US Action in Somalia: Business as Usual

[segovius]

It happens every time. Nothing is learnt. Perhaps the people prosecuting these attacks just don't care.

Innocent civilians blown away by US attacks on 'al Qaeda' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6248669.stm)

First...another wedding party. This is normal. Seems a favourite target.

Then, 70 - yes SEVENTY - herdsman blown away by laser 'precision bombs'.

More: livestock and water sources taken out.

Terrorists...escaped to elsewhere. If they were ever there in the first place.

No al-Qaeda killed (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003521564_somalia12.html)

It seems that the 'precision bombs' are routinely let loose at large gatherings of people on the off chance they are 'evil terrorists' - kind of a 'kill em all let God sort them out' approach - whether this be people at waterholes or wedding parties.

Another prime target is burning fires at night - always signifying nomadic herdsmen rather than a helpful beacon lit by evildoers - which are apparently invariably blasted by trigger happy personnel as a matter of routine.

Then of course there is the propaganda on the home front as the dead civilians are airbrushed out f history and re-branded as 'al Qaeda' for the benefit of the numbed and bleating Stepford Citizens.

[dmz]

And then, of all things, the Zionist oppressors [or is it 'Christian crusaders' this week?] have the nerve to lie about it!
But U.S. officials insisted they had not carried out additional airstrikes since Sunday.

To add insult to injury, the initial raid was totally unnecessary! (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/e629d56a-a18b-11db-8bc1-0000779e2340.html)
The Islamists alliance, which had controlled much of southern Somalia before Ethiopia’s offensive, denied having any links to terrorism.
See!

[Mac on a Mac]

I really don't have a basis to believe either side. The US will always say terrorists were killed and the locals will say woman and children and old people were killed. With few exceptions, who we trust is predisposed by our opinions.

[100mph]

I really don't have a basis to believe either side. The US will always say terrorists were killed and the locals will say woman and children and old people were killed. With few exceptions, who we trust is predisposed by our opinions.

Not to worry.
All this confusion will go away when China starts carpet bomb Southeast Texas. ;)

[segovius]

I really don't have a basis to believe either side. The US will always say terrorists were killed and the locals will say woman and children and old people were killed. With few exceptions, who we trust is predisposed by our opinions.

Never a truer word......and this is why the West is doomed.

'Opinions' have become the benchmark replacing 'facts' - see posts in this thread by DMZ. In fact any post by DMZ.

'Facts' used to be in vogue - the ancient Greeks liked them and many of the world's greatest civilizations found them useful but in today's climate of diminishing attention spans, attenuated reasoning capacity and crass stupidity raised to the level of a golden calf at which all must worship or get in the cattle-truck, they are little more than a nuisance at best and at worst a sign that 'your attitude needs adjusting'.

And they will 'adjust' it.

Right now they have some barbarians and savages in the uncivilized east (and, it seems, Africa) who need adjusting more but when they get themselves out of that hole - or effect a humiliating escape with their tails between their legs - then they will turn their attention to the homegrown malcontents no doubt.

So 'opinions' are the new facts... real facts are frowned upon but seem safe for a while - but soon if you are caught in possession of them you might as well be a guest at a Somali wedding party.

[Mac on a Mac]

Not to worry.
All this confusion will go away when China starts carpet bomb Southeast Texas. ;)


There are too many Chinese here for China to want to bomb.:lol:

[segovius]

There are too many Chinese here for China to want to bomb.:lol:

Maybe the US can do it then. Won't be any more civilian casualties or collateral damage from friendly fire and they save all that gas from flying over the side of the world....

[Mac on a Mac]

True Segovius. I can't say how wide this problem is out of the US, but most of the facts I hear around here are more like assumptions than facts. A few days ago the local radio conversation was about "how great it was we killed all those terrorists". No one in the conversation had or has a clue who was killed.

