This is why I'm a libertarian: these horror stories will only stop once people take responsibility for their actions. A part of this responsibility is not allowing other men to commit immoral atrocities in your name. We're all responsible for these deaths.
I'm not responsible. The government has nothing to do with me. They are a racket that steals my money at gunpoint, nothing more. If a thug steals my money on the street and buys some bullets with it and shoots someone with them I am not responsible. If I cheered the thug on or made excuses for the murder that would make me pretty immoral which is why I don't defend the government at all.
I think it could be argued that we, as US citizens, ARE responsible (to a much lesser degree -- I don't think anyone would equate a US citizen to the US government) unless we're actively resisting. But I definitely would say it's an "argument," not some self-evident truth.
You know - I think of it in a comparison between the actions of what happened on flight 95 vs flights 11, 175, and 77. On 95, passengers actively resisted and minimized casualties. This was not successfully done on any of the other flights. I don't think anyone would argue they
shouldn't have resisted and crashed the plane into a field, and I think the question's really whether or not everyone has that moral obligation to resist (and resist how much?).
If we're paying taxes and not actively opposing laws which allow these kinds of things to happen, then to some degree, whether it's at gunpoint or not, I think we are responsible. We know where our tax money's going. We know these kinds of tragedies happen fairly frequently. We contributed to these fifteen murders in Yemen. I don't think we can completely wash our hands of it. At best, we failed in resistance, and at worst, we didn't actively oppose it.
This. Every bomb and bullet that is fired by a soldier is paid for with your taxes. This should outrage any half-decent human being. Why don't they cut their defence budget in half and use the money saved to pay off some of their debt or dish out free healthcare or free education? Unfortunately America and the UK was taken hold of by corporate interests long ago, so this isn't likely unless you can get somebody into power who is willing to stand up against corporate tyranny, but of course, elections and politicians are easily bought and paid for so it's incredibly difficult.
It always annoys me when Americans and my fellow Brits think criticism of their governments is an attack on them personally, or that they are not responsible for them and are completely apathetic towards change or protest. The only people who seemingly aren't bothered by what their countries' leaders do are usually racists and ignorant blind patriots. I think it was Einstein who said 'Nationalism is the measles of mankind'.