I haven't retuned the TV after "City Life", and I was planning on going off and doing something else, but then I did a post on Gerry Nutter and one from Samizdata. In the background I was hearing "Democracy Now" on LTC.
The person being interviewed, and the interviewer, were talking about war by drone attacks,♠ not mentioned that the US has recently pulled back on drone attacks. They were talking about drones like the work was ongoing, while we have this article from Long War Journal, data 19 December 2011, talking about a pause in the drone efforts. Sunday's edition of The New York Times had a similar article, front page, above the fold, right hand column.
The real problem was that they were talking about use of drones like they were "free activities" without consequences. The problem is that some in the US might be unaware of drone attacks when they are ongoing, but those being attacked are aware and eventually there is "blow back". Almost everyone who is being attacked looks for a way to fight back. Thus, we should look for eventual retaliation, retaliation in an asymmetric manner. The "Democracy Now" talking heads missed that point and thus failed to really examine the issues they were talking about.
There is no free lunch.
Regards — Cliff
♠ I am old school NATO and thus I reserve the word "Strike" for nuclear and "Attack" for conventional.
I get your point, but I would suggest that our use of drones is driven by a desire...threshold need....to be able to conduct combat ops as cheaply as possible..and that includes consequences for us. A drone attack is well.....for the American TV audience....boring and of little personal consequence compared to a bloody firefight where we fill up transfer cases for the trip to Dover AFB. If we can make war a little bit....well....."cleaner"....the public won't even have to notice.
ReplyDeleteWe really don't care how it affects the "bad" guys.....after all....they are just "enemy"...not real people like us......
Frankly.....I think we've turned a really severe X rated drama into G or at the very most PG. If we are going to go to places and kill and maim people in the name of freedom and democracy and the American way of life....I think that Americans should HAVE to watch every possible moment of the effects of our aggression. They should have to see all the blood and gore that is real combat.....so much that they have to excuse themselves to the bathroom to heave up that days fast food.
Perhaps then.....possibly....we can have a little better chance for a less ugly world.