Drone Air strike kills 15 civilians (on their way to a wedding) in Yemen

[Honeypot]

If those killed were actually anti-al queda, somebody's head is going to roll. However, thinking drones are 'terror tools' is laughable. Ask the vast majority in the tribal area of pakistan what they fear more: Indiscriminate pakistani bombings, or relatively precise drone strikes that doesn't even stop wives from going over to her friend's place.


In other news, more ugly muslim racism and killings visited upon africans, specifically african christians in Nigeria.

Drones are cost effective and efficient. If these people want to play the killing game, we will continue to kill them until the end of time. Nice try putting 'political' pressure, but their attempts at trying to manipulate world opinion is pretty cute. They even convinced themselves they are succeeding.

[bryant.coleman]

If those killed were actually anti-al queda, somebody's head is going to roll.

Nothing is going to happen. Similar incidents have happened again and again in Pakistan and Afghanistan. And they are still occurring.

[hawkeye]

This is why I'm a libertarian: these horror stories will only stop once people take responsibility for their actions.  A part of this responsibility is not allowing other men to commit immoral atrocities in your name.  We're all responsible for these deaths.

I'm not responsible.   The government has nothing to do with me.  They are a racket that steals my money at gunpoint, nothing more.   If a thug steals my money on the street and buys some bullets with it and shoots someone with them I am not responsible.    If I cheered the thug on or made excuses for the murder that would make me pretty immoral which is why I don't defend the government at all.

[Sindelar1938]

Terrible news
As always, unconscionable

[babeq]

Rest in peace for that people, that were a big mistake, but what can we do now? We can only pray for them.

[hilariousandco]

Rest in peace for that people, that were a big mistake, but what can we do now? We can only pray for them.

You can protest. People just shrugging their shoulders and saying "shit happens" or offering merely prayers aren't going to change anything. Stuff like this only happens because not enough people are outraged or even vaguely bothered by it. One pair of hands working or even one voice protesting can do more than millions of people just offering prayers. We hold the power to change things, not corrupt governments. Stop paying their wages for a start and see how long they work for free.

[Kluge]

This is why I'm a libertarian: these horror stories will only stop once people take responsibility for their actions.  A part of this responsibility is not allowing other men to commit immoral atrocities in your name.  We're all responsible for these deaths.

I'm not responsible.   The government has nothing to do with me.  They are a racket that steals my money at gunpoint, nothing more.   If a thug steals my money on the street and buys some bullets with it and shoots someone with them I am not responsible.    If I cheered the thug on or made excuses for the murder that would make me pretty immoral which is why I don't defend the government at all.

I think it could be argued that we, as US citizens, ARE responsible (to a much lesser degree -- I don't think anyone would equate a US citizen to the US government) unless we're actively resisting. But I definitely would say it's an "argument," not some self-evident truth.

You know - I think of it in a comparison between the actions of what happened on flight 95 vs flights 11, 175, and 77. On 95, passengers actively resisted and minimized casualties. This was not successfully done on any of the other flights. I don't think anyone would argue they shouldn't have resisted and crashed the plane into a field, and I think the question's really whether or not everyone has that moral obligation to resist (and resist how much?).

If we're paying taxes and not actively opposing laws which allow these kinds of things to happen, then to some degree, whether it's at gunpoint or not, I think we are responsible. We know where our tax money's going. We know these kinds of tragedies happen fairly frequently. We contributed to these fifteen murders in Yemen. I don't think we can completely wash our hands of it. At best, we failed in resistance, and at worst, we didn't actively oppose it.

[hilariousandco]

This is why I'm a libertarian: these horror stories will only stop once people take responsibility for their actions.  A part of this responsibility is not allowing other men to commit immoral atrocities in your name.  We're all responsible for these deaths.

I'm not responsible.   The government has nothing to do with me.  They are a racket that steals my money at gunpoint, nothing more.   If a thug steals my money on the street and buys some bullets with it and shoots someone with them I am not responsible.    If I cheered the thug on or made excuses for the murder that would make me pretty immoral which is why I don't defend the government at all.

I think it could be argued that we, as US citizens, ARE responsible (to a much lesser degree -- I don't think anyone would equate a US citizen to the US government) unless we're actively resisting. But I definitely would say it's an "argument," not some self-evident truth.

