What about all of the innocent civilians ISIS is killing in theit attacks? I am sure our government makes every effort to avoid non-combatant casualties but the nature of this kind of war makes it very difficult. It is a trade off of trying to minimize the damage ISIS causes at the risk of some collateral damage. I don’t know if our drone strategy is effective or not but the alternatives are either another trillion dollar war or complete isolationism. If anybody has a better idea, speak up.
The drone program is wrong and it should be stopped — because it carries too much risk that non-combatants will be killed. The big bombing raids in Vietnam were wrong for similar reasons. And so on. The US, like many governments, has been complicit with indiscriminate killing for a long time.
The problem with using drones is the same problem with torture. Once we use it, our enemies will feel justified to do the same.
The killing of innocents is a part of war, and that is why I am a pacifist. Regardless of whether drones are used, innocents will be killed. This is not a political issue: liberals and conservatives both ignore civilian casualties as a necessary adjunct to the fact that we’re at war. It’s not that no one cares (or maybe it is in some cases); it’s more that we have come to accept this as part of the “greater good”, which is quite subjective a lot of the time.
Although you didn’t ask me directly, you are directing your question to pacifism, so I will tell you my answer, and I do not pretend to speak for anyone else.
I would not submit to anything I didn’t believe in. I would not feel that this would be worth going to war, or killing someone about. Resistance does not always involve killing or war, and it’s unfortunate that more people do not realize that simple fact.
And some wars are justified: Hitler, for example, had to be stopped, and it required a lot of the world working together to stop him. On the other hand, Osama bin Ladin could easily have been brought to justice without having to plunge the middle east into even more turmoil and ruining more than one country’s capability to provide educated, productive members of its society.
Diplomacy and the rule of law should always take precedence over killing and destruction; those should be a very last resort.
I don’t care for drones unless carefully monitored on the targets, but trying to say drones are bad, but carpet bombing Afghanistan, blowing unchecked caves folks have lived in for centuries and are noncombatants, or “shock and awe” that all killed thousands of times more “bystanders” than drones, is stupid. Torture IS illegal, period, no matter what Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Gonzaleas and Ashcroft say.
Theodore E. Lind Premium Member over 9 years ago
What about all of the innocent civilians ISIS is killing in theit attacks? I am sure our government makes every effort to avoid non-combatant casualties but the nature of this kind of war makes it very difficult. It is a trade off of trying to minimize the damage ISIS causes at the risk of some collateral damage. I don’t know if our drone strategy is effective or not but the alternatives are either another trillion dollar war or complete isolationism. If anybody has a better idea, speak up.
magicwalnut Premium Member over 9 years ago
When I was a kid, I was taught that Americans were the “good guys”. Now I know we’re just one of the “guys”.
Observer fo Irony over 9 years ago
No the report would be about the pilots playing video games with flight controls while the drones were killing people.
lonecat over 9 years ago
The drone program is wrong and it should be stopped — because it carries too much risk that non-combatants will be killed. The big bombing raids in Vietnam were wrong for similar reasons. And so on. The US, like many governments, has been complicit with indiscriminate killing for a long time.
I Play One On TV over 9 years ago
The problem with using drones is the same problem with torture. Once we use it, our enemies will feel justified to do the same.
The killing of innocents is a part of war, and that is why I am a pacifist. Regardless of whether drones are used, innocents will be killed. This is not a political issue: liberals and conservatives both ignore civilian casualties as a necessary adjunct to the fact that we’re at war. It’s not that no one cares (or maybe it is in some cases); it’s more that we have come to accept this as part of the “greater good”, which is quite subjective a lot of the time.
I Play One On TV over 9 years ago
Although you didn’t ask me directly, you are directing your question to pacifism, so I will tell you my answer, and I do not pretend to speak for anyone else.
I would not submit to anything I didn’t believe in. I would not feel that this would be worth going to war, or killing someone about. Resistance does not always involve killing or war, and it’s unfortunate that more people do not realize that simple fact.
And some wars are justified: Hitler, for example, had to be stopped, and it required a lot of the world working together to stop him. On the other hand, Osama bin Ladin could easily have been brought to justice without having to plunge the middle east into even more turmoil and ruining more than one country’s capability to provide educated, productive members of its society.
Diplomacy and the rule of law should always take precedence over killing and destruction; those should be a very last resort.
I Play One On TV over 9 years ago
Put more succinctly: The first person who reaches for a weapon is the first person who has run out of ideas.
BaltoBill over 9 years ago
Violent people make me so mad I could choke them to death!
damifid0 over 9 years ago
NG49, Well said.Peace.
oneoldhat over 9 years ago
it is ok if bho does it
Dtroutma over 9 years ago
I don’t care for drones unless carefully monitored on the targets, but trying to say drones are bad, but carpet bombing Afghanistan, blowing unchecked caves folks have lived in for centuries and are noncombatants, or “shock and awe” that all killed thousands of times more “bystanders” than drones, is stupid. Torture IS illegal, period, no matter what Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Gonzaleas and Ashcroft say.
Dtroutma over 9 years ago
btw: Bush used torture, AND drones, in addition to that “shock and awe”.
Dtroutma over 9 years ago
Night guant: 2/3 of the flag staff at the Pentagon are already robots or drones, “Property of the MIC” stamped on their gluteuses.
Robert Stroud over 9 years ago
An excellent strip with a truly frightening question…