I'm trying to imagine how life would be with drones flying over my home.

[peace13]

I wonder how each day would feel living in a war ravaged country where soldiers and hired hands could kill, rape and steal from my family without so much as a reprimand? I wonder how I could possibly handle feeding, clothing and sheltering a family when everything we owned had been destroyed?

I look around the beautiful village that I live in and realize that most of the Americans who live here have no real idea what their country is doing across the globe. Yet, I can imagine the outrage they would feel if their own community were destroyed by the selfish greed of others.

What I don't understand is why they can't see what I see. Why they don't take ownership of the destruction our government causes? Why they won't make a stand to bring an end to these wars? Why they won't write, call and stand up to their elected officials and demand that we stop this madness. How can we get up every day and go on as if none of this is happening? How bad do things have to be before Americans will make a stand? Peace, Kim

[T Wolf]

1. Like London during the Blitz - but maybe a better comparison would be the brief period

when the V1 and V2 rockets were "falling" on the Brits.

At least the Germans were honest about not caring where they fell. The US claims to try to minimize collateral damage, but the results prove otherwise.

[Fumesucker]

5. My mother and father were both in London during the Blitz..

Dad said when the V2s hit you would hear a huge explosion and then a few seconds later you would hear the rocket coming in since it was traveling faster than the speed of sound..

The V1s they called Buzzbombs and everyone ignored them until they went quiet.

Dad wanted them to keep bombing Germany for six months after their surrender, perhaps that might give you an idea of how the Afghans and Iraqis feel..

[peace13]

18. Thank you for this. n/t

[Arctic Dave]

2. What makes my blood boil is people who cheer on, rationalize and

make excuses for the ones who are doing this.

Disgusting and reprehensible beyond words.

[timeforpeace]

25. And that's just on DU.

[Moostache]

28. My greatest disappointment is Obama on the wars...

Iraq? Well, if not talking about it = "ending the war", then I guess he did accomplish something...

Otherwise, he has simply maintained the insane policies of his mental midget predecessor...definitely NOT what I had in mind in November 2008...and to now be discussing budget freezes of NON-MILITARY PROGRAMS ONLY...feeling very used and abused over here.

[peace13]

35. In fairness to Obama, he did campaign for the war in Afghanistan.

But...he talked about planning and strategy and negotiations. I would like to get back to that ASAP.

[proudohioan]

3. Beautiful OP, Kim.

I hadn't much thought in those terms, but now I will. Frankly, I would be devastated if my beautiful MetroParks were destroyed. My community, well, it's been pretty well damaged already, and it's an outrage.

Thanks for the post.

Peace,
t.

[peace13]

36. Thank you for your kind words.

How wonderful it will be when we can stop these wars and work on our communities at home.

[CrispyQ]

4. I don't know how they do it either.

It's easy to blame the media & yes, they make the problem worse, but the real blame lies with a population that wants to be spoon fed only the 'news' they want to hear.

Back in '04, I sent this article, by William Blum, to my right wing mother.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/US_Interventions_WBlumZ.html

She only read the first few paragraphs & then proceeded to tell me that we did these things for the good of 'those people in those countries.' She tried to convince me (or was she really trying to convince herself?) that they were better off because of our interfering. That's when I realized that there was no talking to her. Her mind was completely closed to questioning her world view. It created a permanent rift between us. To this day, I don't know why or how she changed, cuz she certainly didn't raise me that way.

An excellent post, peace13.

[peace13]

32. Thanks for this! n/t

[CrispyQ]

37. What a tragic commentary about our country,

that the best news on TV is The Daily Show & that the most honest reporting in journalism is via cartoonists.

[KG]

6. and then americans are shocked, SHOCKED! to learn much of the world doesn't see the US

the shining light on the hill they've been taught since elem. school.

[timeforpeace]

26. Didn't you hear? They LOVE us now!

[-wulf-]

7. I thought this thread

was going to be about the drones the Uk is using to police its citizens.

Looks like more and more of us are going to know what it is like to live with drones flying over our homes.

[stray cat]

8. Maybe you can imagine living in the Congo instead or Afghanistan under the Taliban?

Most people in the US don't know how much worse it could be and are pretty spoiled and naive about living conditions elsewhere...Americans never compare themselves favorably to 3rd world countries because for some reason they think the deserve better than that.

[peace13]

23. Americans take for granted all that they have and ignore those who gave all for America.

I think you are correct that many think that they deserve better and that they will never have to face the destruction that countries such as ours wreck on others. If they could imagine, my guess is that they would try harder to stop the endless wars and start some form of reconciliation.

