Mar 25, 2012 -- 10:33AM, christine3 wrote:

Gee, ya think the U.S. could spare it?  Wrongful death suits bring U.S. families millions of dollars in comparison.  I guess life in Afghanistan isn't worth as much as it is here.

That's an awful thing to say. The average income in Afghanistan is only $426 per year. That would mean that $50,000 is 117 years worth of income. A life to them is not worth less, the money is worth more.

As in all such cases, be it a million dollars or fifty grand, the money is little more than a symbolic apology, it will not fill the empty place at the table or in people's hearts, and is really no substitute for justice- and justice not simply defined as punishing the man involved, but also understanding and accepting responsibility for the institutional factors involved.

Mar 26, 2012 -- 10:17AM, BDboy wrote:

Mar 26, 2012 -- 9:38AM, TemplarS wrote:

As in all such cases, be it a million dollars or fifty grand, the money is little more than a symbolic apology, it will not fill the empty place at the table or in people's hearts, and is really no substitute for justice- and justice not simply defined as punishing the man involved, but also understanding and accepting responsibility for the institutional factors involved.

 

 

>>>>>>> Well said. It is nice to try to give a little money to cover financial loss but rest of the loses will remain with those families.

This war not only put a lot of stress and death on Afghan but stressing out US service men (And women) a lot.

The Chinese are building hospitals and roads for the Afghans. Guess who will win the battle for hearts and minds?

Suppose we had dropped a bomb on them instead? Who is responsible? We can point the finger at One man, but who to blame for the hundreds of thousands?

Mar 26, 2012 -- 10:30AM, Esdraelon wrote:

 

Suppose we had dropped a bomb on them instead? Who is responsible? We can point the finger at One man, but who to blame for the hundreds of thousands?

Well, why did we drop a bomb on them in this hypothetical case?

Human error? Mechanical failure? Bad intelligence? Well, yes, these things happen in war, but we still need to figure out why those happened.  In for no other reason than that somebody just wasted $70,000 of the taxpayers money wiping out farmers instead of Taliban.

But if the pilot or drone controller intentionally dropped the load on the village- it would be the same thing as in the current case.

Mar 26, 2012 -- 10:45AM, BDboy wrote:

Mar 26, 2012 -- 10:30AM, Esdraelon wrote:

Mar 26, 2012 -- 10:17AM, BDboy wrote:

Mar 26, 2012 -- 9:38AM, TemplarS wrote:

As in all such cases, be it a million dollars or fifty grand, the money is little more than a symbolic apology, it will not fill the empty place at the table or in people's hearts, and is really no substitute for justice- and justice not simply defined as punishing the man involved, but also understanding and accepting responsibility for the institutional factors involved.

 

 

>>>>>>> Well said. It is nice to try to give a little money to cover financial loss but rest of the loses will remain with those families.

This war not only put a lot of stress and death on Afghan but stressing out US service men (And women) a lot.

The Chinese are building hospitals and roads for the Afghans. Guess who will win the battle for hearts and minds?

Suppose we had dropped a bomb on them instead? Who is responsible? We can point the finger at One man, but who to blame for the hundreds of thousands?

 

>>>>>>>> It is not an issue of blaming anyone. Talking about how to spend money wisely. President Obama shown us that, a small smart unit of US army was good enough to get OBL. For a decade it has been a full blown war on people who had not much to do with anything.

Again my comment was about "going forward" not about putting blame or bomb on anyone.

Um....possibly I misread your comments but if that is the case, I agree.....I was against this war from the beginning....

Sorry, I disagree that President Obama has shown anyone 'how to spend money wisely'.....

.......besides, why is it practically Always that we have to accept what we are told by the government without any evidence.....in the Old West they used to put them in boxes and stand them up in the town square.....       certainly this absurd 'burial at sea'....were they facing Mecca when they dumped him?