Desmond Tutu: American Drones Proposal 'Like Apartheid'

Are 'our lives not of the same value as yours?' he asks

Desmond Tutu has written a "scathing rebuke" directed at the idea of a special Drones Court that would review the killing of US citizens only. The Nobel Peace Prize-winner's short letter to the New York Times has drawn a lot of media attention and is worth a read:

I am deeply, deeply disturbed at the suggestion in "A Court to Vet Kill Lists" (news analysis, front page, Feb. 9) that possible judicial review of President Obama's decisions to approve the targeted killing of suspected terrorists might be limited to the killings of American citizens.

Do the United States and its people really want to tell those of us who live in the rest of the world that our lives are not of the same value as yours? That President Obama can sign off on a decision to kill us with less worry about judicial scrutiny than if the target is an American? Would your Supreme Court really want to tell humankind that we, like the slave Dred Scott in the 19th century, are not as human as you are? I cannot believe it.

I used to say of apartheid that it dehumanized its perpetrators as much as, if not more than, its victims. Your response as a society to Osama bin Laden and his followers threatens to undermine your moral standards and your humanity.

- DESMOND M. TUTU, Aboard MV Explorer, near Hong Kong, Feb. 11, 2013.

Via the New York Times.

Is Tutu right - is it like "apartheid" for Americans to value US lives more than foreign lives?

[LGRepublican]

Why would anyone give a crap what Desmond Tutu thinks about US policy?

[Jackie312gm]

The tutu is looking for his 15 minutes all over again. Tutu go away and stay!!

[PNWest]

I have no problem with our drone program. I'm glad we have it and would have no problem with it being expanded should the need arise. As to valuing American lives above all other I proudly do so and make no apologies.

[marine1]

I have mixed feelings. I have to wonder why get involved at all? Let countries deal with their own situations and "IF" they ask for our help, give them the conditions up front as to how we will help and how they will repay AND exactly what the end results are going to be.

[RealityOne]

Exactly. We rule the planet the world must submit to the USA. We don't need approval from anyone we make the rules if they don't like it they are terrorists.

[RealityOne]

@PNWest Well put. 50 civilians killed for each bad guy summarily executed is acceptable. They have a Sandy Hook every day but we don't need to worry about it. The world will respect us out of fear.

[Hireman]

Every country values the lives of its citizens over the love of others.

[AceLuby]

Except our country... we have no problem killing our own despite their rights defined in the constitution.

[jessejaymes]

If the day ever comes I give a red rats ass what Tutu has to say about anything just shoot me.

[PoliticalSpice]

Kind of disappointing to have to shoot you, except for occasional disagreements between us I never thought to take it that far...oh, I don't own a firearm, can you loan me yours?
:)

[jessejaymes]

@PoliticalSpice I have to give a reds rats ass first. That phoney bastard hides behind religion while his country is even worse than it was before.

[PoliticalSpice]

@jessejaymes As I was typing it, it did occur to me you'd use that loophole...

[jessejaymes]

@PoliticalSpice I am not your father's oldsmobile.

[OhWiseOne]

@jessejaymes LOL! I agree with you once again. Now why is it that S.A. is worse off now than before? Hmmmm....... If you answer correctly I'll give you some special brownies. Haha.

[NTBFW]

How many divisions does Tutu have?

[Laity1]

How many tutus does he have?

[Fishbone345]

Said it before, I'll say it again. When it comes to saving troops lives, I fully support their use.
I do NOT and will not agree that usage domestically is a good idea.
If we keep letting the Fed open more and more of Pandora's box the question isn't if, it becomes a question of when.
And that is the day we go to war with our own country.

[PoliticalSpice]

And if you santion the use against others its just a matter of time they are used against us. Wait and see.

[Fishbone345]

@PoliticalSpice What weapon isn't? Do you think the Soviets withheld a nuclear apocalypse because they were trying to be nice? They feared our missiles as much as we feared theirs. Japan didn't hold back every bit of technology they had in their war against us, was it because the were deep down the good guys?
What you said basically translates to, "Well, if they got em they will use em". No shit? We're talking about an enemy that flew planes into buildings as bombs. Damn right they will use them. And it doesn't hinge on our actions one way or another, that's just naive.
The question is, how far will they reach?

[PoliticalSpice]

@Fishbone345 Just remember that when a drone flies over oklahoma and takes out some second amendment types...

