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cali

(114,904 posts)
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:13 AM Apr 2013

considering our drone killings, I'm surprised we don't see more bombs in places like

shopping malls, etc.

No, I'm not saying that it would be justified.

We have killed hundreds of civilians with drones, including children and the elderly.

No, I'm not saying we intentionally target civilians.

We bomb countries we are not at war with as if that's our absolute right.

and yes, someday this will come back to bite us and yes, our government will be, in part, responsible.

19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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considering our drone killings, I'm surprised we don't see more bombs in places like (Original Post) cali Apr 2013 OP
I wonder if people in tribal Pakistan ever blame themselves for the drone strikes. geek tragedy Apr 2013 #1
yeah it's an ugly circle, GT... and not a semicircle. bettyellen Apr 2013 #4
I have no idea but I think there are some significant differences cali Apr 2013 #5
Who do you think supports Lashkar e Taiba? geek tragedy Apr 2013 #6
You would have to go back further than that to understand why there ever were terrorists in the sabrina 1 Apr 2013 #7
Maybe they're terrorists due to their own extremist ideology? geek tragedy Apr 2013 #8
to claim that you have to ignore the history of U.S. actions cali Apr 2013 #9
So, Pakistanis have no agency of their own? geek tragedy Apr 2013 #11
I certainly don't think that every bad thing that Pakistanis may do is cali Apr 2013 #12
And I was pointing out that the cycle did not spring anew out of a crack in the geek tragedy Apr 2013 #13
who started the cycle though? That would be the U.S. cali Apr 2013 #15
Well, no, if you want to be precise it was the British empire geek tragedy Apr 2013 #18
People always fight back malaise Apr 2013 #10
I think Newest Reality Apr 2013 #2
So much for the get em over there so they don't eat us over here policy! peace13 Apr 2013 #3
Is this ProSense Apr 2013 #14
yes, honey, I'm inviting terrorists to come bomb us. cali Apr 2013 #16
Um ProSense Apr 2013 #17
I'm not surprised onenote Apr 2013 #19
 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
1. I wonder if people in tribal Pakistan ever blame themselves for the drone strikes.
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:15 AM
Apr 2013

"This is blowback for our support of terrorism against the West and India."

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
5. I have no idea but I think there are some significant differences
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:25 AM
Apr 2013

you seem to be suggesting some kind of parity. It's our government policy to launch drone strikes. There is no equivalent. We invaded and occupied Afghanistan.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
6. Who do you think supports Lashkar e Taiba?
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:29 AM
Apr 2013

It's Pakistani society, all the way from the tribe to the national government.

And bombing India turned out to be not good enough.

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)
7. You would have to go back further than that to understand why there ever were terrorists in the
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:35 AM
Apr 2013

first place. Maybe if we just minded our own business, stayed out of other people's countries which we have been interfering in for decades, we would not be dealing with this problem.

What do YOU think caused people to turn to terrorism in the first place? A hundred years ago there were no terrorists aiming their hatred at the US.

At the British Empire maybe.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
8. Maybe they're terrorists due to their own extremist ideology?
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:38 AM
Apr 2013

I mean, is it always someone else's fault that Pakistan and Pakistanis sponsor terrror groups?

It's India's fault. It's the US's fault. It's the UK's fault. It's the USSR's fault.

Etc etc etc.

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
9. to claim that you have to ignore the history of U.S. actions
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:40 AM
Apr 2013

in the Middle East over the past 65 years, but carry on.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
11. So, Pakistanis have no agency of their own?
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:45 AM
Apr 2013

Every bad thing they do is the fault of the US?

It's the US's fault that Pakistan has been sponsoring terrorist attacks against India for decades?

Yes, yes, thank you for invoking the Chomsky Rule: Every bad thing committed anwhere on Planet Earth can be blamed on the United States.

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
12. I certainly don't think that every bad thing that Pakistanis may do is
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:49 AM
Apr 2013

the fault of the U.S. And I sure as hell don't think that every bad thing that happens on planet earth can be blamed on the U.S. I've often commented that that's just another form of American exceptionalism.

I do think that our drone policies invite blowback.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
13. And I was pointing out that the cycle did not spring anew out of a crack in the
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:54 AM
Apr 2013

ground in the US. Certainly US foreign policy has been counterproductive in terms of creating enemies, but let's also not forget that it takes two to tango, and the people now suffering drone strikes were more than cool with terrorist violence when it was directed at New York and Mumbai.

Blowback is not a one-direction phenomenon.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
18. Well, no, if you want to be precise it was the British empire
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 03:59 PM
Apr 2013

considering that Pakistan was born radicalized in the partition of India.

malaise

(267,789 posts)
10. People always fight back
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:44 AM
Apr 2013

That is the ultimate history lesson.
You cannot dominate and control as if you own the world and only your rights count.
It's awful because innocents are slaughtered everywhere but every action brings a reaction.

What's more is that it is really economic domination.

Newest Reality

(12,712 posts)
2. I think
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:19 AM
Apr 2013

we are not supposed to consider these things because it appears to be official that America's past and current foreign policies have nothing to do with our reasons to occupy, act preemptively or blow people up.

It's the American way and when they say, "our values" that's implied, but the truth of it requires us to be a three-monkey participant acting in full compliance.

It's not easy to wake-up from the myth of American innocence and then try to make sense of something you were not privy to all along. Relax, it will sink in and you will cope with it.

Hegemony Ho!

 

peace13

(11,076 posts)
3. So much for the get em over there so they don't eat us over here policy!
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:24 AM
Apr 2013

Tell me again who thought that would work?

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
14. Is this
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:57 AM
Apr 2013

"considering our drone killings, I'm surprised we don't see more bombs in places like shopping malls, etc."

...an invitation or justification for people to bomb "shopping malls"?

I mean, the bombing in Boston doesn't appear to have anything to do with foreign policy.

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
16. yes, honey, I'm inviting terrorists to come bomb us.
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 03:54 PM
Apr 2013

fuck. that is beneath contempt, sweets.

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
17. Um
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 03:59 PM
Apr 2013

"yes, honey, I'm inviting terrorists to come bomb us. fuck. that is beneath contempt, sweets. "

..."sweets," speaking of "beneath contempt," I'm not the one who posted an OP claiming that "I'm surprised we don't see more bombs in places like shopping malls, etc."

onenote

(42,373 posts)
19. I'm not surprised
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 04:10 PM
Apr 2013

While I don't know, I suspect that the vast majority of people here with ties to the areas that are the location of drone strikes are here because they want to be and because they don't want to be there. I suspect they don't have a lot of sympathy for the folks that are supposed to be the targets of those strikes and while they undoubtedly are saddened when innocents are killed in those strikes, they've seen more than their share of innocents being blown to bits by the combatants in the region and don't particularly see vengeance as the answer.

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