Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 13:20:44 -0500
Subject: Re: Fwd: 'Precision Weapons' Fail To Prevent Mass Civilian  Casualties


Ze Sprout wrote:
> 
> At 19:29 -0500 02-01-2002, danceswithcarp wrote:
> >>London Times
> >>January 2, 2002
> >>
> >>'Precision Weapons' Fail To Prevent Mass Civilian Casualties
> >>
> >>By Michael Evans, Defence Editor
> ...>>
> >>Many of the Taleban claims of civilian casualties have proven to be false or
> >>exaggerated. It was claimed that more than
> >>300 civilians died in American airstrikes against a hillside military base
> >>near the village of Karam on October 10. The
> >>Americans admitted some civilians may have died in error, but the figure of
> >>300 was never accepted by Washington.
> ...
> 
> How does "Washington" proves something ? By not accepting it. Now that's some interesting journalistic work.
> 
> BTW i read the report by an american academic: even if exaggerated it is rather shameful that afghani civilian lifes count so little to us western warmakers.
> 
> How much afghan deaths are the 3300 killed on sept 11 worth ?

Well, there is that recent study which points out that around 3000
Afghan civilians have been killed. This information was based on regular
media reports, not Taliban propaganda.

It is really tragic that the deaths of Afghan civilians as a result of
American "precision" weapons doesn't piss off Americans. Once again, the
usual media servants have done a good job of making these deaths seem
distant. 

I just read the new Washington Post story about why George Bush
continues to enjoy widespread support among Americans. It's pretty sad.
I used to think that Americans were good people despite their surface
superficiality and consumerism. Since 9/11 I've adopted a more negative
view: Americans are stupid, ignorant racist fucks.

As for "precision" weapons, we have to assume that this is another
propaganda lie which will take several years to refute. Most of the
claims for "precision" during the Gulf War later turned out to false.
This really boils down to what can be called "anti-Vietnam Syndrome"
propaganda. The U.S. state wants its subjects to believe that push
button wars are not only possible, but winnable with few American
casualities.

We can't have any American deaths, you know. Americans are people,
everybody else is an infidel.

<< Chuck0 >>

Infoshop.org             -> http://www.infoshop.org/
Alternative Press Review -> http://www.altpr.org/
Practical Anarchy Online -> http://www.practicalanarchy.org/
Anarchy: AJODA           -> http://www.anarchymag.org/
Factsheet 5              -> http://www.factsheet5.com/
MutualAid.org (coming soon) 
AIM: AgentHelloKitty

INTERNATIONALISM IN PRACTICE

An American soldier in a hospital explained how he was wounded: He said,
"I was told that the way to tell a hostile Vietnamese from a friendly
Vietnamese was to shout ‘To hell with Ho Chi Minh!’ If he shoots, he’s
unfriendly. So I saw this dude and yelled ‘To hell with Ho Chi Minh!’
and he yelled back, ‘To hell with President Johnson!’ We were shaking
hands when a truck hit us." 

(from 1,001 Ways to Beat the Draft, by Tuli Kupferburg).