America’s secret civilian killings echo one of its darkest chapters
The United States passed a grim milestone in the past few days: The Trump administration has killed the 200th civilian in its military strikes against small boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. U.S. Southern Command marked the occasion by releasing footage of the strike in color for the first time. As the nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding, we would pause to consider that what was once a scrappy little collection of colonies fighting against a mighty empire in a quest for self determination has become a mighty empire itself, asserting its dominance over the Western hemisphere by picking off small speed boats in two oceans and blowing them to bits with massive military force. What a triumph for the cause of human freedom promised in the Declaration of Independence. This military action has been ongoing since September with very little serious explanation or oversight, and originally appeared to be a precursor to the administration’s January operation in Venezuela, which deposed the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and brought him to …
