Pile of innocents is not just from drone strikes, but from plane bombing, missiles fired from ships, and soldier on the ground. History of war is piled with innocent death. War has no winners and is an unfortunate necessity at times (example World War II) and should be avoided when not (Iraq War).
With U.S. “media”, if an American isn’t killed, no matter how many thousands of non-Americans die, it’s NOT a story worth covering. Watching AlJazeera America broadcasting many issues around the world, and actually presenting BOTH side of events/issues with news, not commentary. It was appropriate on Middle East issues especially that one of their points is that they cover stories U.S. media don’t- and that’s very true.
Even on U.S. events, the national news/commentary networks only pick selected cases, and harp them constantly, for weeks or longer. Of the 35 or so people killed daily by guns, only at most one a week that rings their chimes.
My favorite nominee for national coverage from our “local” news was the gal just convicted of murdering two guys, and feeding them to her pigs, one of whom was still alive, so she shot him as the pigs were eating him, to “end his suffering”.
Like watching an episode of the short-lived “Deadwood”.
In a multi-polar world with global communications the essence of power is to seek to foster situations where balance can be fostered among rivals. The alternative is unworkable given how the species’ behavior has evolved. The Obama foreign policy has moved from being overly idealistic to a more realpolitik view with pretty good results so far. This is less costly in blood and money than the knee jerk “axis of evil” nonsense, and the misguided belief that we can simply dominate through force of arms. There are two significant problems with Obama’s drones. First, we have legitimized state sponsored assassination. Second, we have legitimized the practice of using drones to kill when there’s no real war in the classical sense. What’s to prevent other countries and groups from using the same tactics on us? Obama has done the expedient thing here. It isn’t nearly as chowderheaded and downright stupid as Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld ’s Iraq invasion and occupation, but that type of stupidity is, fortunately, rare. The unipolar world where physical territory can be taken by a single dominant power, but held without the consent of the occupied, is gone. Obama is a brilliant strategist. Not everything works out well, but he has put us on a more sustainable path of foreign policy, pitting regional powers against each other for balance, and keeping the U.S. interests front and center. Brilliant, really, dealing from thoughtful and insightful principles while avoiding the emotionally dysfunctional, fiscally irresponsible, morally unsupportable warmongering so attractive to us Americans.
U.S. of A is now one of the three largest and most active terrorist Nations in the world…twclix it does not matter how good President Obama is at being a terrorist or how bad the three stooges of American political policy (Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld) were at it…it is all wrong. We should and could be doing positive things in the world; sadly we are still seeking power through killing, murder, and assassination.
As I stated during Vietnam, “We are spending billions on destruction when we should be spending billions on construction.” Somewhere America has lost its moral, ethical, and just common sense values of what are right and the best and most productive ways of spending its tax dollars.
PainterArt Premium Member about 9 years ago
Pile of innocents is not just from drone strikes, but from plane bombing, missiles fired from ships, and soldier on the ground. History of war is piled with innocent death. War has no winners and is an unfortunate necessity at times (example World War II) and should be avoided when not (Iraq War).
moosemin about 9 years ago
Yep; That’s us!
oneoldhat about 9 years ago
Just more collateral damage from bho drones
Dtroutma about 9 years ago
With U.S. “media”, if an American isn’t killed, no matter how many thousands of non-Americans die, it’s NOT a story worth covering. Watching AlJazeera America broadcasting many issues around the world, and actually presenting BOTH side of events/issues with news, not commentary. It was appropriate on Middle East issues especially that one of their points is that they cover stories U.S. media don’t- and that’s very true.
Even on U.S. events, the national news/commentary networks only pick selected cases, and harp them constantly, for weeks or longer. Of the 35 or so people killed daily by guns, only at most one a week that rings their chimes.
My favorite nominee for national coverage from our “local” news was the gal just convicted of murdering two guys, and feeding them to her pigs, one of whom was still alive, so she shot him as the pigs were eating him, to “end his suffering”.
Like watching an episode of the short-lived “Deadwood”.
OmqR-IV.0 about 9 years ago
…an Italian hostage was killed in the same drone strike, plus untold other casualties, but hey, only Dr Warren Weinstein warrants any remorse.
Obama has been a disapointing US president, and this is why.
ConserveGov about 9 years ago
After 6 years of your boy Barakk as Prez and all you can do is still blame Bush.What a clown!
38lowell about 9 years ago
What does Hillary say?
OmqR-IV.0 about 9 years ago
Thanks for the article in your reply. It does go some way to soften my stance as regards Obama.
twclix about 9 years ago
In a multi-polar world with global communications the essence of power is to seek to foster situations where balance can be fostered among rivals. The alternative is unworkable given how the species’ behavior has evolved. The Obama foreign policy has moved from being overly idealistic to a more realpolitik view with pretty good results so far. This is less costly in blood and money than the knee jerk “axis of evil” nonsense, and the misguided belief that we can simply dominate through force of arms. There are two significant problems with Obama’s drones. First, we have legitimized state sponsored assassination. Second, we have legitimized the practice of using drones to kill when there’s no real war in the classical sense. What’s to prevent other countries and groups from using the same tactics on us? Obama has done the expedient thing here. It isn’t nearly as chowderheaded and downright stupid as Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld ’s Iraq invasion and occupation, but that type of stupidity is, fortunately, rare. The unipolar world where physical territory can be taken by a single dominant power, but held without the consent of the occupied, is gone. Obama is a brilliant strategist. Not everything works out well, but he has put us on a more sustainable path of foreign policy, pitting regional powers against each other for balance, and keeping the U.S. interests front and center. Brilliant, really, dealing from thoughtful and insightful principles while avoiding the emotionally dysfunctional, fiscally irresponsible, morally unsupportable warmongering so attractive to us Americans.
leweclectic about 9 years ago
U.S. of A is now one of the three largest and most active terrorist Nations in the world…twclix it does not matter how good President Obama is at being a terrorist or how bad the three stooges of American political policy (Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld) were at it…it is all wrong. We should and could be doing positive things in the world; sadly we are still seeking power through killing, murder, and assassination.
As I stated during Vietnam, “We are spending billions on destruction when we should be spending billions on construction.” Somewhere America has lost its moral, ethical, and just common sense values of what are right and the best and most productive ways of spending its tax dollars.