The recent killing of the US citizens in Yemen is a perfect example of how much America has changed in the last generation.  And what happens when one trades morality for ‘security’.

It wasn’t too long ago that foreign assassinations were forbidden.  Coming after the plots against Castro, and a few others, the CIA was reined in.  It wasn’t just that the US tried to stand for the rule of law, we were afraid of reciprocal attempts on US Presidents.

Now the decision has been made and implemented to kill US citizens because they belong to a group which doesn’t like the US.  There is no hint these folks participated in any act against the US, simply accusations they don’t like us.

(Please, no talk about “war” or “wartime”.  ”War” on the international level is declared, a Congressional decision, against a defined entity.  Until laws and treaties are changed it will remain that way.  Opinions of  folks reading the papers don’t change that.  These killings aren’t covered by “war” and no amount of amateur logic-chopping can change that.  I can guarantee people will try it.)

No one has said it’s easy to live by the rule of law.  No one claims it’s quicker.  Certainly Western religions say “thou shalt not kill” without adding that it’s OK if you’re mad at a group.  And if one is Christian, the New Covenant of the New Testament supposedly superceded the Old testament.   A moral life (who used to claim “character counts”) may not be as exciting.  And often one can become rich faster by stealing or otherwise violating morality, and that is condemned in civilized societies.  And one can be proud of being a moral being, belonging to a moral society and living in a law-abiding country.

The US knew where these folks were, they were in a friendly country, and they could have been kidnapped, put on trial, and if convicted then executed.  The US is proud of it’s ability to infiltrate hostile territory, and should find it easier to operate with a friendly government.

By assassinating these two Americans the US has chosen to operate outside the law.  Who will be next?  Realize it could be anyone the CIA, military or Obama is pissed of at.  What a country.

We’ve seen a post around here saying “They came for my light bulbs” implying that all civil liberties will be lost.  (Yes, “light bulbs” fer Chrissake!  At gunpoint!)  That inconvenience was alleged to be the end of democracy.  And it wasn’t even killing citizens.  We could point out the ridiculousness of that, but they’d never see it.

The principle has been set, the US can kill anyone, anywhere at the government’s whim, and no one is protesting, no one says America stands for more than that, that our country has a Constitution and Bill of Rights, and that being a citizen counts for something.   That’s not only gone, it was given away gleefully by those who wave the flag the longest and highest.  Imagine that – given away.  That for which those who came before us fought was given away.  By people who claim to love America and appreciate it’s military.

Bah!!  Humbug!!!

Arf