Moral Authority and the Poor Man's Drone

[BEtter]

15 year old julie is being fitted out by her family, tribe and and Nation to be honored.

Her leader has assured her that this is the moment that she has been created for.

She will be singing for the President.

There will be thousands of people present in the close theater.

As the president greets her and the powerful explosives woven into her costume billow forth to kill and maim hundreds, she sighs in pleasure, for she knows her cause is just and the antichrist who murders and oppresses her people has been destroyed

Something any 12 year old learns with his first BB gun is the difference between the “power” to do an act and the “moral authority” . It is a tough lesson to learn; that you easily have the power to kill a robin sitting on her nest of young, but then discover to your horror, that you never had the moral authority.

Awareness of “Moral Authority” is what a man uses to stop himself from an action that he knows is wrong, when no one else can or will.

Call it conscience.

Some people are never afforded the chance to develop one. Some people believe that the “answer” to the nagging of conscience is “WILL”. - Logic of MInd, or Law. Some people never notice a moral dimension at all - “Robins”, like everything else, are just things to be used for personal aggrandizement. Some people actually manage to convince themselves that “The Robin” had it coming.

I never could.

It is a test as old as Humankind- those who do not respect moral authority, cannot be trusted with authority of any kind. Much less unchecked Power.

Character counts.

The president apparently takes great pains in choosing who will be executed by drone, not for imminent acts of violence, but for “Thinking violent thoughts” and “Planning violence”

The presidency was never envisioned to exercise such power.

The problem is not “selected killing” . Selected "elimination"  has always been the policy of a dishonorable statecraft.It has always been the policy to mention “who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” or “What is Truth?” while washing hands and turning tactfully away. Deniability and “surprise at being misunderstood” by ones underlings.

What is new is a president who so misunderstands the warrior mind that he Trumpets “I”

“I Killed Osama”

And when caught with dead robins in the garden

Claims the Proud Personal authority to decide that they had it coming

Because there was a crow among them

Suicide Bombers? Homicide Bombers? Assassination of Leaders?

You must pardon me if I simply point them out

As the Poor Mans Drone Program

 

Lincoln was not assassinated for freeing the slaves

He was executed for Treason

Ask MR. Booth.

[BEtter]

Well trig, You certainly show your own colors to any who encounter you- You were'nt in a Kroger's parking lot Friday were you?  How's your balls?

[BEtter]

So that was you jumped me Friday- Glad to hear your balls are swollen- shouldn't jump people just because they LOOK like you can take them

Try some ice

[tr ig]

I jumped you then... I see. Like physically? Or at your blog at OS? The latter maybe, if you could call it a jumping. 

So I'll bite. How was Lincoln complicit in treason?

[BEtter]

Trig, read my previous post for the reference- or forget it, I'm not going to take the time to fool around with you

Booth's written statement said that he was executing Lincoln for , among other things, Treason. His is the only motive that really matters in the end.

[tr ig]

No thanks... on reading the previous post. You don't write well. If you wanted to be effective in your writing here you would have at least provided a link "to your previous post" in lieu of explaining just how you and "Mr. Booth" (who you respect obviously) came to the conclusion that Lincoln was guilty of treason, and not assassinated, but executed. Sooo.. poorly done. 

I don't disagree (FWIW) with you and others that are against the use of drones. My problem with you is that you seem to think Obama is uniquely guilty of shitty conduct as president. 

[JMac1949 Memories]

Very difficult to argue with this presentation except that treason is a kaleidoscopic prism that changes color depending on which end of the tube you view... suicide bombers whether Japanese Kamakasi or Palestinian women do what they do and the world just keeps on turning no matter who dies.  Morality has little to do with it.

[BEtter]

Trig

I might have done either, if I gave even a small damn about your opinion. You really don't pay enough attention to understand a point, so why bother. My problem with Obama is that he's the one DOING IT NOW and he is uniquely arrogant even compared to bush in his "I'll get away with whatever I can" attitude about ANY oversight. He's going to transform the country. No president ( or any other single office/person has that authority.

Google Booth's statement. Read it

jmac

Morality is what prevents someone from deciding that it's acceptable to disregard innocent lives for expediency.

[BEtter]

Trig

PS  just heard McCain- witth whom I agree- Drones are wonderful. They are not something you let the CIA or the president use to target vitims as they see fit from a set oif flash cards - with oversight, they are properly part of the dept of defense ( In which, the pres may make suggestions, but in which, the military commanders CAN an DO say, Sir, thjaat is an illegal order.

[tr ig]

"This country was formed for the white, not for the black man. And looking upon African Slavery from the same stand-point held by the noble framers of our constitution. I for one, have ever considered if one of the greatest blessings (both for themselves and us,) that God has ever bestowed upon a favored nation. Witness heretofore our wealth and power; witness their elevation and enlightenment above their race elsewhere."

From John Wilkes Booth's letter you referred to... still reading.

[BEtter]

Trig

Yawn..... so what?

That's why he felt he was avenging treason.

He killed Lincoln because he had, in Booth's mind ( the only place that counts) committed treason. Booth ( in booth's mind) was a patriot.

Don't play Emily, trig, you bore me.