Artists install massive poster of child’s face in Pakistan field to shame drone operators

[Jesus Malverde]

An artists collective has unfurled a massive poster showing a child’s face in a heavily bombed area of Pakistan in the hopes that it will give pause to drone operators searching the area for kills.

According to #notabugsplat, named after the description given to kills on the ground when viewed through grainy video footage, the artists – with help of villagers – unfurled the giant poster in a field in the Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa region of Pakistan.

The hope is that it will increase awareness of drone operators of human cost, or ‘collateral damage’, when drones are used to attack targets on the ground.

The massive poster is also large enough to be captured by satellites collecting landscapes for online mapping sites.

Read More: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/06/artists-install-massive-poster-of-childs-face-in-pakistan-field-to-shame-drone-operators/

[nationalize the fed]

1. ‘collateral damage’

If a (R) was doing it there would be more outrage

[Jesus Malverde]

2. Wow that's powerful

[Ms. Toad]

5. It isn't the drone operators who need to be reminded of the human toll

Brandon Bryant says he was sitting in a chair at a Nevada Air Force base operating the camera when his team fired two missiles from their drone at three men walking down a road halfway around the world in Afghanistan. The missiles hit all three targets, and Bryant says he could see the aftermath on his computer screen – including thermal images of a growing puddle of hot blood.

“The guy that was running forward, he’s missing his right leg,” he recalled. “And I watch this guy bleed out and, I mean, the blood is hot.” As the man died his body grew cold, said Bryant, and his thermal image changed until he became the same color as the ground.

“I can see every little pixel,” said Bryant, who has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, “if I just close my eyes.”

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/06/18787450-former-drone-operator-says-hes-haunted-by-his-part-in-more-than-1600-deaths

It is the bosses who need a reminder - the policy makers who think (1) war is an appropriate way to settle disputes, (2) drones are an appropriate way to wage war, and (3) it is morally sound to shift onto individuals the emotional burdens associated with the deaths of both intended and unintended targets.

[hootinholler]

38. You've got the nutshell explanation there.

This needs to get out there so we can influence the decision makers.

[NYC_SKP]

75. +1,000 (nt)

[L0oniX]

39. It will only piss off the sociopaths.

[sabrina 1]

44. Exactly, the operators wouldn't be playing these video games with human beings if they were not

receiving orders to do so. It is horrific to think we as a nation have come to this. Sickening actually.

It's not as if we didn't already know the horror of drone killings. Back at the beginning of these horrible weapons being used by the Bush gang, a British Journalist who was in the area to interview local people re the invasion of their country, happened to there during a strike that killed several children. I believe it was Robert Fisk. He described the horrific aftermath in graphic detail and the grieving parents who ran to the scene to try to identify their children. But there was little left for them to bury, a hand, a foot identifiable only by a sock or a shoe.

I actually thought back then that were a decent enough people that that description alone would be enough to end these mass killings.

Wish I could go back to believing that.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

56. phew...

woa.

[stranger81]

74. If the drone operators didn't need a reminder, they wouldn't keep loosing missile after missile.

I really don't give a shit who they are taking orders from. Everyone in the dock at Nuremberg was taking orders.

[Martin Eden]

21. If we don't bomb those huts ...

... they'll come to America and kill us.

sarcasm

[Ecumenist]

3. WOW, that's deep....

[Enthusiast]

4. When will we start being a "good country" again?

Maybe never.

[uhnope]

16. well, compared to the Taliban, USA is still pretty darn good

let's not let our distaste for the drone program go too far.

And of course it's not just the Taliban that the USA looks good in comparison too, but much of the world. Keep your perspective

[Comrade Grumpy]

17. That's a pretty low bar...

[uhnope]

20. Not just compared the Taliban, obviously. Let's not forget

that this is one of the few places in the world which would elect a member of the minority ethnic group to be president.

Even most of the wonderful countries of western Europe are nowhere near that level of opportunity and openness for their ethnic minorities.

[edgineered]

29. Where you are determines who you

consider to be a member of the minority ethnic group. I didn't have much choice as to where I was born, or what ethnicity that happened to be. Had I been born somewhere else I would be of a different ethnicity or color, but I would still be me.

You must be a very lucky person.

[uhnope]

31. Trying to figure out what you mean

Nations have racial/ethnic makeups... Some are in the majority, some in the minority. It's not really about opinion. It's not controversial to mention it...Again I just don't know what you mean

[edgineered]

37. Recently a nice OP about privilege

was here. When I read your comments, it brought the meaning of its author to mind. Sorry I can't remember who posted it, but I'm sure it was within the last 2 weeks if you care to do a search.

