More Piracy Near Somalia

[motorfirebox]

Not sure where you're going now. What do you mean by "the military is actually doing what it's supposed to do" ?

Pretty much this:

We break things and kill people at the behest of those that can't and won't

Whatever I think of the situation in Somalia, it is--I agree--the military's role to break things and kill people when instructed. As incidents like that ridiculous "Collateral Murder" video show, it's becoming difficult to do that.

I can't make the distinction simply because the public is now paying more attention than before. We knew it was happening in the 80s & 90s, we reported our findings in the 80s & 90s, and we got to answer "congressional letters" in the 80s & 90s. Not sure who exactly was looking the other way then and/or now

The public's attention is an important distinction. It's important because we're a voting public, and unpopular military action subtracts votes from the guys who ordered it. If a tree falls on a hostage in Somalia and Anderson Cooper isn't around to furrow his brow, does anybody lose an election?

Well, okay but TV 'news' served up by the Entertainment industry and fllavored strongly by US domestic politics and ideologies is probably a poor source for decision making information...

Better to skim the Internet for multiple news reports, preferably competing or conflicting and from several nations -- and give the 'news' time to be corroborated and to gel (first reports are invariably incorrect, some dangerously so) -- then judge veracity, filter for bias and make your own decision.

CNN is useful to me as an indicator of what the public at large is interested in. For actual news, I get my hands dirty digging.

Speak to the politicians. Your Elected leaders and their appointed minions make those types of decisions. Whether the military wants to do it, is properly trained or equipped to do it is absolutely immaterial to them. Virtually no one in the US Army wanted to go to Iraq...

Er, yeah, I said "military" when I meant those who make the decisions on where to send it.