You know - I think of it in a comparison between the actions of what happened on flight 95 vs flights 11, 175, and 77. On 95, passengers actively resisted and minimized casualties. This was not successfully done on any of the other flights. I don't think anyone would argue they shouldn't have resisted and crashed the plane into a field, and I think the question's really whether or not everyone has that moral obligation to resist (and resist how much?).

If we're paying taxes and not actively opposing laws which allow these kinds of things to happen, then to some degree, whether it's at gunpoint or not, I think we are responsible. We know where our tax money's going. We know these kinds of tragedies happen fairly frequently. We contributed to these fifteen murders in Yemen. I don't think we can completely wash our hands of it. At best, we failed in resistance, and at worst, we didn't actively oppose it.

This. Every bomb and bullet that is fired by a soldier is paid for with your taxes. This should outrage any half-decent human being. Why don't they cut their defence budget in half and use the money saved to pay off some of their debt or dish out free healthcare or free education? Unfortunately America and the UK was taken hold of by corporate interests long ago, so this isn't likely unless you can get somebody into power who is willing to stand up against corporate tyranny, but of course, elections and politicians are easily bought and paid for so it's incredibly difficult.

It always annoys me when Americans and my fellow Brits think criticism of their governments is an attack on them personally, or that they are not responsible for them and are completely apathetic towards change or protest. The only people who seemingly aren't bothered by what their countries' leaders do are usually racists and ignorant blind patriots. I think it was Einstein who said 'Nationalism is the measles of mankind'.

As Lowkey says, "I'm not anti-America, America is anti-me":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4OI0GUCI_A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB-vYuYhdSE

[Mike Christ]

This is why I'm a libertarian: these horror stories will only stop once people take responsibility for their actions.  A part of this responsibility is not allowing other men to commit immoral atrocities in your name.  We're all responsible for these deaths.

I'm not responsible.   The government has nothing to do with me.  They are a racket that steals my money at gunpoint, nothing more.   If a thug steals my money on the street and buys some bullets with it and shoots someone with them I am not responsible.    If I cheered the thug on or made excuses for the murder that would make me pretty immoral which is why I don't defend the government at all.

I'm arguing from the standing point that, since we do not act as a society to point out the thieves and murderers for who they are, we in turn accept that they are a legitimate institution and that their special rights are consistent with ethical behavior, which I don't believe it is, not even a little.  I realize that it is currently impossible to actually prevent ourselves from being swallowed whole by the state if we now decided we'd no longer support them, but this only motivates me more to alert our fellow man that we're being duped; divided, we are powerless, but together, we can make a difference, and we can then finally resolve this 10,000-year-old problem.

[Hawker]

shit happens

You consider the murder of innocent people "shit" ? As if bombing people from unmanned aircraft and "accidentally" killing innocent people is acceptable in any way?

The problem is that the alternative to drones is a land invasion and slaughter of the "guilty."  Even assuming the "guilty" (using scare quotes as the war on terror is mostly bullshit) are killed, a few 10s of 1000s of innocents would die as the marines fought their way there.

 

[Wilikon]

If those killed were actually anti-al queda, somebody's head is going to roll. However, thinking drones are 'terror tools' is laughable. Ask the vast majority in the tribal area of pakistan what they fear more: Indiscriminate pakistani bombings, or relatively precise drone strikes that doesn't even stop wives from going over to her friend's place.


In other news, more ugly muslim racism and killings visited upon africans, specifically african christians in Nigeria.

Drones are cost effective and efficient. If these people want to play the killing game, we will continue to kill them until the end of time. Nice try putting 'political' pressure, but their attempts at trying to manipulate world opinion is pretty cute. They even convinced themselves they are succeeding.

The silence of the media regarding the Christian genocide by Islamists in Africa is an abomination. Politically Correct Police will make sure to bury all those news and call you an 'islamophobe' if you point that out out loud.

On the average of a total of 380 drone targeting missions, 330 were approved by a president who, when a senator said it was crime to do so.
Drones are cost effective until you blow up people on the way to a wedding. Oops!

[shawshankinmate37927]

This is why I'm a libertarian: these horror stories will only stop once people take responsibility for their actions.  A part of this responsibility is not allowing other men to commit immoral atrocities in your name.  We're all responsible for these deaths.

