Give Drones a Medal by Richard Clarke--A Reply Mr.

Clarke defends Americas use of drones to blow people up by asserting that we are blowing up terrorists who should be blown up, in self-defense. He acknowledges that other people are injured and killed, inadvertantly, in these drone strikes, but then asserts that, relative to other means of killing terrorists (manned airplanes dropping bombs, cruise missles, commando raids), relatively fewer people are injured or killed by drone strikes--and no Americans are killed. Therefore, we should Give Drones a Medal. How many non-terrorists have been killed by drone strikes is not known, and estimates are disputed. Several hundred people--at least. Any responsible and informed person has to acknowledge this. Maybe over a thousand, or more. The deaths include those at a meeting of respected elders and those at a wedding party. And scores of children. And mothers.

This man, our recent high government official, is promoting murder, calling it selfdefense. How many American people refuse to notice the clear fact that their nation, The United States of America, has in the past terrorized people on a massive scale---and that it continues to do so today? Many Americans cringe at my even saying this, and think that I am an anti-American mad man. Study the history, people, and remove your self-righteous blinders! Examples of peoples the American Nation has terrorized---American Indians. Mexicans. Philippinos. Cubans. Hawaiians. Greeks. Guatemalans. Iranians. Nicaraguans. Vietnamese. Cambodians. Laotians. Thais. Brazileans. Chilians. El Salvadorans. Panamanians. Libyans. Iraqis. Afghanis. Pakistanis. Etc. Etc. Do Americans really want to reduce terrorism in the world? The best start---the only start---for us is to stop terrorizing others. Which we are doing on a massive

scale. Or do Americans only want to stop terrorism directed against themselves, while they continue to terrorize others? After all, that way they can maintain the gross excess wealth of a small portion of their society, while very many of the worlds peoples struggle with practically nothing. Are drone strikes useful in countering terrorism? Drone strikes are terrorism--U.S. terrorism.