[ThomWV]

9. What makes you think they aren't?

[peace13]

27. If shooter can fly nuclear bombs over the country then I guess anything is possible.

At this point they appear to be only flying and observing. The next step would be arming them I guess.

[Echo In Light]

40. +1

[bvar22]

10. X 1000

Compassion...The ability to stand in someone else's shoes.

If this were happening here, I would be in the mountains with a rifle.

[Mari333]

11. yep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krHV9iT20zw

[peace13]

17. Thank you for posting this.

82K + views. Should be 82 million.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. I'd imagine I'd have more important things to worry about.

Then whether or not that distant jet is being piloted by a person inside it, or by some remote control some distance away.

Like the Taliban next door. Or about how my girls would get shot for going to school. Or the drug lords down the street. Or the utter poverty.

[Throd]

13. Or the fanatic blowing himself up at the vegetable market.

[Throd]

14. Or the fanatic blowing himself up at the vegetable market.

[peace13]

16. More violence is not the solution to violence.

Under the current scenario your girls are at risk as well. The point being that eternal war has never accomplished anything but pain. It is time to evolve and try something else.

[Arctic Dave]

30. Or US artillery, or a US tank running over your house.

Or a US contractor shooting up the place.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

31. No.

I think I'd be much more worried about the other things.

[Arctic Dave]

33. I guess if we were both Afghani then this might mean something.

I assume you would feel safer with a foriegn military occupying your neighborhood. After all, gangs and crime are a problem in the US.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

34. I don't think the gang and crime problem is really comparable to Afghanistan.

Afghanis have a lot more to fear from the Taliban than they do the US.

[juno jones]

15. Then head on down to the foothills of CA just outside Yuba City.

It's where I first saw a military drone constantly circling in the air over the local base and environs.

While you're there check out the base housing. I took a wrong turn once and wound up driving thru. You're driving thru bucolic rolling hills and ranches and suddenly, you are passing by a development more reminiscent of south central LA or Oakland; trashed-out houses and graffitti tags everywhere even on the very roads you are driving.

Of course, when I lived near a national air guard field in the 90's we were treated to the sounds of Bosnia every day as the 'flying chumps' practiced over our part of the city, even when they had open non-populated farm fields to strafe a few miles over. They turned out to be a swell bunch, as they were the unit that attacked Canadians at the beginning of the Afgan war.

I've wondered for years why others so complacently ignore what is in front of them.

[peace13]

20. All of this going on in our very midst while people sit glued to FOX.

Mesmerized and immobilized, while the Constitution has gone in tatters.

[juno jones]

45. Yup.

Or else, working those three uniquely american jobs, although there ain't much of that anymore. Worry, stress and depression will shut ya down pretty quickly too.

So many commercials and interviews these days are being filmed/produced with a 'vignette' filter that I've been jokingly calling 'glaucoma-vision'. Perhaps it represents the tunnel-vision that our corporate masters encourage us to have. :shrug:

[Libertas1776]

19. There's a guy at the bus stop

near me that can discuss that with you. Of course, his drones are invisible. Word to the wise, don't strike up pow wows with strangers at the bus stop unless you want to hear about invisible drones in the sky. :crazy:

[peace13]

21. I have a friend who claims the government spays stuff in the air that makes it hard to breath.

We used to call him 'crazy Carl' But over the last 10 years he has been right about a lot of things. It would be hard to be the bus stop guy.

[Libertas1776]

22. The bus guy also mentioned

the gubmint spraying stuff into the air. Crazy minds think alike, I guess. :silly:

[peace13]

24. : )

I think they read the same newsletter!

[madokie]

29. I agree

[tranche]

38. Try living in south central Los Angeles.

[peace13]

43. When they start arming those things, then will the people stand up?

My guess is maybe but probably not. I will have to check the skies over Lake Erie more carefully next summer. I might be surprised.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

39. I guessing you wouldn't even know if one was above you.

[closeupready]

41. Hopefully, in a small way, you have helped some American 'out there' to see.

I always hope that the rantings and ravings here that are done in the interests of peace help change someone's views, so I thank you for posting this. :hi: :)

[peace13]

44. Thanks for that!

We have to hope some good will come form all of the head banging! :)

[ddeclue]

42. Do you live in the American Southwest? If so they already ARE..

the INS and DEA run them looking for drug runners and people trying to cross the border.

It shouldn't be allowed - it's an illegal warrant-less search.