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You know that Obama has authorised the extrajudicial killings of American citizens, right? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_al-Awlaki https://en.m.wikiped
by duncan_bayne 10y ago
You know that Obama has authorised the extrajudicial killings of American citizens, right?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_al-Awlaki https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_al-Awlaki
You already have it bad, regardless of who you elect this time.
- darawk 10y agoThere is a pretty big difference between the authorization of a single extrajudicial killing in a specific case and the broad admonition of your citizens to go out and kill anyone they suspect of being a drug dealer.
- paavokoya 10y agoThe irony that this guy's extremist view of our current situation is the sort of attitude that leads to authoritarian environments of black and white.
- duncan_bayne 10y agoI don't think there's anything extremist about criticism of extrajudicial executions, regardless of their number. There was a time when a scandal like Watergate would bring down a President. Nowadays, authorising the extrajudicial execution of an American citizen seems acceptable.
- pyre 10y agoYou're comparing a few politically motivated extrajudicial executions (which are not excusable, mind you) with the leader of a country promoting vigilantism to the entire citizenry. I'm not sure you realize how quickly the latter situation could devolve compared to the former.
- ddt_Osprey 10y agoI think some people know exactly what that situation involves and they are inviting it with open eyes. When you want to stay clean, you have others do the dirty work. The ones that volunteer for the dirty work are usually regarded as equally disposable as those getting "cleaned." Those calling for volunteers view this as a transitional period, from which they will emerge, unscathed. Unscathed, why? Madness is not to be ruled out. Nor hubris.
- duncan_bayne 10y agoI think, in both cases, they are promoting vigilantism. One is promoting it directly: by inciting the citizenry to murder. The other is promoting it indirectly: by shamelessly engaging in it himself. Yes, the former is worse. But they're both evil, and both are social poison.
- duncan_bayne 10y agoWell yes; the difference is between murder, and mass murder. Neither is an admirable behaviour in anyone, let alone a political leader.