Arrogant Americans

[websman]

It was a joke. I'm not trying to get kicks, I just provided a counter-point. I realised it could be intrepreted the wrong way, so I replied addressing that. You skipped or chose to ignore it, and responded to the original post by taking the most extreme interpretation you could. You didn't even ask me to clarify, which I had already done.

Your jokes suck....

 

[Mr J]

Your jokes suck....

Hard not to when that is the point of an intentionally bad joke. Some will get it, the rest will be offended.

 

[websman]

Hard not to when that is the point of an intentionally bad joke. Some will get it, the rest will be offended.

Yup.............. That's what freedom of speech is all about.

 

[queenslander55]

Now how is this for going out on a limb.......

My fine pointy eared friend, I think that the tigers in this thread perhaps quite rightly percieve that the W.E.C. we are currently enjoying was concieved, planned, instigated and conducted by your countrymen/women.

Now as a relative minnow compared to your good selves, I would perhaps recommend that you give the medicine a little time to work before you check out of the hospital.:

 

[websman]

Now how is this for going out on a limb.......

My fine pointy eared friend, I think that the tigers in this thread perhaps quite rightly percieve that the W.E.C. we are currently enjoying was concieved, planned, instigated and conducted by your countrymen/women.

Now as a relative minnow compared to your good selves, I would perhaps recommend that you give the medicine a little time to work before you check out of the hospital.:

Fascinating, to say the least....

 

[websman]

Ok guys...You got me. I admit it...I am American....Therefore, I, and my country, are evil. I must hang my head in shame and apologize to the world for killing all the innocent men, women, and children. I am also ashamed that we are hell bent on taking over the world.

That being said...I will let you in on a little secret..... Expect to see American troops invading Sydney harbor, tomorrow morning, at 0600 hours. Our plan is to take Sydney, by force, before continuing on to the Outback. Once we reach the Outback, we will be assisted by our allies, the Aboriginal Republican Army. That's right...You heard it here first...The Aboriginal Republican Army. Once we take Australia over, our plan is to establish the "Aboriginal Union of Australia". Get ready for it folks....The Aborigines are taking your country back by force...with the assistance of the U.S. Government!

 

[moXJO]

O

That being said...I will let you in on a little secret..... Expect to see American troops invading Sydney harbor, tomorrow morning, at 0600 hours. Our plan is to take Sydney, by force, before continuing on to the Outback. Once we reach the Outback, we will be assisted by our allies, the Aboriginal Republican Army. That's right...You heard it here first...The Aboriginal Republican Army. Once we take Australia over, our plan is to establish the "Aboriginal Union of Australia". Get ready for it folks....The Aborigines are taking your country back by force...with the assistance of the U.S. Government!

You Yanks are just jealous we stole your 'Fattest nation on earth' crown. So pipe down lightweight:

 

[websman]

You Yanks are just jealous we stole your 'Fattest nation on earth' crown. So pipe down lightweight:

What??? Bring on the donuts!!! We'll get that crown back!!!

 

[Krusty the Klown]

What??? Bring on the donuts!!! We'll get that crown back!!!

Donuts!!! That IS for lightweights!!

Go straight for the deep fried Mars bars.

Now available at Krustyburger!

 

[happytown]

The moral ground is found in the intent of the action. The US does not (currently) deliberately target innocent civilians. They are playing by the rules of war and the Geneva Conventions predominantly. Al Qaeda does not, even though they haven't signed up for any such laws, but by international standards puts them in the sin bin. The US and Coalition probably have killed a lot of civilians (maybe more) as part of military operations, but it's not the intent. Do you happen to have the figures on exactly how many civilians have been killed by each team in this conflict?

al queda knowingly kills civilians
international law excuses the killing of civilians
united states knowingly kills civilians

these are all facts

interestingly in afghanistan both the us military and the taliban have recently released new rules for how they are to deal with civilians in that conflict

cheers

another quality post brought to you by happytown inc

 

[Timmy]

international law excuses the killing of civilians

Under what circumstances? Can you elaborate?

 

[happytown]

Under what circumstances? Can you elaborate?

