Last week Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spent three days in Pakistan defending U.S. Policy before a variety of groups. Some of the audiences were blunt and combative, reflecting the dramatic decline in popularity of U. S. policy. The Pakistani criticisms include U.S. interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs, U.S. failure to allow Pakistani textiles into American markets in desired quotas, and the growing U.S. relationship with India particularly on nuclear matters.
But the issue that drew the most attention and anger is the U.S. use of unmanned drone airplanes to kill people in Pakistan, a program guided offshore by civilians from as far away as western United States. Some Pakistanis told Clinton that the program amounted to “execution without trial”. Others asked Clinton if she viewed these drone attacks as terrorism. “No, I do not”, she replied, but refused to comment further.
This CIA program is aimed at terrorism suspects around the world including countries where U.S. troops are not based. The program was initiated in the Bush administration, continued by Obama, and is now one of the fastest-growing programs of the U.S. military. After September 11, Bush signed a secret memorandum of notification giving the CIA the right to kill members of Al Qaeda and confederates virtually anywhere in the world.
Targeted killing has become official U.S. policy although the U.S. has a law forbidding assassination. The CIA furnishes the intelligence and selection of victims. It depends on the quality of the intelligence and whether cash bounties to informers and personal revenge influence the execution decisions. Errors in targeting have led to civilian deaths of innocents especially members of families of the targeted.
The CIA keeps broadening categories of the condemned, from Al Qaeda to Taliban to insurgents. Opponents of the program say that it is more effective `to arrest suspects than to kill-in order to obtain intelligence from them. Dead men tell no tales.
The CIA has farmed out the killing to commercial contractors who hire and train civilians to make the life and death decisions under pressure, a system that makes many uneasy. Other critics point out that the drone is not a decisive weapon but its use is likely to inspire hatred of America and even create more enemies seeking revenge. And as Clinton found out in Pakistan, a longtime U.S. ally, the drone program could cause America to lose the moral high ground, from time immemorial an important asset in rallying the nation, attracting allies, and deterring rivals.
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Just remember, the criteria that we use to ID and kill foreign patriots (insurgents) are being warmed up here. More laws are being passed restricting Americans. At the rate it is going, it will not be long before the same things will happen here. The combat brigades being trained by NorthCom in "suppressing civil dissent," the concentration camps awaiting "guests," the expanding surveillance of Americans, the many lists being compiled.
We are not far from a nation that will, upon the complaint of a disgruntled neighbor, send the black SUV in the night, the knock on the door, the hood, the truncheons, the disappearance. Eventually, perhaps a hellfire missile from a drone to destroy a home, business or automobile to get a "homegrown terrorist."
When there are a hundred million homeless, living in tent cities or under cardboard in the alleys, trying to survive the winter, perhaps We the People will finally revolt. By that time, they will be ready for us, I fear.
A good article if one wanted to debate the "morality" of war & war fare. But as this natin goes down the slop it is on, with Both houses of Congress doing what it ants, instead of what the majority of We, the people want, isn't a anti war article somewhat out of place here on a "supposedly" Populist web site that supposedly is to help inform those who are ignorant to the Constitution the like, so that some how or way We, the people can get our nation as a republic back ?__Or are the leadership of this site gong to continue going down a more " progressive path politically that was taking foothold since the days before President Wilson. Is that what this what this sites idea is of what being a " Indipendent populist' is all about ? if it is, then i don't don't want what you are tryng to sell here.
I'm not sure I understand your complaint Steve1949.
Seems what you are saying is that "Anti-War" articles is not what is needed on the Populist site. Somehow I feel that Wars of Aggression and Robotic Weapons loosed on populations is part and parcel of what is happening to our Constitution.
The Wars of Aggression are being used as a vehicle to usurp freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution and Drone warfare on civilian populations is actually a form of assassinations which is against the law in the United States.
Then we have the Executive, the Commander in Chief , of our armed forces placing signing statements that as the COC he will not be bound by the laws emanating from our Constitution.
