More than a month ago stories hit the press about the US so-called "Stryker Brigade" and its hideous actions in Afghanistan. At the time I wondered whether the Star Tribune would ever report on the atrocities committed in our names. Today the Strib answered that question with a Washington Post report on the brigade's activities.
Okay - the report came only a month after everyone else in the world knew about it, but nevertheless, progress. I wrote a terse comment to the story, taking note that while the US may be terrible at economics, we are the best in the world at one thing - killing other humans.
While that may be somewhat of an extreme comment, it is nevertheless true. An uncomfortable truth, to be sure, but an important and undeniable one. The US now spends double on its military what the entire rest of the world spends. We use soldiers sitting at computer consoles in North Dakota to kill people from 10,000 feet in Pakistan. I'd call that good at killing.
Only the Strib would have none of the truth. Believe it or not, my comment on the US being the best at killing was removed twice from the comments forum. Earlier I called the "journalists" at the Strib "authoritarians," and now they're just helping prove that.
4 comments:
The crack censors at the Strib seem unable to remove the most vile, obscene, and libelous comments to columns by Nick Coleman, yet they're able to pick you out, Rob. You must feel really special.
It really goes to the heart of who we are, no? The Strib would never allow anyone to penetrate the mythology of us as the good guys of the world. But really, what could be worse than killing people half way around the world the way we do, for no good reason? President Obama can't even say why we are over there.
How DJ Tice of them.
<span>Here's the kind of comment the Strib is fishing for with stories like this (actual comment lifted from thread:
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<span>Brando/Kurtz said it best...
"If I had ten divisions of those men, our troubles here would be over very quickly."
<span>posted by clear141 on Oct. 15, 10 at 9:31 AM | </span>
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So at the Strib it's okay to advocate for mass slaughter, but not okay to point out that we are excellent killers. Your modern media at work.</span>
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