[Vision2020] drones

[Steven Basoa]

Sadly, almost 50 years later, this tune still rings true:

Cops of The World  
 by Phil Ochs

Come, get out of the way, boys 
Quick, get out of the way 
You'd better watch what you say, boys 
Better watch what you say 
We've rammed in your harbor and tied to your port 
And our pistols are hungry and our tempers are short 
So bring your daughters around to the port 
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys 
We're the Cops of the World 
We pick and choose as please, boys 
Pick and choose as please 
You'd best get down on your knees, boys 
Best get down on your knees 
We're hairy and horny and ready to shack 
And we don't care if you're yellow or black 
Just take off your clothes and lay down on your back 
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys 
We're the Cops of the World 
Our boots are needing a shine, boys 
Boots are needing a shine 
But our Coca-Cola is fine, boys 
Coca-Cola is fine 
We've got to protect all our citizens fair 
So we'll send a battalion for everyone there 
And maybe we'll leave in a couple of years 
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys 
We're the Cops of the World 
And dump the reds in a pile, boys 
Dump the reds in a pile 
You'd better wipe off that smile, boys 
Better wipe off that smile 
We'll spit through the streets of the cities we wreck 
And we'll find you a leader that you can't elect 
Those treaties we signed were a pain in the neck 
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys 
We're the Cops of the World 
And clean the johns with a rag, boys 
Clean the johns with a rag 
If you like you can use your flag, boys 
If you like you can use your flag 
We've got too much money we're looking for toys 
And guns will be guns and boys will be boys 
But we'll gladly pay for all we destroy 
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys 
We're the Cops of the World 
Please stay off of the grass, boys 
Please stay off of the grass 
Here's a kick in the ass, boys 
Here's a kick in the ass 
We'll smash down your doors, we don't bother to knock 
We've done it before, so why all the shock 
We're the biggest and the toughest kids on the block 
And we're the Cops of the World, boys 
We're the Cops of the World 
And when we butchered your sons, boys 
When we butchered your sons 
Have a stick of our gum, boys 
Have a stick of our bubble gum 
We own half the world, oh say can you see 
And the name for our profits is democracy 
So, like it or not, you will have to be free 
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys 
We're the Cops of the World


On Feb 11, 2013, at 6:10 AM, Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> wrote:

I agree with you. There isn't any authority to pursue this and yet people just accept it. I was debating this with a high school classmate who is very far right. There are no domestic policies where he will support Obama, or believe a word he says. But he's behind this policy. He doesn't need proof, he says just go kiill them.

Democrats have sanctioned this since Obama took power, and now it's a bipartisan policy. Makes it clear that many protests while Bush was President were political, not rooted in principle. And the only Republican running for president who opposed this was Ron Paul, who was marginalized for his domestic policies. There was no real analysis of what he was saying about foreign policy, where we could have had an important discussion about the issue.

Underlying all this are a number of things. First, people keep saying 'We're at war,' but they don't say that it's a war that apparently will go on forever. Will these powers ever be restrained? Not if the executive wants to hang on to the power, and the People refuse to challenge him on this. Second, shouldn't we be asking 'Why do we have bases around the world? Is this an Empire? Why do we have one? What does it cost us? What else could we be doing with that money?'

Sunil


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