4 ms·

OK, I can understand Chomsky's argument that drone strikes should be classed as a terrorist operations. But the 'biggest in history'? What about the fire-bomb

by MarkMc 13y ago

OK, I can understand Chomsky's argument that drone strikes should be classed as a terrorist operations. But the 'biggest in history'? What about the fire-bombing of Tokyo, the rape of Nankin or the genocide of Cambodia?

PavlovsCat 13y ago
"Biggest operation" can mean many things. Just consider the time spent on TV, the time by pundits spent rationalizing it, the time spent in secret discussions with allies, the INCREDIBLY HUGE budgets, the vast network of stationed weapons and personel, the vast network of snoops, the ripple effect it had and has on authoritative regimes all over the world ("living in a post-9/11 world" you say? cut me a piece of that!), and the vulture corporations getting in on all that. And then there is the fact that with the current trajectory it will go on forever, as we've been proudly been told from day one. Though I wouldn't call that "Obama's campaign", he did expand it, and he is currently responsible for it continuing while he wards of clouds that could rain on the parade.
rdtsc 13y ago
Terror and murder count don't go hand in hand. They are rather orthogonal. There were murdering regimes that murdered without sowing too much terror through the population because they were good at hiding and squashing the news. As people disappeared news did spread but it was always rumors that could be dismissed. Then there is terror -- a single death using a particular technique or weapon withe the particular amount of publicity could be very terrorizing. It is is always attacks on small-town America. Imagine this news story "Cuban drone killed a young family in the small town Idaho because it was believe to be the hiding spot of (Luis Posada Carriles)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Posada_Carriles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Posada_Carriles], a known terrorist sheltered and protected by the US government" Ok, so one family killed. Now imagine the terror, the talking heads ("experts") on TV, the news channels, the presidential address, declarations of war, additional security checks etc etc. See the difference?

by MarkMc 13y ago

PavlovsCat 13y ago

"Biggest operation" can mean many things. Just consider the time spent on TV, the time by pundits spent rationalizing it, the time spent in secret discussions with allies, the INCREDIBLY HUGE budgets, the vast network of stationed weapons and personel, the vast network of snoops, the ripple effect it had and has on authoritative regimes all over the world ("living in a post-9/11 world" you say? cut me a piece of that!), and the vulture corporations getting in on all that. And then there is the fact that with the current trajectory it will go on forever, as we've been proudly been told from day one. Though I wouldn't call that "Obama's campaign", he did expand it, and he is currently responsible for it continuing while he wards of clouds that could rain on the parade.

rdtsc 13y ago

Terror and murder count don't go hand in hand. They are rather orthogonal. There were murdering regimes that murdered without sowing too much terror through the population because they were good at hiding and squashing the news. As people disappeared news did spread but it was always rumors that could be dismissed. Then there is terror -- a single death using a particular technique or weapon withe the particular amount of publicity could be very terrorizing. It is is always attacks on small-town America. Imagine this news story "Cuban drone killed a young family in the small town Idaho because it was believe to be the hiding spot of (Luis Posada Carriles)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Posada_Carriles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Posada_Carriles], a known terrorist sheltered and protected by the US government" Ok, so one family killed. Now imagine the terror, the talking heads ("experts") on TV, the news channels, the presidential address, declarations of war, additional security checks etc etc. See the difference?