Timmy, it's called military necessity, unfortunately, its part of the calculus in determining targetting acceptability (roughly speaking)

one of the end results of which is euphemistically termed collateral damage

and one of the reasons for the statement

the united states knowingly kills civilians

it is here that imo intent and wilful disregard, as kissing cousins, share the same dna

cheers

another quality post brought to you by happytown inc

 

[Sean K]

international law excuses the killing of civilians

There are rules that belligerents must abide by.

 

[Timmy]

Thanks HTown.

When Al Qaeda knowingly kill civilians, is this treated differently under international law than when the US knowingly kills civilians (in a military context I mean)?

 

[Sean K]

the united states knowingly kills civilians

Recent example?

Other than part of a larger operation.

 

[happytown]

There are rules that belligerents must abide by.

absolutely there are kennas

imo you would be hard pressed to find one side to a conflict anywhere in the world, that since the inception of those rules, has followed them to the letter

its all a matter of interpretation

there have been examples where the australians have refused to take part in bombing missions in the current conflicts because their reading of those rules led them to a conclusion as to likely civilian deaths that differed from the conclusions of us target planners

and of course, when you have those that don't even recognise the basic principles of those rules in conflict ...

cheers

Timmy and Kennas I'll answer those other questions shortly

another quality post brought to you by happytown inc

 

[Who Dares Wins]

Recent example?

Other than part of a larger operation.

US Drone Strike Kills Eight Civilians in South Waziristan
Women, Children Killed in Series of Explosions Set Off by Air Strike
by Jason Ditz, April 19, 2009
Email This | Print This | Share This | Comment | Antiwar Forum
Last Updated 4/19/09 7:15 PM EST

This morning, a US drone attacked an apparent militant hideout in Pakistan’s South Waziristan Agency, triggering a massive series of explosions which local residents eight civilians, including women and children, and injuring at least two others.

Reports on the attack are still not totally clear, with local police insisting first that no one was killed at all in the attack, which evidently started a fire which spread to two explosive-laden vehicles. Militants cordoned off the area, but it does not appear that any of them were present at the time of the attack.

The attack came just one day after the local Ahmedzai Wazir tribe managed to negotiate a ceasefire across the troubled agency. The Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government forces in the agency agreed to stop attacks, and certain demands of the TTP, including the removal of checkpoints, were reportedly being considered. It is unclear what impact the US attack will have on this deal.

http://news.antiwar.com/2009/04/19/us-drone-strike-kills-up-to-eight-in-south-waziristan/

 

[Sean K]

Part of a military operation by the look.

NOT a deliberate attack against civilians.

 

[trainspotter]

Go and by the album "Caught in the act" by Redgum and turn it up real loud.

Oh You look out your window at the cold grey dawn
It's seven o'clock on a Monday morning
Pour a cup of coffee, better make it a strong one
Weather man on the radio says
It's going to rain and it's going to blow
It'll be all right, it'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run

Australia marched out of Vietnam
Out on the streets against Uncle Sam,
We won the fight, it was a long one
Uranium demo the other day
One of my mates got dragged away
As they slammed the door I heard her say
It'll be all right in the long run

Italian bloke who works with me
And we swap laughs and company
And he slapped me on the back
Said "Your wrong, son
This isn't the land I was told it would be
It's not so equal and not so free"
It'll be all right, it'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run
It'll be all right, it'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run
It'll be all right, it'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run
It'll be all right, it'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run
It'll be all right, it'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run
It'll be all right, it'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run
http://www.free-lyrics.org

From the shadow of history a convict screams
The shearers curse, the people dream
We've taken some right turns
They've been the wrong ones
Troop ships leave and the headlines blaze
Australia remembers happier days
Faith lives on within the haze
It'll be all right in the long run

So you sit in your camp and you stare at the fire
The doubts drop away as the hopes get higher
And you sing to yourself
It'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run

And the sun gives ground to a long cold night
Screw your courage for another night
But you know in your heart
It'll be all right
It'll be all right in the long run

And the sun streams in with power and might
And you look at your kids in a different light
And you know in your heart as you kiss them goodnight
It'll be all right in the long run

 

[Mr J]

Part of a military operation by the look.

NOT a deliberate attack against civilians.

I don't think anyone here is suggesting the US targets civilians, just that it certainly doesn't seem to worry too much about collateral damage. After all, collateral damage is a part of war, and they're willing to fight one.