Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

Agreed.

I've only been here a week, ffs.

Worked in the Met during the last few attacks and the riots - not something I'd happily endure again.

A little unsettled (but not wholly surprised) to find my new home is equally beset by these problems...

My thoughts with those affected...

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

On Patriot's Day in Boston using home-made bombs, by the looks of it using black powder rather than something high-end so my money is on some whacko akin to Timothy McVeigh. Starting a new American revolution, blah, blah, blah, lock him up. :frown: And I bet it's one guy, or one guy and his brain-damaged friend.

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

Thanks for the Guardian link, Giantaxe. Dakota and Hiro: Sometimes it's hard to accept that "our side" can commit war crimes and atrocities, but we just have to learn not to resist the truth and not to casually dismiss it as "pure bullshit". It's a very rough world out there.

I have come to value general "human" rights over national or tribal loyalties. Victims are victims. Westerners' lives are not intrinsically more valuable than non-Westerners'. To claim otherwise puts us on a slippery moral slope.

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

This is patronizing me, making assumptions about my world view and assumes that I'm naive.

Your post is written as if it's a given that drone strikes are terrorism and that the bombings in Boston are morally the same thing. I believe this is at best provocative at worst outrageous. You will not be able to convince me otherwise with links from the Guardian of "suspected war crimes".

Who is claiming otherwise? Where are you getting this?

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

The article does not say that rescuers are targeted, only that they can become victims of a followup strike. It is fairly common to have a fast follow up strike to ensure that the target has been hit, but not to deliberately target supposed "rescue workers". In fact, does anyone rationally believe that there are organized rescue crews complete with ambulances etc. in remote mountain areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan? The implication by another poster that those controlling the drones would deliberately wait for rescue efforts to launch a second strike is over the edge IMHO. Besides, not really in the same category as the tragedy in Boston.

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

Oh, so that's ok then.

And by coincidence this report was released today:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...putable-report

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

Agreed.

Why not?

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

I think I included slightly more than that snippet in my post. As for the other link, no one is denying that happened nor agreeing with such a policy.

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

Because while drone strikes are certainly the cause of plenty of civilian casualties, and while they do bother me greatly for that reason, they are not intended nor used to specifically target innocent civilians. They are a tool of war, as distasteful as they may be, and it is safe to assume that casualties would be much greater with indiscriminate bombing i.e that which was common in the Gulf wars and also in WW2. What happened in Boston was a deliberate attack on innocents and purely designed to inflict high civilian casualties and create fear. I see a dramatic difference between the two.

I agree with the other poster that all innocent human life is equal, no matter where they are from. When innocents die it makes no difference where. It is always tragic and unwelcome.

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

No one? There are a ton of people who were or are in positions of responsibility who deny or defend the US and UK's use of torture post-9/11. Our outrage about yesterday is 100% justified, but there's a painful dichotomy on the part of many with our own actions against others.

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

I suppose "no one" was a poor choice of words when I was really referring to me.

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

re: Bradley Manning leaks:
You are right it was not a drone it was a manned aircraft that shot the people-carrier when a man driving with his child stopped to help someone shot in an earlier incident.

go to 9:30 or there abouts

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

Unfortunately they probably won't link yesterdays atrocity with anything the UK went through at the hands of the IRA. Most Americans aren't aware terrorism even existed before 9/11 :(

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

Hiro, I very much hope you're naive. The alternative is too horrible to contemplate.

Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
 

Epitomized by this guy:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030406635.html