MooPig 'Stuff No One Wants to Hear About' Department :: "Drones"

It's 2014, and what do we have? Drones... Yay?!
Retrieved articles by Pat Darnell  |  Jan 5, 2014  |  Bryan TX

[Picture LINK] ... victims of drone strikes were hopeful for the implementation of their fundamental right to life ...

" ... One of the few certainties about wars is that prime ministers and presidents will always send young men to fight and die in them. (Paul Daley. 18 December 2013. LINK) ... Then those same leaders will just as certainly insist that the human, social, financial and political cost has been worth it ... "

MooPig Waging War Editorial Department has a viewpoint on the question: is war in Afghanistan worth the price? When 21st Century politicians in USA and its allies looked at their war chests, they discovered a multitude of weapons research and development work had been done. But none of these new age weapons had been tested in war. So, like Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice, sort of a four brained monster, looked around the globe for a suitable testing ground.


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Someone talked the Saudis into funding an attack on the USA, and thus is born the magnanimous Pearl Harbor of the 21st Century, "9/11." This gave the four brained monster its go ahead for a war in the sparsely populated deserts of the Middle East. Good call, because we could now test all our high tech weaponry. What a hey day for Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice, and our million man military.

"We were just looking for someone's ass to kick," said our politicians at the time.

The World Can't Wait! Stop the Crimes of Your Government: " She worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on Covert Drone War  | Heather Linebaugh | December 29, 2013  |  EXCERPT  | " ... Few of the politicians who so brazenly proclaim the benefits of drones have a real clue how it actually works (and doesn't) Whenever I read comments by politicians defending the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Predator and Reaper program – aka drones – I wish I could ask them a few questions. I'd start with: "How many women and children have you seen incinerated by a Hellfire missile?" ..."

Many, many, many people "see the United States as the oppressor, as the perpetrator, the violator of Pakistan sovereignty, so it is very difficult, extremely difficult for the people on the ground in the tribal areas to defend or support something that is killing members of militant groups" and accidentally killing innocent people in the process. (VOA News. March 15, 2013. LINK)

" ... EXCERPT  |  ... U.S. officials rarely discuss the use of drones against terrorists, though they say privately civilian casualties are minimal.

Imtiaz Gul says his researchers found the collateral damage is significant.

"Largely the pattern that emerged, in most of the cases, regardless of whether there was also a legitimate target present or not, a lot of innocent people, women and children also lost their lives," he said. (ibid. VOA News.)..."

'via Blog this'

Some more questions come to mind as we meander through drone articles. How does a drone analyst become a Drone Flying Ace? Does the controller analyst get her kudos from not killing any one, thus an Ace; or does she become an Ace for killing the most?

For instance it's all about a body count:

" ... 26 Dec 2013: Drone fired two missiles at a home in a northwestern tribal region of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, Pakistani ..."

"...31 Dec 2013: Strikes this year 2013 are estimated to have killed up to 271 people, down from 2012 figure of between 505 and 532..."

"...Heather Linebaugh | December 29, 2013. "...I knew the names of some of the young soldiers I saw bleed to death on the side of a road. I watched dozens of military-aged males die in Afghanistan, in empty fields, along riversides, and some right outside the compound where their family was waiting for them to return home from the mosque...."

" ...20 Dec 2013: Clive Stafford Smith: Response: Drones are killing civilians in Pakistan and Yemen, while Britain refuses to admit its co-operation with illegal US attacks... "

"...Reuters in Sana'a and Spencer Ackerman, Thursday 12 December 2013 | ... Hammond's snapshot of what he calls the "precision" RPA is presented in the same week as the latest drone atrocity, with at least 15 Yemeni people slaughtered in what turned out to be a convoy of wedding guests, not al-Qaida terrorists...."

" ...Clive Stafford Smith. Friday 20 December 2013 ... And neither the US nor the UK will say how many civilians they think they are killing, although we at Reprieve represent more than 150 civilian victims and families of those killed in drone strikes ..."

Slaughter of civilians while trolling for terrorists, that is what we are in store for this year and next. And it is no joke, there are FAA studies to make drones available in USA skies by 2015. The drone program is being expanded and is being tested in "Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia who will host the research sites, the agency said. They were chosen from among 24 states bidding to host the program. (Associated Press in Las Vegas. Monday 30 December 2013. LINK)"

As a matter of fact, the USA is drone crazy: "...Drones have been mainly used by the military but governments, businesses, farmers and others are making plans to join the market. Many universities are starting or expanding drone programs (ibid. AP in LV.)... The FAA projects that some 7,500 commercial drones could be aloft within five years of being given widespread access to American airspace..."

CONCLUSION
Drones are here to stay. We inherit them from our 21st Century military. Commercial use in American airspace is only a year away. Will the effectiveness of drones always be determined by body counts? And, what's to keep American homeowners from shooting drones down?

Critics say: "...The growing drone industry has critics among conservatives and liberals. Giving drones greater access to US skies moves the nation closer to “a surveillance society in which our every move is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinized by the authorities”, the American Civil Liberties Union declared in a report last December (ibid. AP in LV.)..."

