"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi

US Drone Policy

Over the past week, or so I have been really interested in US Drone policy because of a topic in another class and having watched the first episodes of the new season of Homeland that is centered around yet another drone attack that kills many Pakistani civilians. From both these I have been begun wondering does the drone program currently being implemented create the problem, or is it not necessarily the program and the problem lies deeper within the technology itself. After reading a few articles from the Huffington Post and a government document on Drone policy the problem may lie in both.

A major problem in US drone policy is that attacks do not need to be Whitehouse approved. This means military officials can act on instinct, which in many cases has resulted in the 2,400 deaths the program has accounted in the 5 years of its existence. The drones are good at taking out terrorist individuals, but high costs with regards to innocent life. For example the majority of people killed from drones in Pakistan are roughly between 416-987 innocent civilians, half of which is thought to be children. Furthermore, in most cases the drones killed more good people than bad people, which in large parts does more harm for society than good; killing innocent people only breeds more hate and anguish towards the United States, which in the long-run only enhances terrorist group power and continuity. A change in policy that makes more controls before a attack is done needs to be drafted because in my opinion a lack of inputs has resulted in many unnecessary attacks.

Another problem I see is the technology itself because it cuts out the intimacy and responsibility of warfare because the person carrying out the drone strike that kills 12 people is literally a hundred thousand miles away and therefore does not immediately have emotional registration for their actions; in some cases these attacks almost do not seem real and feel like a video game. There is definitely something wrong with treating human life as if it were a video game especially innocent lives.  In the longer run I think the US should move away from attacks and focus more on the surveillance aspect of drones, which in most cases have been applicable both globally and domestically. Using drones for only surveillance purposes is the necessary move because people deserve better.

11 Comments

  1. [url=http://www.brandiwc.com/brand-super-9-copy-0.html]スーパーコピーロレックス,スーパーコピーロレックス時計通販スーパー コピー品その他の世界一流ロレックススーパーコピー時計品を扱っています。ヴィトン コピー、ヴィトン コピー 激安(N品)専門店”[/url]

  2. [url=http://www.wtobrand.com/miumiu-wallet1.htm]ビトンコピー,グッチコピー,エルメスコピー,シャネルコピーを初め世界中 有名なスーパーコピーブランドを激安で通販しております,自1854年以来、見物する今のルイヴィトンは優れた品質、傑出なアイデアと工芸ファッション旅行芸術の象徴。製品のシリーズを含むハンドバッグ、旅行用品、小型皮具スーパーコピーブランド、スカーフやアクセサリー、履物、成衣、腕時計、高級ジュエリーや個性的なカスタマイズサービスなど。これらの製品を大切にし、代表しているのはルイヴィトンは卓越した工芸の承諾。スーパーコピーブランドルイヴィトン公式サイトでは、製品は男性、さんLVハンドバッグ、バッグ、財布、靴、腕時計、ベルト、宝石など、もっと新型LV製品画像価格及びLouis Vuittonブランドと完璧な技術、ルイヴィトン中国公式サイトにログインしてください![/url]

  3. Michael Beyer

    Take into account that these people are not just a video game to drone pilots. These people spend weeks analyzing the target’s movements before choosing the best time to strike. In fact, rates of PTSD for drone pilots is one of the highest in any military occupation because the observers gain an almost intimate relationship with their targets. Possibly an amendment to the laws of war is in need here. I am still fuzzy on the numbers, however. The reports fluctuate in civilian casualties greatly. I would like to see greater transparency in military reports related with drone attacks. I am sure it is unlikely, but without solid numbers, I am not quite willing to take a side yet.

  4. Rachel Barron

    I completely agree with you Jeremy. I think it’s ridiculous that people are sending drones in to kill others, especially with the casualty rate it’s causing. I think you make a really good point regarding the emotional aspect. It’s much easier to kill somebody if you’re not actually the one pulling the trigger. It worries me that our society is heading towards complete computerization. Similar to what I mentioned in class about education and the power of a real classroom vs a virtual one. It’s not human in my opinion and I think it will create a lot of problems in the future. Using them as surveillance is fine but for killing I don’t think so.

  5. Miranda Wilcha

    There was recently a ratio put out that claimed that for every one terrorist leader killed, 28 civilian lives will be claimed by drone strikes. Targeted killing doesn’t seem as precise as its supposed to be. Instead, what we’re saying with this policy is that their civilian lives aren’t as valuable to us as our own are.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *