Redefinition

Glenn Greenwald points again to the NYT article that explores (in the Times typically euphemistic, mealy-mouth way) the White House drone murder program. Any military aged male, what those ages are is undefined though I wouldn't doubt it's eight to eighty, is now considered a 'militant' and goes on the scoreboard as one. Women and children, who that White House claims have never been killed must be just too small to count.

While strafing Vietnamese from the air, a helicopter gunner in Full Metal Jacket was asked, "How can you shoot women, children?", he answered, "It's easy, you just don't lead them so far. Ha, ha ha.". We can see why Pres. Drone recently chastised Americans for not loving Vietnam vets sufficiently, their excesses were the same as his.

Drone-athon

The primary propaganda tool of the National Security State, the New York Times, has a lengthy article that is suppose to shed light on President Drone's favorite thing, his drone program. 

Apart from the usual heart clutching paragraphs about the moral difficulties in deciding who to murder, the main thrust of the article is obvious, making mundane the murder of people half a world away, based on faith based evidence and lacking any oversight beyond that of the Drone in Chief. Chris Floyd has a good take down of the article's moral bankruptcy.

The defeats in Iraq and Afghanistan have made clear that another way of warfare must be found. There is no clear policy objective in kill people in Pakistan, Yemen, Sudan, the Philippines, terrorism is just the excuse. The objective is to extract resources from the general economy and devote them to the National Security State. The shift from covert to overt fascism is taking place before our eyes, Barack Obama is our Benito Mussolini, but the election charade will at least put another murderous clown on our TV screens next year or in five.

The Obamadrone also climbed on his soapbox to chastise Americans for their shoddy treatment of Vietnam veterans. Apart from being a recycling of right wing canards, the speechifying is most notable as a veiled warning to protesters that might challenge his reign of terror in Charlotte this summer. Both here and in Europe, any challenge to the neo-liberal establishment will be put down forcefully and as much as possible off the record.

Expect there more of the same as in Chicago. Entrapment, provocations and a media orchestrated chorus/blackout will show protesters the futility of their ways 

Well, that's a relief

(Beyond even Blog Simple's return.)
President Drone has announced:

"As commander in chief, I can tell you that sending our troops into harm's way is the most wrenching decision that I have to make," Obama said shortly after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

"I can promise you I will never do so unless it is absolutely necessary and that when we do, we must give our troops a clear mission and the full support of a grateful nation."

I guess it was absolutely necessary to 'surge' troops into Afghanistan and there was a clear mission. Why that was true must have been too secret for the grateful nation. We can expect that about the next war as well, but the requirement of full support without any political process or debate is unstated but unquestioned.

Oh yes, and bombing people is not 'war' any longer.

What an asshole.