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U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

reuters.com

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Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#241

Post by gldalmaso »

whiddershins wrote: post #215

I wonder why, even though we generally try to be skeptical of the news, I’m not seeing many comments here that question whether what this article is saying is even accurate. How exactly does the reporter know which people are IS fighters? Is there some notion that militants don’t ever also farm? Also in these comments there seems to be a huge double standard. The idea the United States might accidentally kill some ci…

Can we really call it an accident when strikes are made at weddings, funerals, farms, vans, and even double striking to kill first responders based on a phone chip signal that might have, at some point in time, been used by rebels?

In fact it really doesn't matter how we see it, but how they see it.

Every strike has a chance of producing more rebels than they kill and I have a hard time thinking the arms industry doesn't also believe that.

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#242

Post by TeMPOraL »

whiddershins wrote: post #236
TeMPOraL wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How exactly does the reporter know which people are IS fighters? Is there some notion that militants don’t ever also farm? The article says it explicitly: the information is sourced from Afghan officials. You could say that this may not be the most trustworthy source in this case, and I'd agree, but on the other hand, the problem of mounting civilian casualties of US drone strikes is already a decade if not more ol…

That’s simply untrue. They are trying to set up a Caliphate. Not everything is a reaction to something the US did. Shall we just let Israel get wiped off the map while we are at it? Edit: “they” in my sentence is IS, and Al-Qaeda, if that wasn’t obvious.

Nothing to do with the power vacuum left by the US after destroying Iraq and Afghanistan? Nothing to do with weapons and training distributed in that region by the US many years ago? Nothing to do with drone strikes fueling anti-American sentiment that's then used as motivation and justification for performing acts of terror?

I didn't say US is the whole reason here. But it's a big part of it.

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#243

Post by saiya-jin »

whiddershins wrote: post #193
alpb wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the downvotes you got speak for itself. I am not even gonna bother answering. Also USA has some of the highest infant mortality and poverty rates in the western world.

Oh, right ... America bashing is popular therefore it is righteous. It’s so fashionable to hate America, that must make it true. Why do you work for an American company then? Hypocrisy. Absolute disgusting hypocrisy every time. The role of America’s military in maintain a relatively peaceful world is unpopular, but has prevented a Third World War thus far. Every decade there is less war and violent death than the one…

> It’s so fashionable to hate America, that must make it true.

Let's be honest here, US is trying hard for last 15 years to be the most hated country anywhere, ever.

Millions of innocent civilians killed based on outright lies by US president in Iraq 2nd war (they were so glaringly obvious on UN meeting when GWB presented them that Germany and France outright rejected joining. UK couldn't care less). The consequences are felt across half of Asia and whole Europe till these days. Please tell me, what justice system in US does to a person who kills innocents without any reason? Nothing good. And if you kill millions? Good pension and CIA protection for rest of your life apparently. Plus Afghanistan, yet another battlefield where mighty US army is losing a battle with guys with AKs.

Another topic is online privacy, US could have been champion of freedom, and initially it was, but we had Snowden and stuff ain't better since then. That's plain amoral. Currently US can't claim much moral superiority over China for outsiders, like it or not.

I ain't even touching the topic of current US president because that would be for a separate thread.

To like US and its role in current politics these days requires super strong tint on ones pink glasses. Most of the world is kind of fed up and just wants to be left alone, not invaded for US version of 'freedom', oil, strategic place or whatever.

This is real world out there, where 95% of the mankind lives.

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#244

Post by vonseel »

whiddershins wrote: post #215

I wonder why, even though we generally try to be skeptical of the news, I’m not seeing many comments here that question whether what this article is saying is even accurate. How exactly does the reporter know which people are IS fighters? Is there some notion that militants don’t ever also farm? Also in these comments there seems to be a huge double standard. The idea the United States might accidentally kill some ci…

I think Reuters is generally a reliable source, but I agree with your double standard points.

This was a horrible accident, but you have to realize there are probably some very bad people they intended to target and the US doesn't blow up random Afghan farmers for fun and games.

HN is quite the liberal community so I'm not surprised if some of the posters here think the Trump administration is more evil than the people who want to blow up the Great Satan.

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#245

Post by esailija »

yakshaving_jgt wrote: post #156
misja wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Genuine question: if the motivation for this bombing was not political or ideological, what was it then?