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Editor's note: MooPig Waging War Editorial Department does not possess any classified material and has honored its non-disclosure agreement since the time of its discharge. So don't send any drones to our house, please! Especially the ones shaped like owls ... YIKES!

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_____________________Reference
http://www.worldcantwait.net/
http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php/features/covert-drone-war/8450-i-worked-on-the-us-drone-program-the-public-should-know-what-really-goes-on
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/18/in-defence-of-drones-keep-civilians-troops-safe
http://www.theguardian.com/world/drones
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/dec/18/drones-protect-british-troops-afghanistan-philip-hammond-video
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jul/11/drone-aircraft-carrier-video
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jun/20/fbi-drones-spy-us-senators-video
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/may/24/barack-obama-drone-strikes-save-lives-video
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/sep/25/boeing-f-16-drone-us-air-force-video
http://www.theguardian.com/world/postcolonial/2013/dec/19/australian-troops-leave-afghanistan-was-it-worth-it
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/26/us-drone-strike-kills-three-militants
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/30/states-host-drone-operational-tests-faa
http://www.reprieve.org.uk/press/uk_must_not_hide_drone_war_involvement/
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=259174
http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=22757
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/26/oklahoma-drone-next-generation-faa
http://www.voanews.com/content/resaercher-most-civilian-drone-deaths-from-faulty-information/1622442.html
http://web.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/microsites/human-rights-institute/CountingDroneDeathsPresserFINAL.pdf
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/31/civilian-drone-deaths-pakistan-report_n_4180293.html

The Pope Visiting England and Beyond ...

[PHOTO " ... Sep 16 2010 | The Duke of Edinburgh asked Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie if she wore tartan knickers at today's papal reception, she revealed tonight ... " Read more HERE]

There is nothing like a Papal visit to bring out the giggles in us all!
Retrieved by Pat Darnell

Here is the line:

" ... The subject of the duke's [Prince Philip] ribaldry this time was the Scottish Conservative leader, Annabel Goldie, who was among a group of dignitaries being presented to the pope at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Prince Philip first met the Scottish Labour leader, Iain Gray, who is believed to have been sporting a special papal tartan tie.

At this point, the prince was said to have turned to Goldie, who was standing nearby, and asked if she had a "pair of knickers made out of this?"

Goldie retorted: "I couldn't possibly comment – and even if I did, I couldn't possibly exhibit them."[SOURCE]

"No, Mr Prince-i-woo, I'm in leopard today...." was the best response MooPig could manufacture after the event today.

This is where the "insiders" can regal in the laughter of a 21st century Monarch who has a Yob's wit:

" ... A Tory insider said afterwards that Goldie was in "hoots of laughter" over the exchange. ... "

NEXT WEEK: Bridget Jones' 'big knickers' to be auctioned for charity

The End.

MooPig Presents "Today's Find" :: Mark Hollis Rare

Liner Notes: "This appearance by Talk Talk was recorded on UK TV in 1982. "Today" was Talk Talk's 3rd single, when they were still in their electropop phase. (This track was produced by Colin Thurston, who also produced Duran Duran's 1st album). Their drummer kicked-ass...reminded me of Keith Moon! A great track, and a great performance! JohnAdrenochrome November 07, 2006  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb_3HNTuHak

Anyone in agreement? The stage background paintings are real nice ... I like Easter Island referral. Post hip new era, Mark Hollis, and this is the Popera... [new word?] Synthpop??? Cool.

IYA2009 -- International Year of Astronomy 2009

IYA2009
SEED Magazine: Kepler's Years
The International Year of Astronomy is a global celebration commemorating Galileo's first telescopic explorations of night sky and Kepler's publishing of Astronomia Nova. More than 135 countries will be participating in 2009, hosting events that seek to reconnect people around the world with the unique sense of discovery felt by Galileo and Kepler four centuries ago:

The driving force behind the development of astronomy was the question of humanity's place in the universe, particularly whether or not other worlds exist outside our own, worlds like ours where sunlight-stirred wind, water, and earth somehow gave rise to flourishing life and intelligence.

From Earth to the Universe
A slideshow of awe-inspiring astronomical snapshots. From Earth to the Universe is a collection of images curated by the American Astronomical Society set to display in public parks, airports, and art centers in over 30 countries throughout the year. View the slideshow to see Seed's favorites. Learn more.

The Kepler Mission, a space telescope named after the 17th-century pioneering astronomer and set to launch in March 2009, will likely bring us closer to knowing that answer than all other accumulated events thus far in human history.

The US celebration kicks off on January 6 during the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society at the Long Beach Convention Center in California. There will be a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony that commences when light emitted 400 years ago from a distant star reaches Earth. The event, which is open to the public, will be broadcast live on the web.

In the UK, the Society for Popular Astronomy, Royal Astronomical Society and Science and Technology Facilities Council will be providing 1,000 secondary schools with free telescopes.

More information about International Year of Astronomy celebrations around the world can be found here.