It often times befuddles me why so many people are paranoid that the federal government is coming after them. Then there are the rare occurrences when I can temporarily understand why this is.
Courtesy of AOL (America Online - yes, it still exists), the following headline was showcased earlier today - "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans."
I imagine a lot of the before-mentioned paranoid folk saw that headline and thought to themselves, "See? I told everyone, but they wouldn't listen to me. This is why I stocked up on all those assault rifles, twinkies, and Ayn Rand books."
If one were to actually click on the headline provided by AOL, it would lead him/her to an article at The Huffington Post, which is titled something different. This article is titled, "DOJ Drones Paper: Obama's Second-Term Cabinet, Agenda Faces New Scrutiny." Yes, the title is slightly different than the one AOL implied - "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans."
Not far into the article, the following is noted - "The report, by Michael Isikoff of NBC News, reveals that the Obama administration believes that high-level administration officials -- not just the president -- may order the killing of 'senior operational leaders' of al Qaeda or an associated force even without evidence they are actively plotting against the U.S."
I'm not going to get into whether or not I believe, if this report is indeed accurate, that the actions taken by the administration are moral or immoral. I believe healthy arguments can be prompted by both sides of the argument. However, wasn't the AOL headline a bit on the sensationalistic side?
Let's see here... "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans." Ah, that's not going to frighten anyone. The headline is giving off the impression that the federal government can legally kill any American. It doesn't matter if he or she is shopping at Wal-Mart for Christmas presents, getting $20 of gas at a Marathon gas station, or drinking a bucket of Bud Lights at a Hooter's joint near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Be on the lookout, because you could be the next victim!
When delving into the article, it clearly states that these "Americans" are affiliated with al Qaeda or like group. The AOL headline would be much more accurate and much less fear-invoking if instead of reading "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans," it read, "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans Affiliated with the Terrorist Group Al-Qaeda." Since everyone I know in this country can be classified as an American and no one I personally know can be classified as being affiliated with al Qaeda, this alteration in wording makes just a slight difference.
My guess is the next AOL headline will read something like this - "Cops Can Shoot People," and when looking inside the article, it makes it known that cops can only shoot people when their lives or others' lives are in jeopardy. Again, just a slight difference there...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04/doj-drones-paper_n_2619582.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D266012
Courtesy of AOL (America Online - yes, it still exists), the following headline was showcased earlier today - "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans."
I imagine a lot of the before-mentioned paranoid folk saw that headline and thought to themselves, "See? I told everyone, but they wouldn't listen to me. This is why I stocked up on all those assault rifles, twinkies, and Ayn Rand books."
If one were to actually click on the headline provided by AOL, it would lead him/her to an article at The Huffington Post, which is titled something different. This article is titled, "DOJ Drones Paper: Obama's Second-Term Cabinet, Agenda Faces New Scrutiny." Yes, the title is slightly different than the one AOL implied - "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans."
Not far into the article, the following is noted - "The report, by Michael Isikoff of NBC News, reveals that the Obama administration believes that high-level administration officials -- not just the president -- may order the killing of 'senior operational leaders' of al Qaeda or an associated force even without evidence they are actively plotting against the U.S."
I'm not going to get into whether or not I believe, if this report is indeed accurate, that the actions taken by the administration are moral or immoral. I believe healthy arguments can be prompted by both sides of the argument. However, wasn't the AOL headline a bit on the sensationalistic side?
Let's see here... "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans." Ah, that's not going to frighten anyone. The headline is giving off the impression that the federal government can legally kill any American. It doesn't matter if he or she is shopping at Wal-Mart for Christmas presents, getting $20 of gas at a Marathon gas station, or drinking a bucket of Bud Lights at a Hooter's joint near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Be on the lookout, because you could be the next victim!
When delving into the article, it clearly states that these "Americans" are affiliated with al Qaeda or like group. The AOL headline would be much more accurate and much less fear-invoking if instead of reading "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans," it read, "Secret Memo: Gov't Can Kill Americans Affiliated with the Terrorist Group Al-Qaeda." Since everyone I know in this country can be classified as an American and no one I personally know can be classified as being affiliated with al Qaeda, this alteration in wording makes just a slight difference.
My guess is the next AOL headline will read something like this - "Cops Can Shoot People," and when looking inside the article, it makes it known that cops can only shoot people when their lives or others' lives are in jeopardy. Again, just a slight difference there...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04/doj-drones-paper_n_2619582.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D266012
Comments
Post a Comment