Quotes:
Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.and
"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation," said Wynne. "(Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press."We here at Chewin' in the Chung would like to remind Mr. Wynne that the U.S. military is going to get vilified in the world press anyway, no matter what they do. Nontheless, we heartily endorse the use of microwave energy weapons on unruly mobs of American people, and to help with this project we're going to do our part and offer some suggested targets:
Anti-abortion protestors
PETA protestors
Monster truck rallies
The Democratic National Convention
The Republican National Convention
The State of Mississippi
The New England Patriots
The University of Texas
Wayne LaPierre (We realize the Mr. Pierre is not, in himself, an unruly mob. But he does have a disruptive French name, and the irony would just be too sweet: "They can take my gun when they pry it from my cold dead..." [ZZZZZZAAP!] "Aaarrrggh! It burns! It burns! Make it stop!"* [drops gun].
17 comments:
Well to be fair, you can practically see me drool at the thought of barbecuing Wayne LaPierre.
"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation,"
Sounds disturbingly like those who are trying to get foreign terror suspects the same rights as US citizens, no?
Michael,
I think you are really malignly him falsely and are more than a little over the top. The general is making a very different point than you seem to want to imply. I'll copy here what I've written elsewhere:
I think that the statement would make more sense with context.
There are some controversies with the question of the applicability of certain treaties on what are permissable weapons of war - and the question of less-than-lethal weapons when employed by occupation troops.
It has been argued that tear gas use by Israeli troops in the occupied territories is a war crime as a violation of certain treaties on chemical weapons for example. A ludicrous example, but a real one nonetheless.
I think that the air force general was refering to these controversies and making a statement that the use of less-than-lethal weapons use by US troops might see greater acceptance internationally if they were also being used by US police departments.
Frankly, my own reaction to what I think the general meant is that I don't give a crap what "international reaction" is, the international community is an ass and NGO's like the Int'l Red Cross and Amnesty International are anti-western frauds.
"anti-western frauds"? I have no idea what to make of that phrase. Is the opposite "pro-eastern"?
Note that Amnesty International recently came out with a report slamming Hezbullah for war crimes, so they are apparently working on becoming ant-eastern, too.
Robin, is this issue similar to the issue with POWs, where if you do it to your own troops, then its okay to do it to POWs? I read a book called the Interrogators where the author said they would stay up and work 18 hour days so they could then also keep a detainee awake 18 hours. (Then at the end of his interrogation offer him about 10 coca colas so he won't be able to sleep, even though he is technically given the time to sleep...)
And is it true that the lawyers working for the CIA made them create a special ergonomic chair for Osama if he was captured pre-9/11 and also worried about duct tape irritating his beard? (IIRC, according to the ex-CIA author Schroen...)
http://www.theneweditor.com/index.php?/archives/638-Making-Osama-Comfortable.html
Yes, I was not making that up about ergonomic chairs for Osama.
Michael Scheuer is not a Bush apologist either.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Scheuer
Now, using the Air Force logic, since we are not creating ergonomic chairs for our US citizenry, should we really be making them for our foreign enemies?
I think that the air force general was refering to these controversies and making a statement that the use of less-than-lethal weapons use by US troops might see greater acceptance internationally if they were also being used by US police departments.
Of course I know what his ostensible reason is. But I also know his real one. Wynne is another one of those Korrupt, Krony types that infest the top ranks of the US government like cockroaches...a former defense industry CEO and Rumsfeld appointee through the Revolving Door, who is about as humanistic as a concrete pillar...
..Wynne's comments should also be read as a warning to dissenters. "Stand against us and we'll fry you." No doubt it is just a coincidence that Wynne advocates use of a technology at home that is restricted from use abroad, just as our civil-liberty hating President is also demanding that the Feds get control of the National Guard. Life is full of funny coincidences.
If non-lethal weapons do not have greater acceptance out there among the civilized, it is precisely because they. aren't. non-lethal. And the Bush Administration is so mendacious and corrupt that even if they were non-lethal, no one could trust their determination of that.
Fortunately we only have two more years of this, the most destructive administration in US history.
Frankly, my own reaction to what I think the general meant is that I don't give a crap what "international reaction" is, the international community is an ass and NGO's like the Int'l Red Cross and Amnesty International are anti-western frauds.
