Sen. Angus King (I., Maine) explained Friday during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that although unmanned drones are kind of “creepy,” they’re still a more humane way of waging war.
“To be honest, I believe drones are a lot more civilized than what we’ve used to do, you know, when Sherman shelled Atlanta or when the Allies firebombed Dresden in World War II; it was all collateral damage, it was virtually all civilians,” said the senator.
“And that was the way of war until recently. The drones, although there is some collateral damage, basically is a very smart artillery shell, and we’ve been shooting artillery shells over miles and miles for many years and hoping they hit the right target.
“I think there’s just something creepy about drones that they can be controlled and people are uneasy about it, but if you put in the context of a thousand years of war, I think it’s actually a more humane weapon because it can be targeted to a specific enemy,” he adds.
The senator concluding by noting that he is uncomfortable with the idea of blindly accepting decisions made by executive branch.
“The bottom line is,” he said, “I don’t think we should also fully say whatever the executive decides is ‘okay.’ I think that’s a problem.”
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(H/T: Washington Examiner). Featured image courtesy Getty Images.




















































































































Comments (148)
Ellie
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:31pmThe Senator is correct in that Drones used in War are more effective at getting the target of interest with far less collateral damage vs. carpet bombing or blindly shelling from just over the hill. The issue is when they are used outside a declaration of War against the specific target and/or used against a U.S. Citizen without due process.
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00100111
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:40pmOh yeah, drones are so much more civilized, Senator. Turn war into a video game and you can kill anyone dear leader, President “Off with their heads!”, orders you to kill. Gotta kill an American, too? Due Process? Pssssssh, we don’t need no stinkin due process. The king can do what he wants.
“OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!”
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armyofnibiru
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:42pmthats called silent terrorism
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13th Imam
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:22pmYou probably think that “Carpet Bombing ” is Paco deep cleaning your carpets.
Really Carpet Bombing”????
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NoFameLost
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:49pmWe use precision airstrikes, not carpet bombing. And for both mortars and artillery fire we always have an observer, we do not fire blindly. Our rules of engagement mandage positive identification of the enemy to fire. Stop letting the other side dictate the language of the argument.
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Dismayed Veteran
Feb. 8, 2013 at 3:36pmIn Gulf I, B-52′s carpet bombed the Iraqis. All the great video we saw of precision bombs were against identified specific targets. The rest the BUFF’s did with old style iron bombs.
I know we have all the undeclared wars beginning with Korea up to and including Afghanistan. I understand the due process issues with killing Americans by drone and without due process. How many Americans have been killed abroad by drone strike? I only know of 2. If you know of more, please tell me. Either we use the non-nuclear tools of war or we don’t. Since my son is now in Afghanistan should I tell him to desert because Congress didn’t declare war?
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NoFameLost
Feb. 8, 2013 at 4:16pmBaghdad was not carpet bombing in any way that could be compared to what you experienced in Nam. I respect what you went through and I appreciate how difficult that must be for you. As for US casualties by friendly UAS airstrikes, while an important topic, it is dillatory to this conversation as it was not part of the Congressman’s argument or definition of “humane.” Now, why you chose to bring up whether or not we are in a Congressionally declared war is beyond me. I am not saying not to use our tools of war. If you read my other post, you would see that I developed one of the SOPs for UAS use in Afghanistan. My point in this particular post was simple, colloquialisms should not be defined by the talking heads. Even are dumb bombs are smarter than you had and a heck of alot better than what was used in Wesel. So, to use blatantly inflamitory terms that bring to mind such extreme collatoral damage is a wreckless use of language. We need to be honest with our words.
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Dismayed Veteran
Feb. 8, 2013 at 5:14pmNoFlame
I mean this sincerely. My experience is 43 years old. I respect your current experience, knowledge and skill. My son is in Afghanistan now and I hope he benefits from your work. Thank you for your service.
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ProgressivesLoveAmerica
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:30pmNot that I like Obama’s secretly hawkish policies or his civil liberties violations, but I will say that a lote of committed and self-identified Republicans, conservatives, and right-leaning “independents” seemed to have no problem with these policies when the Bush Administration was doing this type of thing.
In fairness to Obama, this seems like precisely the type of policy that the previous Administration would pursue with ardent Republican partisans defending it.
