Voting With Bullets and Ballots

No Title, Otto Schade (2005)

Well, here we are; well, here we are!
Just watch us rolling up a score.
We'll leave those fellows behind so far,
They won't want to play us any more!

--Boola Boola, Yale Fight Song

He that troubleth his own house
shall inherit the wind

--Proverbs 11:29

_________

It is Afghan President Karzai's opinion that the civilians, and not the Taliban, are bearing the brunt of the attacks. Again, as in the past, he calls for more restraint, warning that "the fight against resurgent Taliban militants could fail" otherwise. But they're just, you know, peasants, and they probably procreate like bunnies.

"In the past 10 days, more than 90 civilians have been killed by airstrikes and artillery fire targeting Taliban insurgents, Karzai said. The mounting toll is sapping the authority of the Western-backed Afghan president, who has pleaded repeatedly with US and NATO commanders to consult Afghan authorities during operations and show more restraint."

"Several times in the last year, the Afghan government tried to prevent civilian casualties, but our innocent people are becoming victims of careless operations of NATO and international forces," Karzai said." (Karzai criticizes US, NATO; Says forces killing Afghan civilians in careless operations)

But it appears that we're winning, since the score is NATO/U.S. killed: 211; Taliban: 172. Go team. So you see, basically 211 hearts and minds have been eternally converted and cannot become Taliban recruits. Let's not count their family and friends, since the court's still out on that one.

Voting with bullets in Afghanistan and Iraq is as valid as voting with ballots.

An article sidebar noted that seven al Qaida fighters and 10 suspects were killed. So suspects are tainted by their proximity to bad guys. Mother always told us you would be judged by the company you keep. And certainly, America is a safer place for it.

In Gitmo and all the secret prisons, the detainees are still suspects, but on the street, justice is dispensed much more swiftly with a 5.56 mm round.

In effect, you can be shot down in the street or languish in prison. Pick your poison. It is not good to be a suspect in today's brave new world.

One would expect more of America's concept of legality.

When will this madness and illegality stop? Clearly Americans accept this lawlessness, since there is no end in sight. We must revert to the rule of law if we are to remain a viable democracy in more than name alone.

At this point, we are not displaying moral rectitude--we are just the bigger bully. Boola, boola.