It was an accident.

Is the killing of tens of millions of civilians so far with sanctions an accident too? If you can kill them with sanctions why not with drone strikes?

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#246

Post by bovermyer »

whiddershins wrote: post #236
TeMPOraL wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How exactly does the reporter know which people are IS fighters? Is there some notion that militants don’t ever also farm? The article says it explicitly: the information is sourced from Afghan officials. You could say that this may not be the most trustworthy source in this case, and I'd agree, but on the other hand, the problem of mounting civilian casualties of US drone strikes is already a decade if not more ol…

That’s simply untrue. They are trying to set up a Caliphate. Not everything is a reaction to something the US did. Shall we just let Israel get wiped off the map while we are at it? Edit: “they” in my sentence is IS, and Al-Qaeda, if that wasn’t obvious.

You, sir, have a lot of reading to do. I'd start with a few histories of the region, then move into political theory.

May I recommend the following?

"Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History" by Thomas Barfield

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#247

Post by [deleted] »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #242
whiddershins wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s simply untrue. They are trying to set up a Caliphate. Not everything is a reaction to something the US did. Shall we just let Israel get wiped off the map while we are at it? Edit: “they” in my sentence is IS, and Al-Qaeda, if that wasn’t obvious.

Nothing to do with the power vacuum left by the US after destroying Iraq and Afghanistan? Nothing to do with weapons and training distributed in that region by the US many years ago? Nothing to do with drone strikes fueling anti-American sentiment that's then used as motivation and justification for performing acts of terror? I didn't say US is the whole reason here. But it's a big part of it.

[deleted]

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#248

Post by whiddershins »

mad_tortoise wrote: post #230
whiddershins wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, right ... America bashing is popular therefore it is righteous. It’s so fashionable to hate America, that must make it true. Why do you work for an American company then? Hypocrisy. Absolute disgusting hypocrisy every time. The role of America’s military in maintain a relatively peaceful world is unpopular, but has prevented a Third World War thus far. Every decade there is less war and violent death than the one…

Man stop drinking the kool-aid. You're lapping up your countries propoganda left, right and center. Apparently according to you, art, science and the humanities wouldn't exist if not for the USA? Get out of here, this is hackernews not 4chan.

It’s hard to make art when your country is being torn to shreds by war.

How much art was coming out of East Germany under the Soviet Union?

What other nation is deterring constant military expansion of China and Russia?

How many nations are confronting IS?

You are either naive or destructive.

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#249

Post by frobozz »

whiddershins wrote: post #215

I wonder why, even though we generally try to be skeptical of the news, I’m not seeing many comments here that question whether what this article is saying is even accurate. How exactly does the reporter know which people are IS fighters? Is there some notion that militants don’t ever also farm? Also in these comments there seems to be a huge double standard. The idea the United States might accidentally kill some ci…

The "Good Guys" are fighting the "Bad Guys" because the "Bad Guys" do "Bad Guy Stuff".

It is taken as normal that the "Bad Guys" are "Bad". When they do "Bad Guy Stuff", it is further justification for the "Good Guys" continuing to target them. "Normal" does not mean "OK", it just means that it is what is expected - "Bad Guys are Bad" is not news.

It is morally outrageous when the "Good Guys" do "Bad Guy Stuff", because it calls into question the whole "We are good, they are bad" story that the "Good folk at home" are told. How can we be the "Good Guys" if we are killing innocents?

It also reinforces the "We are good, they are bad" story that the "Bad Guys" are selling their folk at home. When the "Great Satan" kills your innocent friends and family when they are at work picking pine nuts, or at a wedding, it becomes easier to encourage you to take up arms against them.

Re: U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan

#250

Post by non-entity »

concordDance wrote: post #30

Not that this isn't a tragedy (and/or mass murder depending on your viewpoint), but I don't think hackernews is the right venue for this. Hackernews should try and keep to tech and away from politics or its quality will continue to degrade. For instance the comments here are mostly not saying anything that hasn't already been said a thousand times before (is this just outrage porn?).

Maybe it's just rose colored glasses, but I used HN a few years ago, left and then returned recently. It seems when I was first using it, political stuff in general was discouraged and shut down pretty quickly than now, but of course, my initial sentence applies.
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