Drone strikes = worse than suicide bombers = state terrorism

[Bonobo]

Is there anything MORE cowardly than a drone aircraft, controlled by some guy with a joystick thousands of miles away, shooting a missile at people?

[NightWatcher]

1. at least some put their ass where their mouth is

and not "play war" like it were a Nintendo game


the more drones we use, the more suicide bombers we're making

[NJmaverick]

2. IEDs killing our troops and innocent civilians would be just as bad

if you weren't biased, you would see that

[Bonobo]

3. Nope, sorry.

The IEDs are in THEIR country that WE are invading.

Put yourself in their shoes. We are invaded by the Chinese who occupy us. You think our citizens who love our country aren't going to be planting mines to blow up their military vehicles?

[anonymous171]

18. LOL Afghanistan is a very loose collection of diverse ethnic groups

To say that they are "defending their country" is ridiculous. Their national identity is tenuous at best. The Taliban are fighting for the same reason we are: power and resources. The war in Afghanistan is one between Warlords (including us) and religious extremists. There are no good sides to this war. We should get out now.

[iamtechus]

4. If you weren't biased ...

You would not equate drones and IEDs. One is the tool of the invader and the other is the tool of the invaded.

[Moochy]

6. we are helping both countries dontchaknow?

Its just a short trip from partisan hack to Just War™ fanboy.

[anonymous171]

20. Everyone is biased. You are biased. If you have a functioning brain, you are biased.

You cannot dismiss a person's entire argument just because they are "biased."

[whatchamacallit]

26. Maybe if our troops weren't over there illegally occupying their country, IEDs wouldn't be a problem

if you weren't a chickenhawk, you would see that.

[Pavulon]

35. Maybe if they gave up the guy who used airplanes as IEDs

we would not be there? Maybe. Where is this found to be illegal? Just curious. Reality is when please does not work other options may be required.

[Moochy]

5. The more technology it takes, the more righteous the kill

'Just War™' or just wars?

[Moochy]

7. Maybe more pictures of Drones and Less Victims will make this thread more popular with DU

bigger payloads!


next generation!


drone blimps!


Oh and something for the little drone pilots in training out there:

[Bonobo]

8. +1,000

Fucking kewl! They Rock!

[Moochy]

10. The distance between the pilot and the act of killing

I've seen it claimed that the central point of UAV's is to remove the pilots from threat of immediate harm, and many of drone operators work in the US, and commute to a base like a day job.

The operator's reaction time overcomes the limitations of distance via advanced networking. That same system also brings the operator closer to the humanity of its targets.

Despite being 13,000 miles away, they still often have more intimate contact with their targets than traditional jet air strikes because of the surveillance before and after the strike.

Hours spent stalking your target, seeing them move about their daily business from overhead angles, launching missile strikes at them , and then verifying the kill. It's not as distant an act of killing as some would make it seem.

[ShortnFiery]

9. Yes, well put.: State Sponsored Terror - Summary Executions of *suspected* terrorists.

... which includes anyone and everyone who threatens Middle Eastern countries' tin pot dictators Autocratic Rule, and thus, the USA's geopolitical hegemony ====> is *a terrorist* - Taliban and/or al Quaeda, the most evil branch of terrorism. :eyes:

[Tutankhamun]

11. The main problem with drones is that they allow our government

(as well as other governments) to attack a country relentlessly without admitting they're starting/fighting a war.

That's the most cowardly thing about drone strikes.

[tekisui]

13. We bombed targets in Pakistan at a rate of 1 every 8.2 days last year.

That sounds like war to me.

[tekisui]

12. Targeting populations known to have innocent people from

thousands of miles away is terrorism, IMO.

Using private contractors to assist should be criminal as well.

[Tutankhamun]

16. I agree with both of your statements.

Our government likes to pretend it's not a war if you don't set foot in their country. Or at least if you don't send too many troops in and don't really talk about it when you do.

Hey, it's not war, it's Precision Air Raiding Teleguided Intensive Essential Strikes. Or P.A.R.T.I.E.S. for a short n' cheery acronym! C'mon drone strike victims, turn those frowns upside down :-)

[Odin2005]

14. What about IEDs?

Or guerrilla warfare? during the American Revolution our side using guerrilla tactics wand condemned as cowardly and uncivilized.

[anonymous171]

15. First you call it terrorism, then cowardice.

I think you are just trying to throw shit at people. (btw, I agree with your first point. It is terrorism.)

[tekisui]

17. Terrorism and cowardice can be simultaneously present.

[Moochy]

28. Whats more cowardly than targetting civilians?

Either intentionally as in the case of terrorists, or unintentionally as in the case of collateral damage from air strikes? Same end result, dead innocents.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. At least "our" killers express "regret" when they murder civilians.

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy.” - Gandhi

[chaska]

21. EXACTLY. And these people think we can "win this 'war''???

How can they ever not hate us when we won't even fight fare?

Drones and similar tactics are the despicable acts of a decaying empire. It's utterly immoral to "fight" this way. I always hated video games. Never quite understood why. I guess I was just prescient. War by video game. Disgusting.

[usregimechange]

22. Sorry, don't agree, drones don't target civilians

[Taitertots]

23. Civilian targets =/= Military targets

How are you going to equivocate targeting civilians and targeting military targets?

I guess to avoid being "cowards" we need to beat everyone in only hand to hand battles.

[proteus_lives]

24. Drones don't intentionally target civilians.

That's the difference and why suicide bombers are cowards.

The objective of drone operators is to kill a specific target while suicide bombers try to cause terror.

[anonymous171]

25. Imagine if you neighbor's house suddenly exploded one afternoon

Would that scare you? Drones are a tool of terror. They may not target civilians, but they sure do kill a lot of them and scare the shit out of countless others.

[proteus_lives]

27. So do planes and helicopters.

Are pilots cowards and terrorists?

So do tanks and APCs.

Are drivers cowards and terrorists?

They haven't invented a method of warfare where no civilians die. The OP comparing US soldiers to suicide bombers, that asinine.

[Hippo_Tron]

30. I would consider it unintentional terrorism then

The idea behind the drones, as far as I understand, is not to terrorize the population. If the intent is to terrorize the population then we have some really fucking stupid people conducting this war.

[ShortnFiery]

31. Dead is DEAD none the less. And those dead innocents have family members who will

hate the USA for the rest of their lives. :(

[proteus_lives]

32. And the relatives of the dead soldiers will hate Afghans and Muslims for the rest of their lives.

I'm open to any ideas for warfare that doesn't kill civilians.

This isn't a one-person tango.

[ConcernedCanuk]

29. "Is there anything MORE cowardly ?" - NO

.
.
.

All those nintendo pilots deserve nightmares

Ad infinitum

[Pavulon]

33. A canadian holds the record kill distance with a rifle

no difference, dead is dead. Snipers were not taken as prisoners all that often in the ww's. Killing from distance is part of war, this is a natural evolution. Dont like it, dont fight wars.

[proteus_lives]

34. So every invention past the fist and rock is cowardly?

"All those nintendo pilots deserve nightmares"

Do pilots, tank drivers, APC drivers, artillery men, recon pilots, riflemen deserve nightmares too?