Pakistan? Has anyone called that a war? Does it matter that we've taken perhaps more than 3,000 lives? War is when soldiers on each side are shooting at each other. This is not a war. We have no soldiers on the ground in Pakistan, do we? If we do, they are few, and hid away so as to not be shot at?
Pilots in the sky? I don't know if we have any of those, either. No, while we have planes in the sky, the planes have no pilots.
Drones fight our battles, robotic planes.
We began the drone war in June, 2004. Ten years later, we are still bombing away. It is a war some of us question, because our high-technology, supposedly surgical strikes take out civilians as well as targeted militants, and because most of the al-Qaeda casualties are but rank-and-file soldiers who probably pose little threat to the United States.
Why risk taking out civilians? If this were a war where we were desperately defending ourselves and we were striking where civilians might be only because we had no choice, it might be understandable. But, our backs are hardly against the wall. We fire with no fear of being shot back at. How, then, do we justify killing any civilians? Is it necessary? Necessary only comes when you have little choice.
And are we justified in taking out the al-Qaeda soldiers? They represent an enemy, yes. But, North Korea is an enemy. Russia is an enemy. Iran is an enemy. Why don't we, then, strike them with our drones?
The answer is obvious. North Korea, Russia and Iran would strike back, in some form or fashion. Then, there would be a war, a real war.
But, al-Qaeda? While it is defenseless this time around, it is not as though it is not to be feared. It may lack the means to engage us in a war when we come after it with our drones, but it has the ability to fight battles that in a fashion are of the same sort we are fighting against them. We hit defenseless targets. They hit defenseless targets. We look for sitting ducks. They look for sitting ducks. Hit and run. Hit and hide.
If we are justified in our killing, perhaps it is in that we are keeping them so preoccupied with running from us, they have less time to commit mischief.
But, is that enough justification? The killing of another person is a terrible thing. We should deeply, gravely consider what we are doing. We might be assuming, but we don't know they will be more likely to attack if we let up the drone attacks. Do we kill another person simply on the supposition they might kill us, not knowing, but just wondering if they might?
Or, is our justification that we are still extracting vengence for 9-11?
Perhaps the Pakistan non-war is a war we should walk away from.
Why risk taking out civilians? If this were a war where we were desperately defending ourselves and we were striking where civilians might be only because we had no choice, it might be understandable. But, our backs are hardly against the wall. We fire with no fear of being shot back at. How, then, do we justify killing any civilians? Is it necessary? Necessary only comes when you have little choice.
And are we justified in taking out the al-Qaeda soldiers? They represent an enemy, yes. But, North Korea is an enemy. Russia is an enemy. Iran is an enemy. Why don't we, then, strike them with our drones?
The answer is obvious. North Korea, Russia and Iran would strike back, in some form or fashion. Then, there would be a war, a real war.
But, al-Qaeda? While it is defenseless this time around, it is not as though it is not to be feared. It may lack the means to engage us in a war when we come after it with our drones, but it has the ability to fight battles that in a fashion are of the same sort we are fighting against them. We hit defenseless targets. They hit defenseless targets. We look for sitting ducks. They look for sitting ducks. Hit and run. Hit and hide.
If we are justified in our killing, perhaps it is in that we are keeping them so preoccupied with running from us, they have less time to commit mischief.
But, is that enough justification? The killing of another person is a terrible thing. We should deeply, gravely consider what we are doing. We might be assuming, but we don't know they will be more likely to attack if we let up the drone attacks. Do we kill another person simply on the supposition they might kill us, not knowing, but just wondering if they might?
Or, is our justification that we are still extracting vengence for 9-11?
Perhaps the Pakistan non-war is a war we should walk away from.
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