By Michael J. Smith on Monday March 28, 2011 03:24 PM
Latest from Mike Flugennock, who writes:
For those of you who were able to tear yourselves away from the tragedy in Japan and the US media’s gushing over Obama’s “humanitarian intervention” in Libya, there was some horrifying news from Afghanistan which underscores Obama’s hypocrisy in the area of human rights and violence: the publication in German publication Der Spiegel of a batch of photographs taken by US soldiers with their “trophies” — the corpses of Afghan civilians murdered by “kill teams” who created artificial “combat situations” in order to hunt human beings for sport.
Comments (11)
Rolling Stone posted the unedited photos this morning, along with some really creepy videos:
http://www.rollingstone.com/kill-team
Posted by FB | March 28, 2011 3:51 PM
Posted on March 28, 2011 15:51
"hunt human beings for sport"
well to most socialized human beings there are other human beings
fit precisely for hunting
tell me that don't come natural
its tribal baby tribal
i'm never horrified by what hu-mens
will do in the way of mayhem and ghoulish celebration of same
takes a state to funnel that impluse
into effective modern civilizing policy
Posted by op | March 28, 2011 4:46 PM
Posted on March 28, 2011 16:46
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/mar2011/pers-m28.shtml
Posted by Boink one note | March 28, 2011 5:53 PM
Posted on March 28, 2011 17:53
When did Rolling Stone grow a spine?
Nice work, Mike!
Posted by CF Oxtrot | March 28, 2011 6:19 PM
Posted on March 28, 2011 18:19
I think it's worth stressing that these things--obviously horrible--can be treated--perhaps in fact are--isolated events. Scandals. Like prisoner "abuse". The legitimacy of the war left intact.
In fact, what is an military invasion of a country but killing for sport? The immediate and long term suffering inflicted for basically no reason expect the jollies of a handful in power by invasion and occupation puts the killing for sport scandal in due perspective, or should.
Perhaps it is telling minor, apparently isolated, atrocities such as these invoke vociferous indignation while the war itself--the motives behind it as well as the violence--is largely treated largely with quiet indifference...
Posted by Peter Ward | March 28, 2011 7:48 PM
Posted on March 28, 2011 19:48
"In fact, what is an military invasion of a country but killing for sport?"
Well, there's also profit, power, assertion of ethnic, religious and national superiority and a plethora of other motives sewn in with those.
Until we, as humans, and I mean all of us, evolve cultures that debase war, not exalt it, then the butchery will continue. I tend to think it will actually accelerate over the next few decades as resource and food shortages keep the pressure on. No matter your moral view of war it has in fact proven quite effective over the centuries at resolving conflicts to the satisfaction of those who rule. That's why they keep returning to it. The cannon fodder not so much. But we don't count. And as the elites have shown over and over again, given a choice between loss of riches and power or expending a few thousands or millions of souls in war, the choice is easy for them.
The only thing a man can do is try to keep himself and his loved ones out of the way. In some places, like Afghanistan for instance, that's a pretty tall order.
Posted by Drunk Pundit | March 28, 2011 8:07 PM
Posted on March 28, 2011 20:07
ultimately power and profit
the material girl twins are behind any
hu- mens hunt
here's the skinny:
stationary bandits form states
around them
but they then they still play roving bandit too
what motivates the bandit's crew ??
yes boodle
but letting it all hang out
comes thru bigger
the license to kill
that's the king of kicks
it's the best of the best
in the dedicated hu- hunters motivation bundle
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5cb_1178900597&o=1
Posted by op | March 29, 2011 7:52 AM
Posted on March 29, 2011 07:52
From ted rall at common dreams today:
"Give George W. Bush this: he respected us enough to lie us into war. Obama wants us sign a blank check, no questions asked."
Posted by Boink | March 30, 2011 6:51 PM
Posted on March 30, 2011 18:51
CIA tomfoolery in the opening of a front against Qadaffi has got some legs:
http://www.distantocean.com/2011/03/everything-old.html
Posted by Jack Crow | March 31, 2011 12:17 AM
Posted on March 31, 2011 00:17
Shit. There goes my lunch. And I just BOUGHT this damn keyboard two days ago...
Posted by ms_xeno | March 31, 2011 3:36 PM
Posted on March 31, 2011 15:36
Why on earth do you think the atrocities in Afghanistan are perpetrated by Obama? A very strange jump in logic. He authorized them? Approved them? War will bring out the brute in us, especially if we're already brutes.
Posted by Greg Zeck | April 1, 2011 8:36 AM
Posted on April 1, 2011 08:36