In fact, the only folks I saw on the right-end of the political spectrum having a problem with things like drone strikes were the free-market-oriented libertarians– and a lot of them reject being labeled as being on the right end of the political spectrum.
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00100111
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:44pmI slammed Bush when he did similarly “hawkish” things as well. There is no “fairness to Obama”, he is continuing Bush’s doctrine, yet progressives are just fine with it since there’s a D next to his name. Imagine their furor if Bush had done this, or if Romney had won and he did this (which he very well may have since he isn’t much different than Obama). Killing Americans without due process is just fine with the left as long as there is a D next to the president’s name.
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armyofnibiru
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:49pmbushy used drones spareingly cause outside of spacific targets the legality is in question outside of the battlefield.oblameo useing these things on citizens outside the battlefield,soon to a city near you .the regimes war on america and the constituion continues,with your blessing aye regressive progressive.
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13th Imam
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:50pmIn fairness to Barry, give him a Drone Strike in Afg or Pak, he will take many, many Drone Strike’s in the Good Ole USA. Get the analogy?
It is so
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AvengerK
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:51pmProgressives love America so much that they protested and strongarmed us to enact “affordable housing” which led to the mortgage meltdown. Wow..such love.
So I take it you’ll not be decrying Obama as a war criminal in the same ghoulish and gleefull manner you did George W Bush then? Gosh..how unexpected.
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ProgressivesLoveAmerica
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:02pm00100111, actually this policy has never been fine with me. A lot of liberal-progressives, myself included, have been absolutely outraged by the policies of the Obama administration. It just never gets reported in the mainstream media. Most of us support Obama & the Democrats because we view them as the lesser of two evils. We know that the other side of the aisle would be even more hawkish & would pursue even MORE egregious violations of Americans’ civil liberties.
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BlackCrow
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:30pmSure. Real hard to capture and rape a female fighter pilot after you shoot down a drone. The pilot is a few miles north of Las Vegas and safe from everything but sand fleas and rattlesnakes.
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spfoam1
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:29pmSo, when you kill a terrorist with a drone, and set all his relatives on a path of revenge, that will make the war more humane? I think not. Picking off leaders only works well when it is a part of a larger military campaign. We have forgotten how to win, or we are intentionally losing. Hammer them all until they all die, or the survivors all surrender.
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NoFameLost
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:29pmDrones, just like any other weapon of war, are only as humane as the person controlling them. Period. Trust me, I wrote the UAS (the military doesn’t use the term UAV since they are not technically a vehical, but rather a system) SOP that my brigade used while in Afghanistan. And when your SPO orders the wrong munitions for your UAS, such as armor piercing instead of anti-personnel, that changes the scenario. Let me tell you, there is absolutely nothing *humane* about firing an armor piercing hellfire into a group of 10 insurgents. You will be lucky if it kills one or two, more likely it will rip off a few limbs and cause cronic injuries. Then you have to go send in a MEDEVAC and risk their lives to save the guys you were just trying to kill. Sounds good during an interview, not very realistic.
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RJJinGadsden
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:29pmCALLMEMSGT, I suggest that you take the “Report this comment” in red on your post. In the box that opens you should suggest that The Blaze takes a look at that link for some consideration to explore and report it as a story here too.
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Zipit
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:58pmRJJ, Callmemsgt! Should have used the “have a tip, give us a scoop” box at the bottom of the home pg. By using the ” report post” box, your original post was removed! Perhaps MSGT you could reply here and repeat your original post about the nationwide effort to do away with our county sheriff’s! Here’s another link to the story!
http://www.dailypaul.com/231560/the-last-great-battle-could-be-in-delaware-and-its-happening-now
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RJJinGadsden
Feb. 8, 2013 at 3:15pmZIPIT, Yep, that is what I should have suggested. My first suggestion opened a different can of worms.
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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:27pmI’d bet this same guy wants to ban those scary “assault” weapons, but is okay with drones killing people.
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SimpleTruths
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:51pmYeah, the last thing you want to do in a war is kill people.
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AvengerK
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:10pmWhat “more humane” wars can you cite for me SIMPLETON? The Crimean War? The Saxons and the Normans? The War of the Roses? The Zulu Wars? The 100 years war? The Yom Kippur War? The Napoleonic Wars? The Russo/Japanese war? The Boshin war of the Tokugawa Shogunate? The Hatfields and the McCoys perhaps? Please…enlighten me by showing me where one war is “more humane” than any other. You lefty idots really do sicken me.
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armyofnibiru
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:15pmsimpleton,theres a difference between killing someone in your house who wants to cause you harm.from a govt with a silent drone blowing your house up because you voted for the other guy.
