Surgical strikes, good on Obama

[waldo]

Generals apologizing is lame and a new phenomena. It's only because Islam is involved do they bother least the 'Muslim World' take offence. Like Islam doesn't take offence at the drop of a hat, anyways.

be that as it may, you've not addressed the essence of my comment. You appeared to imply that technology prowess assured accuracy. So... not so much then, hey?

[DogOnPorch]

be that as it may, you've not addressed the essence of my comment. You appeared to imply that technology prowess assured accuracy. So... not so much then, hey?

You'd prefer 1000 plane fire bomb raids? Not likely.

[sharkman]

Evil is a force within us that can be overcome. We all have that side within us, as well as its opposite. But some people have developed one side more than the other. Animal men respond emotionally to their desires first and foremost, one of which is greed. To respond to base emotions is a primitive impulse. Hence "animal men".

It's not a Canadian phenomenon. Rather its distributed throughout the world, everywhere, in small numbers. People who are able to control that response and see something greater. An important part of this is the ability to understand cause and effect. Animal men want what they want right now. Consequences have no meaning... there is no future. The idea of "future" is an abstraction... just like it is for little children. The evolution of mankind is like the growth of a person from childhood to adulthood. The child lives in animal consciousness. As they grow and learn, they experience errors, consequences, obligations, responsibility and finally, authority.

yes, evil gets overcome all the time, with war.

You say that we all can overcome evil within us and that is right, but you have to WANT to. You don't seem to realize that there are people in the world(dictators, super rich, etc) that are quite content being evil and don't want to change. These people are not reasonable like you. You are presuming that everyone can be convinced or talked to or can "see something greater". There are sick people in the world that would rape or kill you right now if they thought they could get away with it. The only thing stopping them is opportunity. There are mass murderers on the prowl right now tracking their next victim. Right now there are innocent people locked in a basement waiting for the next rape or beating.

There are people who will not grow and learn their way out of evil. The only thing to do is lock them up or kill them, and until you realize that not all people can be reached your naive view will limit your growth.

[waldo]

You'd prefer 1000 plane fire bomb raids? Not likely.

how Dresdenish of you! Look, if you're going to play-up the technology/accuracy angle, you should expect to take strafing flack over so-called (and so inconvenient) collateral damage.

[bush_cheney2004]

how Dresdenish of you! Look, if you're going to play-up the technology/accuracy angle, you should expect to take strafing flack over so-called (and so inconvenient) collateral damage.

Why? Collateral damage is way down compared to unguided iron bombs, incendiaries, and Napalm!

[DogOnPorch]

how Dresdenish of you! Look, if you're going to play-up the technology/accuracy angle, you should expect to take strafing flack(sp) over so-called (and so inconvenient) collateral damage.

Hamburg, actually. No...Canadians didn't give a rat's ass who they bombed. But oddly enough, the Americans did. Plus, though you might like to view it this way, I'm not the one launching Hellfires at scumbags and their supporters...honest. I'm just making the point that technology allows the US to see exactly what they're doing. Perhaps they know something about the so-called innocent civilians that you do not.

Edited January 4, 2012 by DogOnPorch

[Guest Peeves]

Just from reading the news over the past decade, the US military has increasingly been relying on drone use, and it started with Bush, so I don't see how one can give Obama credit, unless there is some source saying he ordered or approved a ramp up of their use.

Obama has changed America's tactics to the better as to loss of military personnel and the cost. Certainly a drone is expensive, but can be used over and over. A missile but once, a foot soldier with risk.

I don't have much to applaud the Obama administration for as positive, but in military tactic I think adopting the Israeli model has been all to the good. Now if he would but employ the Israeli model for airline security, profiling, intelligence and observation/questioning, the USA could probaly be more secure at less loss of personal freedom and expense.

"Obama’s administration takes up where George W. Bush’s left off. The drone strikes have even been escalated. Bush employed drone strikes 45 times during his eight years in power. Obama exercised the use of drones 53 times last year alone. In fact, he ordered his first drone strike against Pakistan 72 hours after ascending to the presidency. There have been over 90 drone strikes against Pakistan this year, and we haven’t even hit December yet."