Having worked with both those organizations at home in the US and overseas, I can only say it is hard to imagine a comment as stupid and uninformed as that. There's nothing more western than the affirmation and celebration of human rights and nothing more western than humanistic caring for others. The only anti-western frauds here are the neo-cons at the top of the Bush Administration and their supporters.
Michael
Sounds disturbingly like those who are trying to get foreign terror suspects the same rights as US citizens, no?
You're only as civilized as the rights you grant your opponents, Red A. And when foreign terror suspects ARE US citizens you bet they deserve those rights.
Unless you'd rather be part of a society where the people in power determine on their whim who has rights and who doesn't. Even our opponents are human beings. When we demonize them, we demonize ourselves.
Michael
Turton must need Saran Wrap to keep the spittle off his monitor and keyboard whenever he writes his rants. Paranoid and logic-free.
What's it like to go through life so pissed off about practically everything? LOOKOUT BEHIND YA! I think I see Bush sneaking up on your "civil liberties"! (a bullshit term, right up there with "politically correct") Worked for Amnesty Int'l, eh? It figures.
Why not just come out of the closet, burn that loathsome US passport, and take up arms against the imperialist world-oppressors so that "freedom fighters" will be able to bring down any governments they don't like and not be hassled about it?
Don't you want to be a "freedom fighter" - i.e., one who fights against freedom?
Civil liberties is a "bullshit term?" I think you better calm down, Malv.
Michael
"Paranoid and logic-free."
Right. This coming from the guy who lives and dies by every word that comes from Rush Limbaugh's mouth.
And Michael, let's try not to call each other's comments 'stupid'.
'not in accordance with the facts' will do nicely.
My apologies.
Michael
You're only as civilized as the rights you grant your opponents, Red A. And when foreign terror suspects ARE US citizens you bet they deserve those rights.
--Michael, please explain how a foreign terror suspect could be a US citizen.
By definition if you are not a citizen, you are a foreigner.
I am also curious on how you can explain that with GOP in charge of all branches of government why you aren't currently in some Gulag? I mean, if the right is 110% evil as you describe, why haven't you been shot yet?
Didn't you also predict that Bush wouldn't allow the 2004 elections to happen? No wait, 2006. No, wait, 2008. No wait, Diebold stole them all.
Democracy only works when both sides accept the fact that they could be in LOYAL opposition for a while.
If you can't deal with that, admit it.
--Michael, please explain how a foreign terror suspect could be a US citizen.
Padilla: US citizen. Enemy combatant. it's a small step from abusing foreigners to making all your opponents into foreigners.
I am also curious on how you can explain that with GOP in charge of all branches of government why you aren't currently in some Gulag? I mean, if the right is 110% evil as you describe, why haven't you been shot yet?
What kind of nonsense is this?
Democracy only works when both sides accept the fact that they could be in LOYAL opposition for a while.
Who said the Rethugs weren't loyal? I've maintained only that they are corrupt, incompetent facists. Like Mussolini or Franco, whom nobody ever accused of disloyalty. Loyalty is not the issue. The connection to reality is.
Didn't you also predict that Bush wouldn't allow the 2004 elections to happen? No wait, 2006. No, wait, 2008.
No...
No wait, Diebold stole them all.
...yes. I have said that until Diebold is cleaned up, the problems will remain. As we have repeatedly seen, most recently with the Princeton study released last week. Diebold machines are dangerously incompetent.
Michael
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
This kind
"Padilla: US citizen. Enemy combatant. it's a small step from abusing foreigners to making all your opponents into foreigners."
6 years and we have one name. (I think you also should mention the Saudi guy who later proved he was born in Louisiana.)
Also, I recall hearing you claim that Bush would not be allowing any more elections. You must have been joking or I heard wrong.
Diebold: which party pushed the hardest for electronic voting and what was their reasoning? (Hint: it involved them losing an election where they claimed their elderly supporters couldn't use a paper ballot properly) I would agree that we should stick with paper ballots (those can be tabulated with machines though) and also use inked fingers and check ID's too. You may not believe me, but election shenanigans also happens on the left.
Red A, I don't think you should hold people to positions that are derived from banter at an Axis & Allies game. Having said that, I don't recall Michael ever saying anything like Bush would not be allowing any election. I do believe the phrase "stealing elections" may have come up a time or two.
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