Killing real people from your Barcalounger

MQ9 Reaper

i've mentioned in previous posts that for the past two consecutive summers, i've parked my rv in a park right next to military folks who were either flying or commanding drone missions in afghanistan and pakistan... both were very, shall we say, strident in their support of the u.s. military mission in general and of the need to "eradicate" terrorists in particular, so in my conversations with them i had to be somewhat circumspect about revealing my true political leanings... i was mostly interested in being a good neighbor and also learning a little bit about what they did... they confirmed what i already knew, that they were basically fighter pilots operating out of the same schema and under the same command and control structure as fighter pilots... the big difference, of course, was that they could come home every day to their wives and families, order pizza, watch tv and shop at walmart, rather than do duty in a combat zone or at an air base or aircraft carrier far from home...

this morning, as i sit in my office here in kabul, afghanistan, and look out the window at a sunny, springtime scene, fresh after a day of steady drizzling rain (somewhat of a rarity in this arid climate), i can't help but sweep the skies for a glimpse of a predator drone and reflect on this la times story...

Combat by camera

Anatomy of an Afghan war tragedy

rather than extract from the article, i suggest you go read it... it will break your heart...

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