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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:50pmSIMPLE-MINDED
Can you tell me in which war, in the last 50 years, could we completely identify the enemy? This senator is talking out of his @$$. You cannot pick out the enemy and pick him off without killing civilians, too. Your dad/god has killed many innocent civilians (and a US citizen) using his drones in places where we were not AT war.
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Gonzo
Feb. 8, 2013 at 3:03pmSimpleton, Obama came into office with a ton of actionable intelligence from detainees. The next guy will have none of that… thanks to your hero of the drone wars.
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SocialistSlayer
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:24pmCareful Senator ! It could very well become a Humane way of waging Political War as well !
Our Politicians are not very bright – are you Senator ??
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Dismayed Veteran
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:22pmAnyone who thinks drones are inhumane needs to see B-52′s carpet bomb an area.
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SocialistSlayer
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:33pmNot everyday you find a Commie Veteran !
Communist obama thinks its ok to target Us Citizens with Drones. He and his Cronies are Judge, Jurors and executioners of US Citizens without just cause – And you think that is Humane and Just ? That’s not the America I fought for. But hey, I guess you will not agree unless he comes after your rear end !
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Dismayed Veteran
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:14pmI am not a commie. The point I was trying to make was that in other wars we have fought there was not the precision that a drone has. A B-52 carpet bombing is totally indiscriminate. Now I really didn’t care exactly how many people got killed in a carpet bombing. It is sad civilians get killed in war but ultimately, so what.
I happen to be 3rd generation Army. My son is the fourth. My family has fought in every war beginning with the Spanish American War.
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Dismayed Veteran
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:22pmI just wrote a reasonable reply to your comments. Now I will rant.
I don’t think drones should be used to kill US citizens abroad or at home. We have a Constitution that provides for due process.
As a former Military Intelligence officer, I value capturing high value targets to obtain intelligence and I am not opposed to EIT. But to use a drone is okay with me. It is like the death penalty for criminals. It won’t stop crime. It will just stop that criminal. Same thing for terrorists. A dead one will never bother us again.
Finally, you seemed fixated on Obama’s sexual life style. Enjoy it. I could never understand what you guys saw in other men. Well whatever floats your boat.
BTW you are FOS.
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armyofnibiru
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:27pmbut we don’t carpet bomb countrys were not at war with.like we drone strike people in countrys were not at war with.and this regime has not publicly declared war on US.but wages a economic war on US.they stop all the drilling here they legaly can,then give billions of tax payer money to the rest of the world for drilling.if the rest of the world burns more and more fossil fuels ,but we burn less.that doesn’t stop greenhouse gasses,that just hurts US.by design.on purpose.
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Dismayed Veteran
Feb. 8, 2013 at 3:00pm@Army
I realize that Vietnam was an undeclared war. It was a make believe war because Congress didn’t declare it a war. I spent 12 wonderful months in that tropic paradise. So did my father. In that make believe war, I had the chance to call in B-52 strikes and see several of them. I even saw make believe wounded and dead people. Boy, I am sure glad I wasn’t at war.
You, sir, are an idiot. Anytime some says they are your enemy and tries to kill you, you are at war. Do you go to VFW and tell everyone the rough time you had in the Quartermaster Corps?
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Witness1974
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:22pmOh, yes! If I am going to have my intestines splattered all over the neighborhood, I would feel so much better about it if it were done with a drone rather than carpet bombing. Most of all I think it would be so much better on the consciousness of the one who pulls the trigger somewhere thousands of miles of away. Creep? to say the least. It’s beginning to seem more and more like a post apocalytic movie. Anytime now I expect to see Mel Gibson and Tina Turner four wheelin’ it down the street.
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Vilgax
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:14pmInsane. Killing is killing. War is not a humane act. The reason he says it’s more civilized is because he thinks that if you don’t have to physically touch or witness what you’ve killed it makes it more humane? He belongs in a mental institution. And so do a lot of other people who somehow think there is a kinder, gentler way of waging war. War is a method of death and destruction. There is no other way to do it. Liberalism is a mental disorder. This article is scientific proof.
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Fubared
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:13pmWhoa. Too many sheriffs don’t back the gun grab peeps. This has gotten zero play in any media. Biden’s son huh? Makes sense.
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progressiveslayer
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:10pmIt is scary indeed but not unexpected with the way our government is now,a power grab like this is but another step to tyranny.