[rusty fender]

61. So, it's ok to bomb innocent people because

their government is repressive, sexist, theocratic?

[uhnope]

64. better luck

trolling and putting words into people's mouths next time

[Enthusiast]

19. My perspective is obviously more complete than some.

[L0oniX]

40. I more worried that we'll have more Saudi's attacking the US like they did on 911.

[sabrina 1]

47. And you just proved how low we have sunk. At one time we would have compared ourselves

to more ethical and developed societies, but that is no longer possible, is it? And I suppose you already know that the Taliban would never have had the chance to take over Afghanistan had the world's super powers not used their country as a chess board, not only leaving them in charge, after accomplishing OUR goals their, but creating and using Al Queda, and then negotiating with the Taliban, whose brutal rule did not appear to bother our leaders one bit. Until they refused to allow us to build a pipeline through Afghanistan. Had they agreed, they would join the list of our other 'dictator allies'. We have quite few so clearly brutal leaders don't bother us one iota so long as they cooperate with us.

[JayhawkSD]

52. The only reason the Taliban are fighting us is because we are there

They have never attacked us anywhere other than on their own soil, during the time we have been keeping military forces in their country, and they have attacked us for the purpose of getting us to leave their country. If we leave they will not follow us and after we are gone they will pose no threat whatever to us.

[Enthusiast]

62. Yeah? Well what about the giant Taliban National Navy? (in all their ports, you know)

Dubya said, "We have to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here!"

You don't believe in Dubya? You are not a good Merican.

[JayhawkSD]

76. Yikes. I always assumed it was their massive Air Force...

that was going to "follow us home."

[elzenmahn]

26. When we get the the Neocon interests backing the aggresssion...

...and the related business interests, out of the halls of Congress. That only happens with real Campaign Finance Reform, reform that has actual teeth.

We all know how profitable War is to those that make the machines that facilitate it. This is exactly what Eisenhower was warning us about in 1961.

And we didn't listen.

[Enthusiast]

28. It's a high hill to climb.

[elzenmahn]

30. It certainly is...

...and we, the people, bear a large responsibility for the hill being that high.

That's what apathy gets you.

[uhnope]

59. Question is, what would it take for you to ever admit that the USA was a "good country" again?

Assuming you ever could

[Oakenshield]

60. Were we ever a "good country"?

Since the beginning we've shown contempt for life, whether it was for the slaves we kept or the Native Americans who were so inconveniently here before us. We like to wax on about Lincoln freeing the slaves, while forgetting that the commonwealth countries we descended from had abolished slavery long before we did. While the Nazis were terrorizing the western world we couldn't be bothered to help until someone came and bloodied our nose.

Truth is, we're a bunch rotten stupid bastards. Part of fixing a problem is recognizing there is one, we're not a good country. We can be better. Much better. Time to put away our flags and our pride, and really try to work with the international community. Above all, we need to try to learn from them. Universal healthcare and education would be a start.

[uhnope]

66. Was any country ever a "good country"? you're playing into RW stereotype of progressive as

self-hating and anti-American.

Seriously, every country has something wrong with it, and the USA has some things that are very right with it that other countries can only dream of.

I just don't look at it that "good country" way because so many countries are not "good countries". How can we even broach it when the subject is Pakistan, probably not a "good country" if we start couching it that way.

[Oakenshield]

69. Name one thing we have "very right".

I'd be curious to know what that is. As for self-loathing, no, I don't. Maybe if I considered this country as an extension of myself, you'd have a point. As for being anti-american, now that is accurate.

[uhnope]

71. you can't name one good thing about your country?

that's really sad

[Oakenshield]

73. We put the first man onto the moon.

THAT'S something. But you said "the USA has some things that are very right with it that other countries can only dream of."

I wanted to know what one of those things might be. Apparently you've never given it any thought judging by your failure to answer.

[99Forever]

6. Understand that these murders...

... are committed in our name.

[OnyxCollie]

9. And under a Democratic administration.

[99Forever]

10. Yes indeed.

Must be part of that "hope and change" program we were promised.

[chknltl]

11. Yes, i fully agree!

How do we explain to our victims that our government isn't really acting how we wish it should? Don't we have a government Of, By and For us? Are we or are we not ultimately accountable for the actions of our government?
I still STRONGLY feel we here at DU were wrong in not pushing hard to have President Bush and the B.F.E.E. brought to account for what most of us knew back then were War Crimes.

[sabrina 1]

48. We can still push for that, but you are correct, we were very wrong to simply accept the 'moving

forward' from war crimes announcement. Many of us have not and did not, but were told to basically 'stfu' whenever it was mentioned.

[elzenmahn]

27. With our tax dollars....

...and with our silence as tacit support.

