dippin

First, did all the "yeah, bad civilian" folks actually watch the fucking video? So we have a helicopter with a camera and several times magnification. For the first 3 or 4 minutes there is nothing going on. Then they fire. Then after another 4 or 5 minutes a van comes along and starts to load the wounded into it. Nevermind for a second that it is actually against the Geneva conventions and the military's own rule of engagement to shoot it. You do realize that the helicopter is actually very far and most likely not clearly visible (if it was clearly visible, then the guys not running away from it would clearly not be the enemy).

So basically the attitude is "it is their own fault for standing around within range of weapons that have a range of several hundred meters?" The idea that anyone drove towards a combat zone when the video itself makes it clear that they were very far from the thick of the action is ludicrous.

Now, before I get another round of "war is dirty, it happens, etc., etc." I'd say that that is precisely the fucking point. I mean, that is the reason people opposed the war. You can't, whether as an administration, part of the military, or whatever, at the same time spill some bullshit about "liberation," "fighting for democracy," etc. etc. and claim that things like this are "no big deal."

And it has nothing to do with "hating the soldier" or whatever spin people want to put on it. Whether or not the rules of engagement were followed is beside the point. If they were, they need to be reviewed, because the civilian-to-military casualty ratio, even just looking at the lowest numbers is unacceptable. Or, if you think it is acceptable, then we should call the war what it is, some sort of neo colonial engagement.

You see, I had no illusions about this war when it started. I knew that the civilian body count would be in the hundred of thousands, that there would be torture, and all those other things that we tend to consider war crimes when the losing side does it. Which, not coincidentally, is the reason I was against it. The bottom line is you can't have it both ways. You can't claim a war is a war of liberation and have this number of civilian casualties. You can't claim it is going to be a "clean war" because of the mythical qualities of the super American soldier and it's military and then claim they're "only human."