US strike kills Iranian Quds Force commander

[fskimospy]

Was Bin Laden in fact a freedom fighter?

Again, do you not see the incredibly obvious hole in your logic? These designations are almost always a matter of PERCEPTION. The Russians considered the Mujaheddin terrorists, we didn't. Then we changed our mind and considered them terrorists later. The US considered the Viet Cong terrorists, while the population often considered them freedom fighters. Similarly, the Vietnamese considered our bombing campaigns acts of terror. As far as I can tell your definition of terrorist is 'whoever the US says is a terrorist', which obviously won't fly.

As K1052 has said your policy position opens US officials of all types open to assassination. If that's something you're okay with then just say it. If not, then you should reconsider your position.

 

[Atreus21]

My opinion on that is irrelevant. You celebrate opening a policy box that will see our own officials made legitimate targets in the eyes of people who can act. I think you are going to be profoundly disappointed to find out this isn't a one way street.

I've celebrated nothing.

Do you think the US government is in fact a terrorist organization?

 

[fskimospy]

I've celebrated nothing.

Do you think the US government is in fact a terrorist organization?

Officials of the US government have engaged in conduct that I imagine a sizable majority of the world's population would consider acts of terror, yes. By your logic those officials can be legally assassinated.

 

[zinfamous]

I suppose we could have payed protecton money. been done before not long ago.

The US never PAID Iran any protection money.

I think you are, perhaps, referring to the debt that Obama authorized to PAY them, at a reasonable ~70% of the actual debt-owed, as part of the Nuclear deal? That wasn't protection money, it wasn't a bribe. it was a DEBT. --it was the US taking responsibility for its DEBTS. Yes yes, I know, conservatives don't understand a fucking thing about responsibility and never will, but that is actually the kind of thing that we do whenever conservative rat-fuckers aren't in charge. And you should be happy--we signed off on well below the actual value of that debt.

Hey! The Black man saved you even more money! Shouldn't you be so happy? The black man did a good thing for you--or does that just make you even more bitter?

 

[K1052]

I've celebrated nothing.

Do you think the US government is in fact a terrorist organization?

This question is not relevant to the the discussion except to the extent that other powers could view us that way.

 

[fskimospy]

The US as never PAID Iran any protection money.

I think you are, perhaps, referring to the debt that Obama authorized to PAY them, at a reasonable ~70% of the actual debt-owed, as part of the Nuclear deal? That wasn't protection money, it wasn't a bribe. it was a DEBT. --it was the US taking responsibility for its DEBTS. Yes yes, I know, conservatives don't understand a fucking thing about responsibility and never will, but that is actually the kind of thing that we do whenever conservative rat-fuckers aren't in charge. And you should be happy--we signed off on well below the actual value of that debt.

Hey! The Black man saved you even more money! Shouldn't you be so happy? The black man did a good thing for you--or does that just make you even more bitter?

I have to say all those people who thought the Iran nuclear deal was so bad SHOULD be feeling awfully stupid right now. Something tells me they've found a way to convince themselves that they were still right all along.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Do you think the US government is in fact a terrorist organization?

The US government just committed an act of terrorism. It bombed a civilian airport to kill people in order to make a political statement. That is the very definition of terrorism.

 

[zinfamous]

Do you think the US government is in fact a terrorist organization?

Let's see...cowardly orange dictator in charge, sociopathic evangelical evil asswhipe just below him...yes: the current US government is a terrorist organization, if they are to be defined by those in charge. It's the most obvious call.

 

[K1052]

The US as never PAID Iran any protection money.

I think you are, perhaps, referring to the debt that Obama authorized to PAY them, at a reasonable ~70% of the actual debt-owed, as part of the Nuclear deal? That wasn't protection money, it wasn't a bribe. it was a DEBT. --it was the US taking responsibility for its DEBTS. Yes yes, I know, conservatives don't understand a fucking thing about responsibility and never will, but that is actually the kind of thing that we do whenever conservative rat-fuckers aren't in charge. And you should be happy--we signed off on well below the actual value of that debt.

Hey! The Black man saved you even more money! Shouldn't you be so happy? The black man did a good thing for you--or does that just make you even more bitter?

Trump in particular was obsessed with this because giving money back, even if it's not yours, is in opposition to his entire being.

 

[Jaskalas]

Ill-advised or not, killing terrorists outside of their country is hardly a war crime.

You are referring to the head of a nation's military. Not a lowly "terrorist".