[L0oniX]

41. ...and your taxes pay for it.

[99Forever]

72. Yes they do.

And I damn sure don't approve of it.

[jtuck004]

7. Smart! That ought to be on billboards all across our country -

"You. Please Stop Killing Our Children"

Wonder if it would make anyone think about being a murderer?

Ever dig in the dirt when you were a kid? Ever watched your kids dig? Ever think a drone would fly by and kill them for it? Surely they were planting bombs...

"Some Afghan kids aren't bystanders", here.

Or

"A List Of Children Killed By Drone Strikes In Pakistan and Yemen" here.

'Course, the U.S. says since this didn't come from authorities, (i.e., the U.S), it's not an accurate list. Besides, we needed to kill them to keep us safe.

Because those 3 year olds can be mean?


PAKISTAN

Name | Age | Gender

Noor Aziz | 8 | male
Abdul Wasit | 17 | male
Noor Syed | 8 | male
Wajid Noor | 9 | male
Syed Wali Shah | 7 | male
Ayeesha | 3 | female
Qari Alamzeb | 14| male
Shoaib | 8 | male
Hayatullah KhaMohammad | 16 | male
Tariq Aziz | 16 | male
Sanaullah Jan | 17 | male
Maezol Khan | 8 | female
Nasir Khan | male
Naeem Khan | male
Naeemullah | male
Mohammad Tahir | 16 | male
Azizul Wahab | 15 | male
Fazal Wahab | 16 | male
Ziauddin | 16 | male
Mohammad Yunus | 16 | male
Fazal Hakim | 19 | male
Ilyas | 13 | male
Sohail | 7 | male
...

Lots more - and there have been many more since...

Good for the artist!

[BrotherIvan]

34. God, that makes me cry

And it makes me very, very ashamed

[jtuck004]

35. I was reading an article wherein the author had discovered that what Pakistanis associated with

America was drones. Not Democracy. I would bet that if one polled most Americans, they would struggle to understand how they are represented in someone's mind as potentially raining death down on them at any second. There will be Americans who go there thinking that they are going to bring goodness, and fix this, and the entire time they will be lied to, because most won't be trusted. Not for a long, long time, I think.

I can't imagine it is far from picturing us as the purveyor of random death to a nearly embedded picture of us as evil.

And then we leave as if we are finished.

What a legacy to leave for others.

[BrotherIvan]

43. As so many have pointed out

We give the most of the world good reason to hate us. Perhaps it is best if the US loses its superpower status, though I am sure the next one coming will be just as brutal in other ways, there might be some reprieve in the middle. We have proven that we are too stupid to govern ourselves and keep the reins of our own democracy. Our population has become so uneducated, we cannot agree on basic premises such as science and the role of government. We are ruled by warmongers, profiteers, criminals and money hoarders who blast whoever gets in the way of their pursuit of profit.

While Pakistanis are perfectly correct in associating us with death, the rest of the first world associates us with fat, lazy, spoiled, stupid hicks because that's what they see on TV. I do not believe we have a good reputation anywhere.

[sabrina 1]

51. We have a policy that all male children aged 14 are potential terrorists. You can't blame us if we

mistake a 12 or 13 year old for a 14 year old, can you?

Those 3 yr olds were probably big for their age ....

Shameful, especially when we know that all of this is for profit and has zero to do with our national security.

[dougolat]

8. Gone, but not forgotten--- very good

And we are unforgiven, let's not forget that, either.

[msongs]

12. the drone operator in the white house will ignore this nt

[blkmusclmachine]

13. Won't work. The "droners" have no shame. Nice try, though.

[ReRe]

22. They don't have a conscience

They're our little 21st century "Manchurian Candidates."

[polichick]

45. Do those who give the orders have any shame - or a conscience?

[Ed Suspicious]

14. The grown-ups in the room know feelings are irrelevent.

[seveneyes]

15. In addition, they should poster up suicide bombers and honor killers

There are plenty of targets to help end senseless killings.

[uhnope]

18. Yes, that would be self-criticism and would probably be much less popular

[Hissyspit]

32. So, you think the artists and villagers are suicide bombers?

[Separation]

36. Here is a test for ya.

Why don't you head on over to that village and ask. Let me know if ya even get to the village before you are kidnapped.

Couple of days ago a female award winning AP photographer was murdered covering the first free election in Afghanistan. For what? She championed the little guys, gave words and pictures for those who couldn't speak. For what? It's all a waste.


Look I'm not condoning the use of drones to kill children.

[uhnope]

54. lol. I will ignore the trolling and answer for those who may not know

Um, it means that it would be self-criticism on a societal level.