I'm not responsible.   The government has nothing to do with me.  They are a racket that steals my money at gunpoint, nothing more.   If a thug steals my money on the street and buys some bullets with it and shoots someone with them I am not responsible.    If I cheered the thug on or made excuses for the murder that would make me pretty immoral which is why I don't defend the government at all.

I agree.  It's the politicians that order and authorize these attacks and the people that keep voting those criminals into office that have innocent blood on their hands.  My conscience is clear.

[oxxymoronn]

shit happens

You consider the murder of innocent people "shit" ? As if bombing people from unmanned aircraft and "accidentally" killing innocent people is acceptable in any way?

The problem is that the alternative to drones is a land invasion and slaughter of the "guilty."  Even assuming the "guilty" (using scare quotes as the war on terror is mostly bullshit) are killed, a few 10s of 1000s of innocents would die as the marines fought their way there.

 

Or you guys could just stop invading other countries and mind your own business.. no offense

[oxxymoronn]

Sorry, let me rephrase that...

The simple fact is that there really should not be US/UN operations and drones flying over these countries. I obviously do not blame any citizens for the acts of our corrupt governments, but I definitely do frown on weaker minds that do not understand why these wars are actually taking place and blindly support false flag operations.

[cryptasm]

Or you guys could just stop invading other countries and mind your own business.. no offense

Exactly, wonder what would happen if China sent drones over to the US and started bombing random civilians. Sad thing is half of the posters in this thread would be supporting the airstrikes if Mitt Romney had won the election.

[Wilikon]

Or you guys could just stop invading other countries and mind your own business.. no offense

Exactly, wonder what would happen if China sent drones over to the US and started bombing random civilians. Sad thing is half of the posters in this thread would be supporting the airstrikes if Mitt Romney had won the election.

Well we should feel good he did not win the election then? Romney was not the dude who said "GO" for that drone mission, obama did. Basically we should be glad obama only killed a few compared to the sure number of 13645 killed if we were under pres romney.

If. Versus reality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7BuQFUhsRM

[codeneis]

Drones are cost effective and efficient.

And so are concentration camps and slavery, depending on the context. The problem here is ethical, not monetary.

[Hawker]

shit happens

You consider the murder of innocent people "shit" ? As if bombing people from unmanned aircraft and "accidentally" killing innocent people is acceptable in any way?

The problem is that the alternative to drones is a land invasion and slaughter of the "guilty."  Even assuming the "guilty" (using scare quotes as the war on terror is mostly bullshit) are killed, a few 10s of 1000s of innocents would die as the marines fought their way there.

 

Or you guys could just stop invading other countries and mind your own business.. no offense

9/11 happened.  Until there is no chance of it happening again, its fair to say that countries that harbour suspects will be seeing military action of some kind.

[hilariousandco]

shit happens

You consider the murder of innocent people "shit" ? As if bombing people from unmanned aircraft and "accidentally" killing innocent people is acceptable in any way?

The problem is that the alternative to drones is a land invasion and slaughter of the "guilty."  Even assuming the "guilty" (using scare quotes as the war on terror is mostly bullshit) are killed, a few 10s of 1000s of innocents would die as the marines fought their way there.

 

Or you guys could just stop invading other countries and mind your own business.. no offense

9/11 happened.  Until there is no chance of it happening again, its fair to say that countries that harbour suspects will be seeing military action of some kind.

Seriously? The United States is harbouring the biggest terrorists in the world. Are foreign governments now justified in invading the USA and murdering citizens willy-nilly to get the bad guys? And what did 9/11 have to do with Iraq or Afghanistan? And there'll never get rid of 'terrorists'. In fact they're only creating more by killing innocent people, and I don't blame them. I'd become a terrorist to the USA if they invaded my country and killed my friends and family.

[jballs]

That is why I am so lucky not to be an American. Because I would feel so shame.

That's what USA always does, kill innocent kids, families just for the greed of oil to get more and more $$$
Damn! when are we going to see US citizens revolting...

The revolts only make sense when the US president is republican. That is why you will not see this news in any of your regular news outlet, no matter where you live. Democrats LOVE the drones:

Please don't be a partisan moron.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&authuser=0&q=drone+strike&oq=drone+strike&gs_l=news-cc.3..43j43i53.5787.11466.0.14040.12.4.0.8.8.0.110.421.1j3.4.0...0.0...1ac.1.tkFKqCkQydM


Probably nothing you can do about it, being a partisan moron I mean. But try harder.