[eyeball]

I think it's a sound policy from a winning a war point of view. But the West has no stomach to actually win a war these days...just fight one endlessly.

No that not's what's happening at all. The west's military-industrial complexes (league is more like it) have no stomach for winning anything...endless war is it's raison d'etre.

These surgical strikes seem more like terrorism than anything and guaranteed to keep us fighting the league farting in silk forever.

Edited January 4, 2012 by eyeball

[DogOnPorch]

Dead drone = big deal.

[Guest Manny]

There are people who will not grow and learn their way out of evil. The only thing to do is lock them up or kill them, and until you realize that not all people can be reached your naive view will limit your growth.

I do realize that. At no point in my posts did I say they could be "reached".

[sharkman]

I suppose I should have seen that. Maybe sometimes I see what can go wrong too much instead of looking for the good.

Edited January 5, 2012 by sharkman

[Guest Manny]

I suppose I should have seen that. Maybe sometimes I see what can go wrong too much instead of looking for the good.

No problem. What you saw is true. I was speaking idealistically, but with good intentions... to provoke a human thought in the animal men.

[Guest Peeves]

No problem. What you saw is true. I was speaking idealistically, but with good intentions... to provoke a human thought in the animal men.

Enough of the 'animal men'. There is a territorial imperative within us all, within countries and governments that compels us to want borders and protect them.

http://www.ditext.com/ardrey/imperative/1.html

Men are not violent animals because they value rights and freedoms and will fight to defend them. Rather they are noble in having outstanding qualities and a will to preserve their democratic principles.

No man is an island, and now no country is either. What Pakistan or North Korea does with a nuke technology might impact an entire world. What economic conditions exist in Greece impacts the EU and ultimately the world.

One must stand for something and for the noble it is to stand for human rights, freedom and the security of one's country while bearing in mind that one's countries actions impact worldwide.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Peeves

[Guest Peeves]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/05/barack-obama-plans-leaner-military

Excerpt:

"In terms of the fighting force itself, the increasing reliance on technological warfare is certain to be extended, with the unmanned drone as its centrepiece. Critics on the left are likely to focus on that aspect as evidence of the Obama administration's disrespect for international law and civilian lives.

I'm sure pleased as punch that he listens to me.

[Guest Manny]

I'm sure pleased as punch that he listens to me.

"Oink..."

[Guest Peeves]

"Oink..."

I'm impressed, such flowery prose, so ,so bon mot ! , but I appreciate the effort.

[Post To The Left]

Can you post a link detailing US drone strikes in urban areas and specifically the policy to take out ambulances in this double strike? Thanks.

Asked for documentation of Tariq and Waheed’s deaths, Akbar did not provide pictures of the missile strike scene. Virtually none exist, since drones often target people who show up at the scene of an attack.

What made that sentence so amazing was that it basically amounts to a report that the U.S. first kills people with drones, then fires on the rescuers and others who arrive at the scene where the new corpses and injured victims lie.

“Between May 2009 and June 2011, at least fifteen attacks on rescuers were reported by credible news media, including the New York Times, CNN,Associated Press, ABC News and Al Jazeera.” Killing civilians attending the funerals of drone victims is also well-documented by the Bureau’s new report...

The Bureau quotes several experts stating the obvious: that targeting rescuers and funeral attendees is patently illegal and almost certainly constitutes war crimes:

Clive Stafford-Smith, the lawyer who heads the Anglo-US legal charity Reprieve, believes that such strikes “are like attacking the Red Cross on the battlefield. It’s not legitimate to attack anyone who is not a combatant.”

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/05/u_s_drones_targeting_rescuers_and_mourners/singleton/

Terrorists may use secondary explosive devices to kill and injure emergency personnel responding to an initial attack, the FBI has again warned U.S. law enforcement agencies.

PoliceOne has previously sent alerts of this subject, and we again warn law enforcement to be vigilant during all terrorist-type incidents for secondary attacks or explosions.

http://www.policeone.com/terrorism/articles/86852-FBI-Again-Warns-of-Secondary-Explosive-Devices-Cautions-Officers-To-Watch-Surroundings/