Yes, Anti-War articles are looking at the foundation of evil that has crept over our nation and is definitely attacking the Constitution.
As to how to take our Country back and return it to the Constitutional basis it was founded on, this first order of business from my perspective is to get rid of the Two Major Parties and replace them with a Coalition of Independents. The perfectly legal and Constitutional way to do that is for enough people to refuse to ever again vote for a Candidate of one of the two parties.
But since there is such strong Party Loyalty dividing America, that is a difficult thing to get people to do. The two parties have successfully convinced their minions that all the problems besetting America are the result of the other party.
I'm not sure I understand your complaint Steve1949.
Seems what you are saying is that "Anti-War" articles is not what is needed on the Populist site. Somehow I feel that Wars of Aggression and Robotic Weapons loosed on populations is part and parcel of what is happening to our Constitution.
The Wars of Aggression are being used as a vehicle to usurp freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution and Drone warfare on civilian populations is actually a form of assassinations which is against the law in the United States.
Then we have the Executive, the Commander in Chief , of our armed forces placing signing statements that as the COC he will not be bound by the laws emanating from our Constitution.
Yes, Anti-War articles are looking at the foundation of evil that has crept over our nation and is definitely attacking the Constitution.
As to how to take our Country back and return it to the Constitutional basis it was founded on, this first order of business from my perspective is to get rid of the Two Major Parties and replace them with a Coalition of Independents. The perfectly legal and Constitutional way to do that is for enough people to refuse to ever again vote for a Candidate of one of the two parties.
But since there is such strong Party Loyalty dividing America, that is a difficult thing to get people to do. The two parties have successfully convinced their minions that all the problems besetting America are the result of the other party.
So what has this site done to openly report of activites that will help grow the Independent Populist ideals and themes ? 8-10 artices as of late have been more anti war than what the Populists party is doing to combat the slow demise of America's constitutional rights. or How a Rupublic style as a nation would be far better politically for all US Citizens, then what we have now. Where is thecfree and open debate of issues that will help the average american? And where is the Accountability at ?
Steve1949, did you ever consider that perhaps we are concerned about our never ending wars, not only because we are killing thousands around the world, simply because they happen to live on what the MIC considers to be "our" oil, or are obstructing a pipeline to move the same, but because it is impoverishing the entire nation, except for the Oligarchy and their lackeys? As you may have noticed, the wars are getting bigger as we are getting poorer. Protesting against the wars is a way of registering protest to the entire government and their bankster bosses. It also may lower the butcher's bill.
Steve1949.
I think you may not have read the posts over a long period of time. I think that if you have you will find everything from articles about the need to return to the Constitution , to the need to reign in the Military Industrial Complex, to articles about the need to reverse the transfer of wealth from the masses to the Elites.
Also you will have read articles asking a movement to Independent Parties by the citizenry and specifically the Populist Model. Articles about the immoral actions of the the Two Major Parties and how they have abandoned the people.
Finally you will have read articles about how Party Loyalty has become the most dangerous threat to our freedoms and also articles about Constitutional Reforms.
All these articles I have seen posted on this site and many more similar.
Your point is well taken, but at the moment look at where we are : Our government is pursuing wars of choice that is costing multiple times more than the much ballyhooed cost of Health reform.
That is why there is so much written about wars of choice, the cost ion lives and money is killing this great country. And they are conducted to enrich only the elite. The poor and less fortunate are those who enter the meat grinder and die.
And they do this in a false Patriotic event.
Now war now ongoing or conducted in years needed to have occurred.
I pose that this is very much something that is against the ideals of the Populist.
And I wam willing to debate it on these pages as vigorously as you desire. One of us should have the facts close enough to convince the other since we both seek for the good of our country and our freedoms.
Gee, just think what might happen if the Congress took a mere ten percent off the top of the Pentagon's bloated budget. The nation could once again afford good education and decent housing, medical care and maybe, with some decent legislation, could bring the jobs back to the United States. We could probably repair our infrastructure.
Nah, never happen. Up the Junkers, er, Oligarchy! Up the Wehrmacht, er, Pentagon!
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