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Time Magazine Cheers the Drone War
The new issue of Time magazine promises on its cover "Essential Info for the Year Ahead." One apparently essential report: U.S. drones are awesome.
The report--written by Mark Thompson, available to subscribers only explains that a "hot military trend" this way:
Today's generals and admirals want weapons that are smaller, remote-controlled and bristling with intelligence. In short, more drones that can tightly target terrorists, deliver larger payloads and are some of the best spies the U.S. has ever produced, even if they occasionally get captured in Iran or crash on landing at secret bases.
And also, you know, kill innocent civilians.
There's no time to dwell on that, because there are too many good things to say about our remote-control war. "Drones had a big year in 2011," Thompson writes, and 2012 will be even bigger. As Time readers learn, "Unlike humans, these weapons don't need sleep."
And best of all, apparently, the military aren't the only ones doing the killing:
America's arsenal has become so small and lethal, you don't need the U.S. Army--or any military service at all, in fact--to field and wield them. The CIA, which used to be limited to derringers and exploding cigars, is now not very secretly flying drones. With little public acknowledgment and minimal congressional oversight, these clandestine warriors have killed some 2,000 people identified as terrorists lurking in shadows around the globe since 9/11.
The British Bureau of Investigative Journalism's investigation of the CIA drone program in Pakistan (8/10/11) stressed less of the gee-whiz and more the real-life consequences of the attacks. Estimates of civilian deaths range from 390 to 780-- including almost 200 children. U.S. officials, for the record, were once making absurd claims that no innocents were killed.
As for the apparent enthusiasm for waging a war where "you don't need the U.S. Army" at all--that is precisely one of the criticisms of the drone program; some legal experts argue that non-military personnel are not legal combatants, and therefore killing every one of those 2,000 "people identified as terrorists" was a war crime. Others point out that employing drones outside an active combat zone could also violate international law. But none of that is "Essential Info" for 2012.
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18 Comments so far
Show Allwho cares about innocents abroad, there is a guvmnt to destroy here.
irony and sarcasm
Drones are both phallic and priapic - a real turn-on for the minds of teenagers.
Trylon
Great line, Trylon!
This article quotes Mark Thompson of Time magazine. I knew Thompson well early in his career. He did not know squat about the Middle East then and I was amused when many years later, as security correspondent for Time, I occasionally caught him on TV expressing his "expert" views on ME issues.
Does anyone suppose that more innocent people are killed with drones than were with conventional bombing campaigns?
Um, 200 children killed = 200 innocents killed at a minimum. Not to mention no due process.
I'm also wondering something. The U.S. is killing foreign people residing in their (usually) respective foreign countries. In the past, when the military of one country came into another country to kill some of those citizens, the invaded country generally would declare war if the invading country did not stop killing and at least pretend to make amends for the damage done. Because of the size of the U.S. military, I'm guessing that not one country will declare war by itself. (Thinking out loud:) That's why there are no drone excursions into Russia and China. But what if all the 'small' invaded countries allied themselves with each other to tell the U.S. to stop the invading and killing. At what point will this happen?
When the Native American tribes unite against the Euro invasion.
Amazing how the people who opened Pandora's Box to let the drones out never consider that one or more are apt to haunt us and blow Americans up.
Time Magazine has been writing propaganda for the CIA and Corporate America even before there was a CIA. Time has continued Luse family tradition of creating a false American narrative as cover for the take over of the Corporate State.
Ever so true; the propaganda pages, all of time mag, drip with the blood of innocents slaughtered by the fascist amerikan empire; for decades !
That would be the Luce family. Henry Luce, the co founder, was a Yale grad and member of Skull and Bones which was the main recruiting point for the CIA.
What goes around comes around- trite but true. Violating international law without consequences does and will have consequences. It does take more than a second grade intellect to see this (sorry 2nd graders-what you may lack in intellect, you more than compensate for in character).
For example- overuse of this technology will invite more effective countermeasures. Killing of innocents and/or those who have not received a fair trial-will encourage future terrorist attacks. Illegal attacks will encourage similar tactics from our "enemies." Random killing precludes gathering useful intelligence after capture. Use of this technology internationally will encourage domestic use.
One more consequence-raining terror from the skies-is immoral, illegal and unconscionable. I though I would throw that in in case anyone cares...But if I am right-one day-in the not to distant future-you will care.
I agree, LJG100, the drone strikes make us new enemies every time they strike. "They hate us for our freedom," to bomb and kill anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Our out-of-control government is the biggest terrorist organization on earth, and Americans have far more cause to fear it than any foreign "terrrrrist" group, especially since Congress declared, "The homeland is now a battlefield," with the passage of the Constitution-killer, the NDAA.
When I tell my family and friends about the drone killings, their answer is usually, "Well, it's safer for our soldiers, isn't it?" The immorality of killing innocent people isn't even on their radar because they believe, "Those people have been killing each other for centuries," so anything we do to them is only an extension of what they already do to each other. "They don't value life like we do," is another common line given as an excuse for us to kill innocents in other lands indiscriminately.
There is no honor in killing innocent people with a video game. But America has no honor, and hasn't for a while. We've become what we hate our enemies for.
And until the masses acknowledge that the US MIC is the largest terrorist organization on the planet and that they are being intentionally misled and lied to on a daily basis with the help of a complicit media, we are likely to witness continued flag-waving, self-righteous support of 'the troops who kill to keep us free', and acceptance of a drone war because US soldiers aren't put at risk....few seem to consider the risk to these young 'video' soldiers' souls and hearts, let alone the inhumane death and destruction visited upon innocent young men and women blindly deemed "the enemy".....and a host of other robotic patriotic responses. Responses masterfully elicited for decades by war-mongering, special-interest-serving, power-mad, increasingly oppressive sociopaths...most of whom continue to be inappropriately referred to in this country (even occasionally revered) as Senators, Representatives, CEOs, lobbyists and Presidents.
I look at editions of 'Time' every once in a while. Most times, if it's a political matter, they've always got it wrong. Why do people (99%ers) think this is not propaganda? They cut down the forest to tell us lies. These are the books that need burning, except all that shiny paper is toxic. So are the people that write the articles. Phk Time magazine and the horse they rode in on. If you have to read 'em, steal 'em.
I couldn't care less about such a shit rag as Time magazine. But, I feel a need to mention our current president Oblahblah, the biggest proponent of drones that kill innocents abroad (coming soon to a town near you). Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, most Americans will vote for him again as the lesser of 2-evils; they have to because we wouldn't want those gangster Republicians to win now would we ? There is no need to dwell on the realities of his failed and weak policies, his awful cabinet appointments, or double talk about how much he feels our pain in this dead economy and on and on it goes. What will it take in the US to wake up the Obamabots to understand that this guy is a fraud ? He ain't workin' for you no matter how hard you pretend he is. Another Obama term spells more of the same old crap. We got no one that really stands up for us that is running for POTUS - nobody. Our corrupt system of government will not allow that figure to stand; gotta be a rich corporate MF sellout to get that job.
which Corporation will Time declare as "Person of the Year?"
Soon coming to a neighborhood near you, claiming to enforce "justice" and "law and order. "Bad" Guys" will go down and YOU will be the " unintended" victim.
Count on it if you vote for anyone from either major party! NO INCUMBENTS is the only decent and smart vote for 2012.