Progressive Ponderings: Killing Civilians

By Joe Mayer

"Bombing on Tribes, Obama's First Gift to Pakistan." A banner with this message was shown as part of a protest in Pakistan for the United States action of dropping a drone-carrying missile killing their civilians. This was the first military action under Obama's administration. The picture was shown around the globe. The consequences of this action:

• Demonstrates how deeply entrenched is the belief that American military might can control the world and bring peace.
• Badly fractures Obama's "change you can believe in."
• Is seen as pursuing the Bush administration's actions.
• Reveals what happens by keeping the same Secretary of Defense.
• Discounts the conclusion of our own intelligence agencies that our violence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan creates more terrorists.
• Grants more gifts to our military/industrial/Congressional complex.
• Weakens a U.S. supported Pakistani government by turning its own citizens against both its government and us.
• Advances al Qaeda and Taliban recruiting efforts.
• Capitulates to the neo-cons and their Project for a New American Century.
• Defies Pakistani and Afghan history of failed attempts at foreign colonization and occupation.
• Places Obama into the same presidential category as Lyndon Johnson – great on domestic policy but hounded from office by aggressive, illegal and immoral foreign policy.
• Destroys diplomacy.
• Offends Obama's anti-war base, the first large group to endorse his candidacy.
• Brands an anti-war candidate a war president.
• Weakens the Pakistani government possessing nuclear weapons and opens the door to…

We Americans usually look down through the crosshairs from high in the sky at a target our masters have convinced us is evil. 9/11 was different. WE were the object in the crosshairs. The violence on our soil created an extreme sense of patriotism, nationalism and militarism. Those Americans with a different viewpoint were branded unpatriotic, soft on terror, disloyal.

In a similar way, peoples who find themselves within our U.S. crosshairs also react with extreme patriotism and nationalism, often fundamental religious fervor, hatred of the violator, revenge in mind.

The 9/11 attack was not committed by Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or North Korea. It was not an act of war by any nation. It was a criminal act by individuals. We took our eye off the real target. We allowed our leaders to divide us. Patriotism blinded our values. Without a defined goal we sacrificed our young peoples' lives, our sense of unity, our treasure, our integrity and our reputation.

Until the Obama administration can define our real objectives in the Middle East, can define "win," and can define America's place in the world, our own militarism will continue to define and defeat us.