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soybomb315_II
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:08pmhttp://www.komonews.com/news/local/McGinn-SPD-ending-drone-program-returning-to-vendor–190294501.html
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huey6367
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:08pmHumane and war don’t belong in the same sentence. There is NOTHING humane about war. That’s the way it is. Either way (drones, aircraft, ground troops, etc) people die. So shut up Senator. it is better to leave your mouth shut and have everyone think you are an idiot than open your mouth and remove all doubt. Just because there is a camera in front of you doesn’t mean you need to talk. That’s what celebrities do.
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CALLMEMSGT
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:06pmYou are welcome RJJ
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SquidVetOhio
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:06pm“Whew, I’m sure glad it was a drone’s hell fire rocket that disemboweled me and I wasn’t water boarded.”
- Said No One Ever
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easye2984
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:05pmI don’t see what the big problem is with using an automatic plane… its better than sending our troops into harm’s way. There is video being taken from the drone anyway. Why all the drama?
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huey6367
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:10pmDo some research and get back with us.
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progressiveslayer
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:17pmThis regime loves you and your obedience.
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Unbelievable
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:19pmThe drama comes from the hypocrisy from the left. You and everyone else know that if this was Bush who bypassed Congress and started targeting American citizens for assassination with drones that Reid/Pelosi and especially Obama would be calling for his impeachment. You know like the un-patriotic debt Obama was screaming about prior to 2009?
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encinom
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:22pmThe only difference is putting american troop sin harms way, and its clear from their comments about gun control the Beckerheads care little about american troops and talk of killing them.
The truth is, when operating as Commander and Chief, directing US forces in a foriegn shore, with a Congressional authoriation for the use of force, the President is at his most powerful Constitutionally. After 9/11 Congress authorized the President to wage war on terrorist world wide. Now they are prostesting that he is carrying out their authorization. Beck and the Judge are lying to the Beckerheads by keeping from them context and facts.
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RJJinGadsden
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:35pmENCINOM, Our concern here is that 0bama’s list of Americans to kill gets expanded and comes to our shores. Look at it this way, he gave himself that power, then had his justice department back him up and say fine, it okay and legal. YOU would be screaming at the top of your lungs had Bush done something like this and you damned well know it. Frankly, I would have been screaming at the top of my lungs had Bush done it as well. It was reported earlier this morning that every single name on the kill list has been personally approved by 0bama. Its like going back to the LBJ days when he tried to run every single action in Vietnam rather than let the professionals handle the day to day operations. What a helluva way to participate in oversight.
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AvengerK
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:41pmActually no ENCIDIOT/MONICNE/SLEAZY HIPPO/KREGNEVA/MOST INTERESTING TROLL/ ad nauseum.
What conservatives are concerned about is the nebulous language in the memo that seems to allow Obama to kill American citizens suspected of terrorist activity on very subjective criteria. If an entire campaign could be viably conducted using drones…we’re all for it.
See…you’re the same lefty lick-spittle that gleefully denounced Bush as a war criminal for allowing waterboarding of ACTUAL not suspected terrorists. The procedure was not lethal and was under the watch of a trained physician at all times. The procedure has not only saved American lives, it led to the finding and killing of OBL. Sure it was ugly..but no one was permanently harmed or killed. Yet you want Bush tried as a war criminal nonetheless. And here is Obama today using a DOJ memo to attempt to justify killing Americans on mere suspicion of terrorism. Double-standard much?
Look..this isn’t for your sake ENCIDIOT/MONICNE/ad nauseum….you’re a cretinous lefty shill that is beyond redemption. No..this is for clarity and perspective and I know that it irritates the hell out of you to be bettered by someone you consider your moral and intellectual lesser. This is what makes humiliating you that much more satisfying.
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RJJinGadsden
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:02pmThat is damned scary. Thanks for posting that link.
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Chuck7884
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:02pmIt makes it easier to get away with Killing some one! Opps! Wrong person,place or thing. Software glitch?
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progressiveslayer
Feb. 8, 2013 at 12:59pmThe bottom line is,” he said, “I don’t think we should also fully say whatever the executive decides is ‘okay.’ I think that’s a problem.”
Well you do have some sense at least there senator because we shouldn’t have a situation like we have now where the POTUS decides who lives or dies with his kill list. Barry will use them here on U.S soil and like all government programs it’ll be abused as well. NDAA allows the government to ‘deem’ someone a terrorist and voila you’re dead,pretty neat huh? Unless it’s your house that just got blown up. A few days later the government can say we had the wrong address but you’re still dead.
