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Comment by fit2rule | Hacker News Reader

Worship war much? Fact is, these drones allow your government to commit heinous crimes against humanity with impunity.

If these JTAC's are so great, why the 50 to 1 civilian to 'bad guy' kill ratio?

It's worth pointing out that the 50-1 civilian to "bad guy" ratio comes from Pakistani intelligence, and no other sources have it that high. The figures are also only about Pakistan, where as far as I know we have no (or significantly fewer) JTACs. You're also talking about significantly different missions, whereas in one drones are supporting ground units and in another they are the primary unit.

I don't trust American figures about drone strikes, but I certainly don't trust Pakistani intelligence either.

Americas' own Brookings Institutes' conservative estimate is 10 to 1. That is still heinous.

I agree 10 to 1 is heinous, but it's far from unheard of in warfare w/o drones http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_casualty_ratio

No buts. Anyone who justifies any expenditure into technology-of-death over technology-of-life, is simply worshipping death. America would be far less violent if its people had to deal with its delivery on a more personal basis than the current technological means provide..

I have to be honest: I don't think you actually read the article. Here's another one to read too: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-08/psychologic...

Drone pilots are dealing with the delivery on a more personal basis than much of the rest of the military, even arguably infantry soldiers.

I absolutely do not worship death, and that's a pretty inflammatory thing to say. I also think your grouping of "technology of life" vs. "technology of death" is far to simple. For one thing we are currently communicating over a medium originally designed to monitor nuclear silos.

Pointing out the JTAC's role and its lack of connection to war mongering politicians is not worshiping war.

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