A giant art installation targets predator drone operators
notabugsplat.com
notabugsplat.com
The Peshawar High Court has ruled that the attacks are illegal,
inhumane, violate the UN charter on human rights and constitute
a war crime. The Obama administration disagrees, contending
that the attacks do not violate international law and that the
method of attack is precise and effective.
Throughout history, the wealthy have always needed mercenaries and laborers, and often used the former to enforce the obedience of the latter. What happens, when technology becomes so advanced that the wealthy can not only afford all the necessities and luxuries of life without laborers, but also the ability to purchase robotic mercenary forces, with no humans involved?
Now, the transition period will be interesting, as there will always be human operators required prior to AGI. But as automation progresses, fewer and fewer highly skilled individuals will be able to directly operate larger and larger automated facilities. Transportation, sanitation, agriculture, shelter, energy production and even military forces could be controlled by a very small number of individuals.
The only restraint is how much capital the owner has at their disposal.
This scenario of Neo-Feudalism is far more disquieting than classical Feudalism. Back then, even peasants had some use. In this new system, most people are worthless.
Sci-fi for now, but for how much longer?
The lack of forethought in the use of drones is staggering.
But when the ruling class has a unsympathetic perfectly controlled drone army, I think revolt might be near impossible. Orwell's boot stomping on a human face forever is actually BigDog.
In military slang, Predator drone operators often refer to kills as ‘bug splats’, since viewing the body through a grainy video image gives the sense of an insect being crushed.
To challenge this insensitivity as well as raise awareness of civilian casualties, an artist collective installed a massive portrait facing up in the heavily bombed Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa region of Pakistan, where drone attacks regularly occur.
It is a very scary idea that one day unknowingly the wrath of "gods" from above could fall on you if you just happen to be at the wrong wedding or funeral or your goat looks like an IED or something.
If that doesn't constitute terrorism I don't know what is.
Also on a higher level, it is interesting that actually making mistakes and using surgical strikes to kill civilians is in the interests of _everyone_ in the chain of command, almost all the way to the President.
Imagine a world where one day we just get so lucky and conduct one last drone mission and wipe out the last terrorist cell (let's suspend disbelief here for a second). Imagine what would happen on the US side. Billions of dollars sunk into drone programs, hardware, factories, training, thousands of men trained to repair, build, operate, support drones. Careers and promotions tied to the success of the drone programs. What would happen to them.
There is a feedback loop that actually would reward everyone if these drone attacks are brutal and end up creating more terrorist cells more hate and more fear.
I don't think higher up will ever issue a direct order to kill civilians but I think over time they would stop questioning too much or investigating enough up until they have just enough official plausible deniability, after that who knows what is going on their heart.
It’s a very sad story. Do you have a link to a more detailed report?
http://www.npr.org/2013/05/05/181403067/the-hidden-cost-of-t...
I believe it was part of a testimony before Congress of an Yemeni urging US to stop using drones there. He made a statement to that effect -- threats of being bombed by drones are part of the culture and folklore.
We have become the scary boogeyman in the night, very disturbing if you ask me.
My backyard is 1/3 of an acre–what's the CPM on that?
"This is the story of every known drone strike in Pakistan."
My dad fought in the front lines of two wars. He suffered PTSD. I am sympathetic to the trauma suffered by the soldiers. But I am also sympathetic to the civilians who would like very much to not be bombed.
* http://eyewitnesstohistory.com/matahari.htm (Does not address the point I make but is an interesting read.)
http://www.gq.com/news-politics/big-issues/201311/drone-uav-...
So are they stopping then? I know it is not all black and white and sometimes those involved in slaughter and killing of civilians get off if there is a trial based on "I was following orders" reason, and sometimes they don't.
Allegedly all these volunteers have sworn to protect the Constitution first and foremost. Obeying presidential orders is there too but it is secondary. One can ask if that person that looks like a goat herder with a staff in his hands is a threat to the US Constitution. Even if he was carrying an AK-47 still not sure if it would qualify. Blowing up a wedding or a funeral should be a punishable offense tried in the International Criminal Court, well except that US doesn't accept the jurisdiction of ICC so yeah... we've got an art installation instead and some protests around the White House walls and whatnot.