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In the US, mass child killings are tragedies. In Pakistan, mere bug splats
Barack Obama's tears for the children of Newtown are in stark contrast to his silence over the children murdered by his drones

George Monbiot
The Guardian, Monday 17 December 2012 15.30 EST

"Mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts … These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change." Every parent can connect with what President Barack Obama said about the murder of 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut. There can scarcely be a person on earth with access to the media who is untouched by the grief of the people of that town.

It must follow that what applies to the children murdered there by a deranged young man also applies to the children murdered in Pakistan by a sombre American president. These children are just as important, just as real, just as deserving of the world's concern. Yet there are no presidential speeches or presidential tears for them, no pictures on the front pages of the world's newspapers, no interviews with grieving relatives, no minute analysis of what happened and why.

If the victims of Mr Obama's drone strikes are mentioned by the state at all, they are discussed in terms which suggest that they are less than human. The people who operate the drones, Rolling Stone magazine reports, describe their casualties as "bug splats", "since viewing the body through a grainy-green video image gives the sense of an insect being crushed". Or they are reduced to vegetation: justifying the drone war, Obama's counterterrorism adviser Bruce Riedel explained that "you've got to mow the lawn all the time. The minute you stop mowing, the grass is going to grow back".

Like George Bush's government in Iraq, Obama's administration neither documents nor acknowledges the civilian casualties of the CIA's drone strikes in north-west Pakistan. But a report by the law schools at Stanford and New York universities suggests that during the first three years of his time in office, the 259 strikes for which he is ultimately responsible killed between 297 and 569 civilians, of whom at least 64 were children. These are figures extracted from credible reports: there may be more which have not been fully documented.

The wider effects on the children of the region have been devastating. Many have been withdrawn from school because of fears that large gatherings of any kind are being targeted. There have been several strikes on schools since Bush launched the drone programme that Obama has expanded so enthusiastically: one of Bush's blunders killed 69 children...

kalm wrote:I think Cluck has already made this contrast and it's an interesting perspective. We are a wildly hypocritical and insulated people.

Cluck U wrote:

kalm wrote:I think Cluck has already made this contrast and it's an interesting perspective. We are a wildly hypocritical and insulated people.

Indeed...as long as it isn't someone "like me", then we don't mind killing.

Obama is killing innocent women and children...and yet UNH, dback, and the rest of the lemmings who complained about Bush are just looking the other way...simply because he is their guy.

dback wants people to care about his need for equality...but he doesn't give a shvt about a child in Pakistan.

dbackjon wrote:

Cluck U wrote:
dback wants people to care about his need for equality...but he doesn't give a shvt about a child in Pakistan.

What makes you think that?
I love how the so-called independents think they are so smug and smart because they get to spend all their time ripping on everyone, because they haven't taken a real stand on anything.

dbackjon wrote:

Cluck U wrote:
Indeed...as long as it isn't someone "like me", then we don't mind killing.

Obama is killing innocent women and children...and yet UNH, dback, and the rest of the lemmings who complained about Bush are just looking the other way...simply because he is their guy.

dback wants people to care about his need for equality...but he doesn't give a shvt about a child in Pakistan.

What makes you think that?
We all have our own causes, but I am perfectly capable of multi-tasking
And what makes you think I don't complain about that?

I love how the so-called independents think they are so smug and smart because they get to spend all their time ripping on everyone, because they haven't taken a real stand on anything.

dbackjon wrote: I love how the so-called independents think they are so smug and smart because they get to spend all their time ripping on everyone, because they haven't taken a real stand on anything.

dbackjon wrote:

Cluck U wrote:
Indeed...as long as it isn't someone "like me", then we don't mind killing.

Obama is killing innocent women and children...and yet UNH, dback, and the rest of the lemmings who complained about Bush are just looking the other way...simply because he is their guy.

dback wants people to care about his need for equality...but he doesn't give a shvt about a child in Pakistan.

What makes you think that?
We all have our own causes, but I am perfectly capable of multi-tasking
And what makes you think I don't complain about that?

I love how the so-called independents think they are so smug and smart because they get to spend all their time ripping on everyone, because they haven't taken a real stand on anything.

kalm wrote:

dbackjon wrote:
What makes you think that?
We all have our own causes, but I am perfectly capable of multi-tasking
And what makes you think I don't complain about that?

I love how the so-called independents think they are so smug and smart because they get to spend all their time ripping on everyone, because they haven't taken a real stand on anything.

I took a stand and didn't vote for Obama or any Democrat on my ticket running for national office because of the way we are using drones and loss of innocent life in my name (among other things). Voting for a moderate Republican like Obama because he has a D after his name ain't much of a stand.

death dealer wrote:

dbackjon wrote:
What makes you think that?
We all have our own causes, but I am perfectly capable of multi-tasking
And what makes you think I don't complain about that?

I love how the so-called independents think they are so smug and smart because they get to spend all their time ripping on everyone, because they haven't taken a real stand on anything.

Maybe the lack of multiple threads on the subject. No one around here has a problem figuring out where your priorities lie. And to date, dead little pakis don't make the cut. How very progressive of you.

And us independents don't lack conviction. What we do lack is the ability to ignore reason while we careen around doped up on emotional hubris like the wingnut **** on the periphery around here.

death dealer wrote:

dbackjon wrote:
What makes you think that?
We all have our own causes, but I am perfectly capable of multi-tasking
And what makes you think I don't complain about that?

I love how the so-called independents think they are so smug and smart because they get to spend all their time ripping on everyone, because they haven't taken a real stand on anything.

Maybe the lack of multiple threads on the subject. No one around here has a problem figuring out where your priorities lie. And to date, dead little pakis don't make the cut. How very progressive of you.

And us independents don't lack conviction. What we do lack is the ability to ignore reason while we careen around doped up on emotional hubris like the wingnut fucktards on the periphery around here.

kalm wrote:

dbackjon wrote:
What makes you think that?
We all have our own causes, but I am perfectly capable of multi-tasking
And what makes you think I don't complain about that?

I love how the so-called independents think they are so smug and smart because they get to spend all their time ripping on everyone, because they haven't taken a real stand on anything.

I took a stand and didn't vote for Obama or any Democrat on my ticket running for national office because of the way we are using drones and loss of innocent life in my name (among other things). Voting for a moderate Republican like Obama because he has a D after his name ain't much of a stand.

kalm wrote:I think Cluck has already made this contrast and it's an interesting perspective. We are a wildly hypocritical and insulated people.

houndawg wrote:

death dealer wrote: Maybe the lack of multiple threads on the subject. No one around here has a problem figuring out where your priorities lie. And to date, dead little pakis don't make the cut. How very progressive of you.

And us independents don't lack conviction. What we do lack is the ability to ignore reason while we careen around doped up on emotional hubris like the wingnut **** on the periphery around here.

It's a forum for fans of small-time college football, dd. Surely you don't come here looking for serious political debate?

There are beaucoup lefties pissed off at Obama for even being in the area now that Osama has been greased.

D1B wrote:

death dealer wrote: Maybe the lack of multiple threads on the subject. No one around here has a problem figuring out where your priorities lie. And to date, dead little pakis don't make the cut. How very progressive of you.

And us independents don't lack conviction. What we do lack is the ability to ignore reason while we careen around doped up on emotional hubris like the wingnut fucktards on the periphery around here.

Blow it out your ass you sanctimonious dick hole. You're a fence riding pussy who's afraid to take a solid stand on anything, except shooting animals and making sure sick fucks like you have access to assault rifles and rocket launchers.

GFY, Dr. Badbreath.