 

[Atreus21]

Again, do you not see the incredibly obvious hole in your logic? These designations are almost always a matter of PERCEPTION. The Russians considered the Mujaheddin terrorists, we didn't. Then we changed our mind and considered them terrorists later. The US considered the Viet Cong terrorists, while the population often considered them freedom fighters. Similarly, the Vietnamese considered our bombing campaigns acts of terror. As far as I can tell your definition of terrorist is 'whoever the US says is a terrorist', which obviously won't fly.

As K1052 has said your policy position opens US officials of all types open to assassination. If that's something you're okay with then just say it. If not, then you should reconsider your position.

I dont agree. There's a stark moral difference between the acts of Barack Obama and the acts of Yasser Arafat. Those who call Obama a terrorist are blinded by bias. Those who call Arafat a terrorist, a man who deliberately targeted innocent civilians to achieve political ends, are simply describing him by a definition.

You aren't a terrorist just because I say you are.

 

[K1052]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1213090486187155456

We're in real big trouble people.

 

[IronWing]

I've celebrated nothing.

Do you think the US government is in fact a terrorist organization?

Yes.

 

[Jaskalas]

Oh, and after sleeping on it, I have resolved what I would do if I were Iran. Locate the nearest US Carrier Strike group and eliminate it. Show the world what a rocket barrage can do, and show the world that the US no longer dominates global power.

 

[Atreus21]

Officials of the US government have engaged in conduct that I imagine a sizable majority of the world's population would consider acts of terror, yes. By your logic those officials can be legally assassinated.

That's not what I asked. I wanted to know if he personally believes the US government is a terrorist organization.

 

[HomerJS]

I dont agree. There's a stark moral difference between the acts of Barack Obama and the acts of Yasser Arafat. Those who call Obama a terrorist are blinded by bias. Those who call Arafat a terrorist, a man who deliberately targeted innocent civilians to achieve political ends, are simply describing him by a definition.

You aren't a terrorist just because I say you are.

Are you confident the action taken AT THIS TIME is justified?

 

[IronWing]

You aren't a terrorist just because I say you are.

There is no other standard. “Terrorist” is a political label.

 

[Atreus21]

Oh, and after sleeping on it, I have resolved what I would do if I were Iran. Locate the nearest US Carrier Strike group and eliminate it. Show the world what a rocket barrage can do, and show the world that the US no longer dominates global power. That'd be the sort of response I'd aim for if I were Iran.

If you knew the location of a carrier group, would you pass it to Iran?

 

[fskimospy]

I dont agree. There's a stark moral difference between the acts of Barack Obama and the acts of Yasser Arafat. Those who call Obama a terrorist are blinded by bias. Those who call Arafat a terrorist, a man who deliberately targeted innocent civilians to achieve political ends, are simply describing him by a definition.

You aren't a terrorist just because I say you are.

If you don't see how you're making a subjective judgment here then I don't know what to tell you.

What I can tell you is that whether you want it to be that way or not if we suddenly decide that the members of foreign governments can be assassinated by designating them as terrorists don't act surprised and outraged when that justification is used against us or our allies because it will be. You're just giving an easy out to the worst actors.

 

[zinfamous]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1213090486187155456

We're in real big trouble people.

these fucks are the definition of Kleptocracy. They both have absolutely no idea what they are doing, and the stones to hope that the American people will simply believe whatever they say.

 

[fskimospy]

Oh, and after sleeping on it, I have resolved what I would do if I were Iran. Locate the nearest US Carrier Strike group and eliminate it. Show the world what a rocket barrage can do, and show the world that the US no longer dominates global power.

Iran doesn't have that capability generally, although it could probably inflict significant casualties on a US battle group transiting the Straights of Hormuz.

 

[Atreus21]

Are you confident the action taken AT THIS TIME is justified?

I'm conflicted on that. I think killing a man so high ranking is risky. On the other hand, I want Iran to understand in clear terms to leave our embassies alone.

 

[zinfamous]

You aren't a terrorist just because I say you are.

But you did! You absolutely did do that! Should we go back only a couple of posts?

 

[Atreus21]

If you don't see how you're making a subjective judgment here then I don't know what to tell you.

What I can tell you is that whether you want it to be that way or not if we suddenly decide that the members of foreign governments can be assassinated by designating them as terrorists don't act surprised and outraged when that justification is used against us or our allies because it will be. You're just giving an easy out to the worst actors.

Do you think Obama was a terrorist?

 

[pauldun170]

Classifying people who are members of another country's government who do stuff you don't like as terrorists seems like a rabbit hole we don't really want to go down. Under that definition, the US could arguably be one of the biggest terrorists in the world.

It's not terrorism when you use drones. Drones are freedom orgasminators.

It's also not terrorism when you call the victims "non-combatents"