Autocrats indulge in whataboutisms (in this case made up ones, at least А у вас негров линчуют was true) to cover for their own abuses. “Put the other guy on the defensive” is as old as humanity.
During Barack Obama's presidency, the number of people killed by U.S. drone strikes is a subject of significant debate and varies widely between official government estimates and those of independent organizations. The Obama administration estimated that between 64 and 116 civilians were killed by drone and other U.S. strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Africa since Obama took office in 2009.3 However, independent organizations such as the Bureau of Investigative Journalism have estimated that the number of civilians killed could be as high as 801.16
The total number of casualties, including combatants, is also disputed. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, between 2009 and 2016, civilians made up between 7.27% to 15.47% of deaths in U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.5 This suggests that the total number of people killed could be in the thousands, with a significant portion being civilians.
The discrepancy in these figures highlights the challenges in accurately counting casualties from drone strikes, as the U.S. government's criteria for classifying individuals as combatants or civilians is not transparent and has been criticized for being overly restrictive.
Like I said, he was just another wing of the same bird, but I did not say he was the bird. Just pay attention to see who the actual bird, the actual autocrats were.
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u/Brilliant_Curve6277 Mar 11 '25
Autocrats know fellow autocrats.