I’d substitute “people who are near the bad guys” for “indiscriminately”, but yeah.
Christ, I hate agreeing with you. 
Which is why they’re threatening to block polio vaccinations unless the drone strikes are stopped.
That’s just the thing. I don’t think any of them has the education, historical or economic, or general awareness of world affairs, to realize we outgun and out-money them a million to one. We’ll just wait them out. Eventually, our weaponry will get so advanced that we can surgically kill/capture every commander they have, faster than they can make new commanders. It might take 20 years, but their days are numbered. Unfortunately, they have no idea this is true, and will keep doing the exact things that will make their death/capture so very, very necessary.
I think they know that the drones are our best weapon against them, that we won’t stop them, and it helps turn people against us.
Yeah! Now they’ve got us over a ba… wait, what?
I’m seeing a tiny bit of a contradiction there.
How so? They are defying the Great Satan, doing a good thing for people :rolleyes: and we will never give in.
It makes sense to me, in a somewhat convoluted way. It makes sense to an American to use drones - there’s no risk of two servicemembers trapped behind enemy lines if something goes wrong and they can generally achieve the same results as a manned plane. However, they’re not quite precision instruments, yet, so they do create civillian casualties. The Pakistani in Waziristan are dealing with the situation admirably, true, but for those already leaning in a militant direction it’s an absolutely fantastic talking point.
And drones are completely unsympathetic. They’re easy targets for creating villains. Like, Nazi-SS-level we-don’t-have-to-feel-bad-about-killing-them villains. So yeah, I can agree with carnivorousplant’s assertion that they’re the best weapon from an US perspective, won’t provide a serious deterrent to militia activity in the long run and provide the militant enemies with a great recruiting drive opportunity.
From what I understand that just helps them look more “heroic”, between the locally common conspiracy theory that vaccination programs are really a cover for the West sterilizing the locals and the proven allegation that some* of the doctors are frauds and Western agents. It’s easy for them to spin trying to stop vaccinations as good; given the kind of people they are, many may well actually believe that doing so is good, and the rest won’t care.
*The one who helped us get Osama bin Laden, specifically
And I’ll give long odds we never will. These ignorant-assed fundie scum view women as essentially animals they can fuck - except that unlike all the other beauties of the barnyard, they can actually have kids with women. It’s probably a difficult concept for them, so they likely have a mantra, like “four legs, fun - two legs, son!”
If the godless heathens disapprove, you must be doing something right.
- Taliban stupid and just don’t care, hey!
Daylight come and me wan go home.*
They are indeed crazy and nasty-ass.
I’m not sure why you’re so enthusiastic about technology which’d let the US military accurately kill whichever targets it wants. No doubt, few tears will be shed for taliban commanders, but the US has a more chequered history than that. Not to mention, such technology would probably end up in the hands of people with similar qualms about legislating sexual morality, the Saudis.
The idea that drones are the best weapon for the U.S. but also turn people against the war. I think the truth is probably more nuanced than that.
Yeah, you’re right. When the Taliban say they’ll stop polio vaccinations unless the U.S. calls of the drone strikes (which you just said don’t work and are great for the Taliban), everyone believes them. Even the people with polio and the parents of children at risk for polio.
You see, if we were evil, we’d tell them that as long as they stop polio vaccines, our drones will disperse the polio virus in the area.
Cool.
The Taliban deliberately went out of their way to kill more than 3,000 innocent civilians and provoke a war with the strongest military superpower on Earth (and a former ally). I don’t think being universally hated is something they’re afraid of.
Al Qaeda did that. Not the Taliban. They’re different groups.
I know it’s the Pit, but be easy on him. 