[Hissyspit]

55. Well, let's see...

Maybe they're not really concerned with what's popular, but with keeping themselves and their loved ones from being blown up in the only way they know how. Maybe they could do more "societal self-criticism" if they weren't constantly worried about arbitrary death from the sky, those hypocrites.

[uhnope]

57. Um, you don't think the Taliban should be criticized? Heard of Malala Yousafzai?

You don't think the Taliban is slaughtering "their loved ones" and closing schools for girls and conducting a reign of systematic cruelty throughout the land?

Why wouldn't that be an extremely appropriate subject for artists in Pakistan as much as the drone program, just like injustice and hate is an appropriate subject for artists in the USA?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2012/oct/14/malala-yousafzai-speech-education-video

[closeupready]

63. Which has NOTHING to do with this thread's topic.

Then again, hijacking is not just a PLO tactic. Threads can ALSO be hijacked.

[seveneyes]

65. The topic being shame for killing innocents

There is a lot more killing of innocents there and it's done by a lot more than drones. It would be every bit as good to highlight the other senseless murdering of innocents while they are at it.

[closeupready]

67. Maybe in your alternate reality, but in THIS one, it's about drone strikes in Pakistan.

Feel free to take your hidden agenda to a thread of your OWN.

[Rex]

23. They are just functioning cogs in a larger machine.

That won't stop drone killings in the least bit. I won't be surprised to hear about one 'accidentally' blowing that picture apart.

[glowing]

24. I really wonder what we are unleashing here with a drone program?

It's only a matter of time before other countries, terrorist elements, and Ameixan policing agencies gain access to drones. I'm not sure Americans are prepared for the ramifications of what drone warfare will become when it's within our borders?

We are already using drones for surveillance. I'm sure that border "protections" isn't far off from having drones that do more than monitor from the sky... What happens when they put a machine gun on the end of these drones? Will we be shooting men, women, and children trying to cross over the border from Mexico (similar to how East Germans would shoot at those trying to cross the wall into West Germany back in the not to far past)?

Or will we be having terrorist network cells sitting in caves or office building half a work away bombing Whole Foods because they can? Drones are relatively inexpensive to build in comparison to a fighter jet, they are manned from a distance, they can probably fly lower and relatively undetected from radar screens if needed. As it is, civillians are able to buy small unmanned flying apparatuses now for taking aerial camera shots, etc. it's not a very far stretch for me to believe or think that as these "wars" unwind, that the weapons makers won't still be wanting to make money and will be selling military grade items to the highest bidders.

What happens if the USA and Russia decide to kick it up past sanctions and keeping people from traveling to each other's countries? What would it look like if it's not nuclear holocaust we fear, but instead drone wars against one another. I don't see why any of these larger countries with military, engineers, scientists, and a will, won't be able to create their own drone programs.

It may not be all that far off where Americans, who are divided from a lot of conflict because of geography, are subjected to drone strikes from other countries 1/2 a world away. It may not be all that insane to think that sending your kids to school or doing your grocery shopping for the day/ week would be something that may cause great harm to you. I wouldn't put it past a terrorist network or another country we were at war with to target things like fancy weddings of important diplomats, politicians, and famous Hollywood types... Or for them to target a football stadium or baseball park or concert venue or even Disney itself!

I think this drone shit shouldn't have ever been unleashed and I'm really unhappy that Pres Obama has allowed the Bush Co. program to surpass their utilization and be pumped up like its on steroids. I also think it's really a slippery slope to be targeting "terrorists" in countries where we aren't "at war", like in Yemen and going across the border into Pakistan. I know these countries don't have the ability to fight back or make a lot of static against the actions, but one can see why it's a slippery slope....

[gratuitous]

25. Good luck with that

We don't do civilian body counts, and we don't care if dozens, hundreds or thousands of Pakistanis have been blown to bits by our remote-controlled death machines. It's good enough for our government and (sadly) a pretty large segment of our populace to fire missiles into a country we're not at war with no better reason than we think some bad guy might be under the explosion. And we style ourselves as the good guys, the bringers and defenders of civilization.

Good for the Pakistanis; there's nothing else you can do to stop us from blasting your people to Kingdom Come.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

33. Not to worry. Our president will make sure the child murderers are brought to justice...

..or, just "look forward" again.

[L0oniX]

42. "murderers" hell ...they give them medals.

[GoneFishin]

58. ... or reduce the number of "children" killed by relabeling them as "combatants".

[polichick]

46. Drone operators BAD. Dem leaders who send them GOOD.

[klook]

49. Image here

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=735532606492119

[polichick]

50. Thank you!

[klook]

53. Also see http://notabugsplat.com/

http://notabugsplat.com/

[pffshht]

68. ...

SMBC webcomic (too big to embed)