'd probably involve some fighting at least.

War would still be terrible but I think several things would be alleviated. War rape would be almost non existent. I suspect there would be much less abuse of civilians too.

I remember reading a sci fi novel in the 70’s called The Forever War and the Earth army was comprised of very healthy, very wealthy very high IQ (over 150) men.

It was thought they would be able to defeat the enemy quickly but it actually took over a 1000 years because they debated everything, endlessly before doing anything.

Lots of things look great on paper. Men can debate and women can be cruel. War is awful, no matter who is involved.

Lots of things look great on paper. Men can debate and women can be cruel. War is awful, no matter who is involved.

Agree. From what I remember of the ending of The Power, "lots of things look great on paper" is apt.

The specific things I mentioned though (rape of civilians and other abuse of civilians,) do you really think that would be the same if only women fought wars?

I made clear in my OP that I think war WOILD still be terrible, but that specific things would be alleviated.

As I recall, in The Power Alderman was strangely hooked on the idea that, if they had the power, women would be every bit as abusive as men, including sexual abuse -- that the only thing stopping them from being just like men was a relative lack of power.

That seemed a very odd take. But, equally, I don't like the idea of women being presented as somehow intrinsically virtuous. If women were conducting a war it would still be terrible. At the margins there may be fewer war crimes involving things like sexual abuse of prisoners. But by its nature, war involves the infliction of suffering by means of force and destruction, whoever acts as the implementors.