Collateral Murder

I encourage you to watch this video in its entirety. I realize 17+ minutes is a long time (as I understand it, most peoples' internet attention is less than 60 seconds) but I think we, as Americans, owe it to ourselves and the people of Iraq to view Imperialism in its naked brutality. The video isn't as visually brutal as many Hollywood films or video games. It is brutal in the methodology in which this attack takes place.

It fascinates me just how efficiently these soldiers execute the killing of these men and injure children from the heavens. It isn't efficient enough for the obviously trigger happy gunmen. Seeing a spray of artillery and the resulting cloud of dust. Then seeing these imperialist hunters circling the scene to kill any living and anyone who arrives to help.

Wikileaks has hyped up this video release. Afterall, the US government wouldn't allow its release. They claimed it was too sensitive to national security or some bullshit. What does Wikileaks look to do? It reminds me of The Falcon and the Snowman. In that film when a government worker uncovers dirty deeds done by the US government, his buddy encourages releasing it to the press. His rationale is that the American people would be outraged and public opinion would prohibit such things from continuing. The government worker, however, points out that such acts have been made public before but the US media and public just do not care. I think he is right. In preparation of this video's release, the US military started outing themselves that mistakes have been made and innocents have been killed. This tempers the revelation that it happened one more time. Of course, it didn't happen 'one more time.' It is a systematic assault on the people of Iraq.

Of the dozen or so killed, property destroyed, and two children injured, one man was carrying a weapon. I am sure the US military and their apologists will point to this as "proof" that the label of insurgents used to describe the dead was accurate or at least close enough. I doubt all of us Americans who so cherish our right to bare arms will be rushing to the dozen dead's defense.

Enjoy your viewing.