[segovius]

True Segovius. I can't say how wide this problem is out of the US, but most of the facts I hear around here are more like assumptions than facts. A few days ago the local radio conversation was about "how great it was we killed all those terrorists". No one in the conversation had or has a clue who was killed.

It is pretty universal I think.

Essentially it is an extension of marketing and branding as pioneered by large corporations and brands.

It goes like this: why spend billions improving a product and aiming for the best, constantly improving it when you can spend far LESS by making it worse and then spending far less than you would otherwise have to on marketing whose sole purpose is to convince the people that the product is actually much better.

In tandem with this one has to dumb people down in other ways and there are various methods for this: 'music', reality tv, cutting back on education.

Certain types of politician - no, scrub that, all of them -have extended this.

Who cares if things go wrong? It doesn't matter....it doesn't cost much in airtime to convince the sheep everything is going better than ever.

Especially now the brainwashing process is virtually complete.

[dmz]

segovius, you are claiming -- definitively -- that since Sunday, [or even before?] the US has bombed a Somali wedding party, among other atrocities. Now you somehow fell comfortable lecturing us about 'facts?' I know war is deceit for you, but the deceit needs to be believable.

(You're parodying yourself again -- every time you do this it gets more painful to watch.)

[segovius]

segovius, you are claiming -- definitively -- that since Sunday, [or even before?] the US has bombed a Somali wedding party, among other atrocities. Now you somehow fell comfortable lecturing us about 'facts?' I know war is deceit for you, but the deceit needs to be believable.

(You're parodying yourself again -- every time you do this it gets more painful to watch.)

Of course it is painful to watch. Depriving an addict of his Heroin is an uncomfortable spectacle for the observer and the subject.

That does not mean it is not a moral duty and that it is a worthwhile activity. Unfortunately, like the vast majority of junkies, the Stepford Citizens will be out of the nearest window at the first opportunity, abandon the program and be selling their @ss to all and sundry in search of just one more fix.......

That doesn't stop me continuing trying to help though..,...it's called COMPASSION and civic responsibility.......

[dmz]

Of course it is painful to watch. Depriving an addict of his Heroin is an uncomfortable spectacle for the observer and the subject.

That does not mean it is not a moral duty and that it is a worthwhile activity. Unfortunately, like the vast majority of junkies, the Stepford Citizens will be out of the nearest window at the first opportunity, abandon the program and be selling their @ss to all and sundry in search of just one more fix.......

That doesn't stop me continuing trying to help though..,...it's called COMPASSION and civic responsibility.......
But in that case why -- why -- did you leave out the part where the AC-130 gun crew landed and raped the dead women, and ate all the dead babies' entrials?


All I'm saying, is work on the delivery of your lies and subterfuge. It's gotten to the point where it's not even sporting. Go for the small disinformation victories first, then sprinkle in the bigger ones; a little bit goes a long way. Try to distinguish between a garden variety 'america theocracy! theocracy!' slow-right-over-the-plate delivery, and the real inside-and-low 'Zarqawi is a CIA invention' whoppers.














Edit: You know -- and taking my tongue out of my cheek for a moment -- what we probably don't need more of in this world are people who use hysterical/unsubstantiated/blinkered/bigoted claims to build imaginary pictures of their opponents/enemies/sparring partners.

[thuh Freak]

segovius, you are claiming -- definitively -- that since Sunday, [or even before?] the US has bombed a Somali wedding party, among other atrocities. Now you somehow fell comfortable lecturing us about 'facts?' I know war is deceit for you, but the deceit needs to be believable.

(You're parodying yourself again -- every time you do this it gets more painful to watch.)

did you read the bbc article, or do you not trust the bbc as a news organization? seg's claim that the US hit a wedding party are backed by an article by a reputable news organization.

[dmz]

did you read the bbc article, or do you not trust the bbc as a news organization? seg's claim that the US hit a wedding party are backed by an article by a reputable news organization.
...go back and look at where the curly quotes are. The entire article is basically one, long, anonymous quote.