Honor, murder and "the law".

[120mm]

meh...what I keep hearing you describe 120 is not the difference between "the law" and "honor codes", but the difference between enforcing the letter of the law and the intent of the law. I feel you may have an overly romanticized view of "honor codes". Honor codes tend to be every bit as inflexible and illogical as "the law". In fact honor codes are were you get Muslim women stoned to death and acid poured on there face, or were in western society you get rationalized violence against other people for perceived "threats to manhood" or where the Japanese fight way past the point of any possibility for victory, much to the detriment of everyone involved. Now the flexibility to recognize the difference between the "intent" of the law and the "letter" of the law, that may have some function.
Reed

"Law" has the great advantage over honor analogous to stopping to eat at McDonald's while on the road: At least you have a reasonable chance of getting something similar to what you're used to. Law's greatest advantage is predictability.

In fact, "Law" is crucial to things like trade and travel.

Both "Law" and "Honor Codes" have the potential for being abused, and they share one attribute: Only the more egregious abuses of either get publicity, so I'll see your woman-stoning and raise you an O.J. Simpson....

While I do not condone returning to an honor system, I suggest that maybe Western-styled rule of law may not be appropriate in every cultural situation, especially in the middle of a counterinsurgency fight.