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oldguy49
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:25pmi’m sorry…..are you new here…………it wasn’t htat long ago the th department of homeland security came out with a list…………..it had conservative groupstrea} and veterans on a terror list
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encinom
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:31pmTiny foil hat time, another paranoid freak. There is ZERO evidence that the President will use them here, the only evidence comes from the lying lips of Beck, Jones and others that profit from the paranoia and ignorance of their audience.
The truth is, when Congress authorized the President after 9/11 to combat terrorism world wide, Congress authorized these strikes. The truth is an American terrorist is no different than one from another nation. On the battle field, must US forces make an request for American born combatents to identify themselves before engaging the enemy?
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progressiveslayer
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:34pmNo I’m not new here and I don’t know what I wrote to make you think I was and I’m a veteran so I have a great deal of interest in this story. Government will abuse every program it has and this will be no different and the killing of Americans on U.S soil will be commonplace.
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RJJinGadsden
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:38pmENCINOM, I’m afraid that you are going to have to confront SOYBOMB and maybe a couple of others in his circle here when it comes to Alex Jones. The rest of us here certainly do not wear that tin foil hat.
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Fubared
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:42pmEncidiot thinks precedence is a cologne for his 0.
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soybomb315_II
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:14pm@RJ
What is that supposed to mean? Dont you call yourself a christian – then why do you say such things?
You and Encinom criticize people like me by things I wear a tin foil hat…..That should tell you something
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RJJinGadsden
Feb. 8, 2013 at 3:12pmSOY, my only question at this time is Just how many times have you posted here praising and defending Alex Jones? What is Unchristian about that?
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soybomb315_II
Feb. 8, 2013 at 4:33pmdont deflect. you know what you were doing….thats why you mentioned ‘tin foil hats’
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RJJinGadsden
Feb. 8, 2013 at 5:24pmWell SOY, you’re right about that. Reading you posts from time to time does give me that feeling.
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soybomb315_II
Feb. 8, 2013 at 5:32pmencinom says the same thing
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dsd13130
Feb. 8, 2013 at 12:58pmI don’t think there should be a “humane” way to wage war. What is the deterrent then?
Obama is killing innocents with these drones…his hands (he thinks) are still clean though because he didn’t send our sons/daughters to do it.
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siguy62
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:04pmThis man’s an ass for saying this. Did he not watch Star Trek as a kid? An episode demonstrated what happens ro a society becomes ‘humane,’ in war. The individual doesn’t matter and war becomes a way of life.
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SquidVetOhio
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:08pmI wonder what this guy’s stance on the death penalty is. I bet he thinks it’s inhumane to put someone to sleep and never wake up.
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soybomb315_II
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:09pmwar is a racket – all of it
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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:11pmWith the Senators reasoning, why not just drop a nuke, that is very humane, one flash, no more people.
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Shasta
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:15pmO doesn’t care about our sons and daughters.
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RJJinGadsden
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:40pmDARMOK, That makes for one helluva flash-bang!
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barber2
Feb. 8, 2013 at 2:53pmObama seems to have a problem with facing the reality of life. Remember he ” went missing” the night of the Benghazi assassinations which was 9/11 ?! Remember, he went to Las Vegas to campaign the next morning ? Remember the composite girl friends? Remember the ” confusion” about his birth certificate and his vagabond early years ? The man seems so detached . The drones. The voting present. The Teleprompter. The empty chair analogy ? Something seems vague and missing with this man.
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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Feb. 8, 2013 at 6:08pmThe only time he seems very engaged is during his weekly prostate exam Joe Biden gives him.
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barber2
Feb. 8, 2013 at 12:58pmLet’s face it : it is hard to link the words war with humane ! That being said, drones to do more focused killings with less of that ” collateral ” damage ….provided the intentions of the shooter are ” decent” and that the intelligence is correct…very sticky moral issues involved..
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justangry
Feb. 8, 2013 at 12:57pmAre these people even human? Are we sure the senator from Maine isn’t a drone?
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Fubared
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:02pmUsed to be drones were code for libs and bots. Now we depend on them for intel. Bizarro world. You still have mopes to fall back on.
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progressiveslayer
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:14pmJust I focused on the last sentence of the article,glass half full kind of thing.
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Fubared
Feb. 8, 2013 at 1:24pmThat’s the thing, no executive orders. Judge, jury, executioner thing. They serve a purpose for intel and a platform in theater. Not here, and not for killing the du jour rogue by a bureaucrat from 120000 miles away.
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normalmom
Feb. 8, 2013 at 12:55pmUm no, lets see they hear someone who disagrees with Obama and all the sudden their house is bombed, or their car. No very easily the new version of the KGB.
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