Comments on: If the title were “American Drone Operator” instead of “American Sniper”, would he still be called a “hero”? https://habitablezone.com/2015/01/28/if-the-title-were-american-drone-operator-instead-of-american-sniper-would-he-still-be-called-a-hero/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2015/01/28/if-the-title-were-american-drone-operator-instead-of-american-sniper-would-he-still-be-called-a-hero/#comment-32246 ER Thu, 29 Jan 2015 13:58:44 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=48700#comment-32246 Placing a mine, firing artillery, dropping a bomb. And actual combatants are in the minority in any modern conflict, even in the war zone. What's the complicity of the support staff, the facilitators: driving the trucks, unloading the supplies, doing the paperwork? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80SsC_ZNbyI Placing a mine, firing artillery, dropping a bomb.

And actual combatants are in the minority in any modern conflict, even in the war zone. What’s the complicity of the support staff, the facilitators: driving the trucks, unloading the supplies, doing the paperwork?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80SsC_ZNbyI

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2015/01/28/if-the-title-were-american-drone-operator-instead-of-american-sniper-would-he-still-be-called-a-hero/#comment-32245 ER Thu, 29 Jan 2015 13:29:52 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=48700#comment-32245 ...as the Will Munny character in "Unforgiven": <em>"It's a hell of a thing, killin' a man. Take away all he's got, and all he's ever gonna have."</em> …as the Will Munny character in “Unforgiven”:

“It’s a hell of a thing, killin’ a man. Take away all he’s got, and all he’s ever gonna have.”

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2015/01/28/if-the-title-were-american-drone-operator-instead-of-american-sniper-would-he-still-be-called-a-hero/#comment-32241 bowser Thu, 29 Jan 2015 02:58:16 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=48700#comment-32241 She bragged about spending some time with someone closely connected with the movie, and the crowd went wild. To those who believe that "kill 'em" is the solution to all problems. I (oops! Posted prematurely.) believe the drone pilots would be admired, the sniper worshiped. If he snuck up and used a knife it would be awe AND worship. And those people always worship at a distance. Don't ask them to go into harm's way themselves. She bragged about spending some time with someone closely connected with the movie, and the crowd went wild.

To those who believe that “kill ‘em” is the solution to all problems. I (oops! Posted prematurely.) believe the drone pilots would be admired, the sniper worshiped. If he snuck up and used a knife it would be awe AND worship.
And those people always worship at a distance. Don’t ask them to go into harm’s way themselves.

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2015/01/28/if-the-title-were-american-drone-operator-instead-of-american-sniper-would-he-still-be-called-a-hero/#comment-32240 Robert Thu, 29 Jan 2015 01:54:12 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=48700#comment-32240 Post 9/11 jingoism has completely leached "hero" of any meaning as it is, and this is (I hope) the nadir. Pull a trigger, push a button, click a mouse or tap a touchscreen...that's not a soldier or any kind of fighter, that's a technician who sits safely far from danger and kills by operating machinery with consummate skill. Yay technical skill. A sniper or drone operator is an assassin, plain and simple. Not an "executioner", who operates in the open, but a stealthy killer from ambush. But to be fair, not a "murderer", because the assassin's work is sanctioned by Authority. Yay Authority. Let's be honest: To the Patriots® celebrating this film and calling the sniper a "hero", he's a "hero" because he killed Muslims. Killed not only without remorse, but with relish. And with a firearm. Yay Second Amendment. I seem to recall Obama being pilloried for telling the truth back in '08 about Americans "clinging to their guns and religion". Those are the people that collectively have paid $200 million so far to see the movie to watch a Patriot® kill Muslims retail. And from what I hear, often in loving slo-mo. But that's Clint Eastwood for ya. Yay Clint Eastwood. Yay. Post 9/11 jingoism has completely leached “hero” of any meaning as it is, and this is (I hope) the nadir. Pull a trigger, push a button, click a mouse or tap a touchscreen…that’s not a soldier or any kind of fighter, that’s a technician who sits safely far from danger and kills by operating machinery with consummate skill.

Yay technical skill.

A sniper or drone operator is an assassin, plain and simple. Not an “executioner”, who operates in the open, but a stealthy killer from ambush. But to be fair, not a “murderer”, because the assassin’s work is sanctioned by Authority.

Yay Authority.

Let’s be honest: To the Patriots® celebrating this film and calling the sniper a “hero”, he’s a “hero” because he killed Muslims. Killed not only without remorse, but with relish. And with a firearm.

Yay Second Amendment.

I seem to recall Obama being pilloried for telling the truth back in ’08 about Americans “clinging to their guns and religion”. Those are the people that collectively have paid $200 million so far to see the movie to watch a Patriot® kill Muslims retail. And from what I hear, often in loving slo-mo. But that’s Clint Eastwood for ya.

Yay Clint Eastwood.

Yay.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2015/01/28/if-the-title-were-american-drone-operator-instead-of-american-sniper-would-he-still-be-called-a-hero/#comment-32237 bowser Thu, 29 Jan 2015 00:36:44 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=48700#comment-32237 What I think Americans don't understand, a truth Jack Nicholson would tell them they don't want to know, is the nature of the hostilities. And Christians would be doing the exact same thing for the same reasons Muslims are if the situation were reversed. The Muslims see this as a war against their religion and their religious values. The US is over there attacking Islam, stomping all over their culture, insulting their God. Christians are mandated to fight to the death anyone who violates their religious values, anyone who would eradicate Christianity. However, I don't think Christians have the faith to do so. I think they simply aren't religious. The genius of this thing is that the US weapons manufacturers know that for every Muslim killed 5 more warriors are created, and the fight and consumption of weapons can go on forever. The rich will get richer, the poor just as dead, and the shrinking middle class will continue to shrink. In the meantime the population is stirred up and there is a lot of support for killing them. And we are over there killing them, on their land, in their country. They aren't over here. What I think Americans don’t understand, a truth Jack Nicholson would tell them they don’t want to know, is the nature of the hostilities. And Christians would be doing the exact same thing for the same reasons Muslims are if the situation were reversed.

The Muslims see this as a war against their religion and their religious values. The US is over there attacking Islam, stomping all over their culture, insulting their God.

Christians are mandated to fight to the death anyone who violates their religious values, anyone who would eradicate Christianity. However, I don’t think Christians have the faith to do so. I think they simply aren’t religious.

The genius of this thing is that the US weapons manufacturers know that for every Muslim killed 5 more warriors are created, and the fight and consumption of weapons can go on forever. The rich will get richer, the poor just as dead, and the shrinking middle class will continue to shrink.

In the meantime the population is stirred up and there is a lot of support for killing them.

And we are over there killing them, on their land, in their country. They aren’t over here.

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