[Fishbone345]

@PoliticalSpice You really think our current enemies could get one all the way to Oklahoma without us so much as noticing let alone dealing with it? Do you seriously not have that much faith in your countries military might?
Say what you will about the Defense budget, I probably agree, but its money well spent. We have so much more stuff in our arsenal its not even funny.
The closest you will see a drone of our enemies come is to an embassy somewhere. Whatcha wanna bet?

[Fishbone345]

@PoliticalSpice "Just remember that when a drone flies over oklahoma and takes out some second amendment types..."
And as far as death goes? It doesn't have a political stance. Blood is red and pain is real. Its a very bi-partisan thing and I don't separate when it comes to Americans dying. I sincerely hope you don't either.

[PoliticalSpice]

@PNWest his arugement is the same as mine.

[DARSB]

The citizenship of the target is immaterial - I don't trust ANY President to pursue an assassination policy without judicial oversight. If it turns out the program is illegal I won't be upset.

[AceLuby]

100% agree. If we were actually at war with a country it would be one thing to take out military targets like this, but even then I'd want their leader captured and brought to court. If we treat our enemies no better than they would treat us, we are no better than them, and if we are no better than them, what are we doing fighting them?

[dances-weebles]

@AceLuby obviously we are no better than they are.

[AceLuby]

@dances-weebles obviously... 'spreading freedom'... biggest lie told to the American public in generations.

[dances-weebles]

@AceLuby oh, you caught that... they were hoping that it's slide right past you.

[OhWiseOne]

Why doesn't this "man of conscience" talk about the genocide being committed against white people in South Africa and Zimbabwe? Until he talks about that, his words mean nothing to me.

[Jack-Black]

that only matters if you look like him.....

[jessejaymes]

I just read today that Capetown is listed as "critical" on the world's worst crime spots. While I in no way support apartheid, what has happened in South Africa since the blacks took over is a worse situation that before. That's unbelievable. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

[Laity1]

Worse than the old boss. Now, watch Egypt.

[Penn1699]

Spoken by someone who has a record of anti-Jewish sentiment. So what do I care about statements he makes from his yacht? Move along Tutu...

[Brownie]

He needs to sit down some where and stay out of our business. I know... We're always in everyone else's business. Dang!

[AceLuby]

I don't know who this guy is, and don't particularly care, but he is right. We should not be killing US citizens w/out due process, I don't care who they are. Using drones to attack military strongholds in a time of war? Sure, go ahead, but declare war. Using drones to attack people that may or may not be 'plotting terrorism' w/out due process? I will never agree with that. It's no different than sending F16 fighter jets to blow people up. Part of the reason these people hate us so much is because of actions like this. Continuing them is only going to make more enemies.

[dances-weebles]

i don't believe that any military personnel should be allowed to kill anyone else unless they are actually standing in front of them and looking in their eyes.

[AceLuby]

@dances-weebles Not w/out a declaration of war. An actual declaration, the last of which happened in 1945.

[dances-weebles]

@AceLuby here's another great idea. i think that if any nation wants to go to war with any other, then the political leader of said nation should lead the first change.

[RealityOne]

There is no honor in war anymore when a video game geek can wipe out 2 dozen civilians at a time along with the bad guy.

[RealityOne]

@dances-weebles The drones are just political tools. Soon the president will be able to fly the drones himself on his xbox in his living room.

[dances-weebles]

next to nelson mandela and the dali lama mr, tutu is one of the most highly respected men in the world and a man of peace. yes, we should respect what he says.

[MadAmerican]

Tutu has gotten so much American money he should keep his trap shut.

[Yank]

Drone strikes are just another program started by Bush and expanded by Obama. The drone program has created much anti-American sentiment and was the reason given for the Benghazi attack.

[AceLuby]

Hey hey... something I can agree with you on.

[Slowmo]

Yes he's right. Terrorists should be targeted if their threat puts us in a position where taking them out would be considered self defense. Then it could be said that they were the aggressors. But to use drones to kill people who are suspected but no proof or due process is needed..that leans a little too far towards being tyrannical. Our government doesn't need to demand that others have respect for human life if they aren't willing to do the same.

[FollowTheMoney]

Dear Mr Tutu, No in fact, the lives of people in other parts of the world are not as valuable to me as American lives. Sorry about your luck. Sincerely,.....

[harold_lloyd]

If we didn't place a high value on life, we wouldn't need the court. We'd just kill anyone who looked vaguely suspicious.

[cr8z4amerika]

Obama needs to become the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize to be stripped of the award!

[ReneldaM20]

Those drones will be the death of the U.S. We are aimimg them aimlessly it seems.
We have too many weapons and too many itchy trigger fingers at the ready. DISASTER.