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Drone Warfare: Remote Control Killing

Page history last edited by Jared Tayco 4 years, 1 month ago

Drone Warfare: Remote Control Killing

 

Marc Davis

June 21, 2013

https://www.digitalethics.org/essays/drone-warfare-remote-control-killing

 

"Death at the Touch of a Button"

First Impression:

Drone warfare, or basically known as using life-sized remote-controlled airplanes armed to the teeth with crazy weapons, is really popular these days: half of it is all about it being cheap, efficient, and neat; and the other half is just full of fear and death itself, when you start to combine it with the topic of the online world, like say, someone might hack a drone and send it to someone's doorstep then boom---dead.

 

Quote: 

"To say a military tactic is legal, or even effective, is not to say it is wise or moral in every instance. For the same progress that gives us the technology to strike half a world away also demands the discipline to constrain that power — or risk abusing it."

 

Reflection Proper:

As far as history serves, inventions are practically creations of man that is dedicated to change the world whether for the best or the worst, but it depends on the way man uses it. For this particular reflection, I go upon a subject described by the essay being reflected upon as "cheap, neat and efficient--but not entirely" and something that can save lives while taking lives of enemies: drone warfare. According to the essay, it is "the use of  unmanned, remote-controlled armed aircraft for targeted assassinations of terrorists", and frankly, this tactic has been used often to the greatest of success by armies and military organizations especially when it comes to the ongoing terror wars. Drone warfare is usually done in this fashion: the military or intelligence authorities like CIA or FBI find a potential target --- which is mostly a terrorist or a criminal with an infamously bloody and destructive reputation---then they launch a strike via a drone which will find the enemy and attack it with precise and pinpoint accuracy without any human causalities ---that is, to be specific, none of the army mean will have no injuries or death, except to that of the enemies. However, that sort of thing --- "human casaulities"---should be really corrected, for as the essay stated: even if air strikes have been reasonable precise, there's still the inevitable chance of collateral damage, as in innocent people could also be unintentionally joined into the destruction. There have been many drone attacks throughout history, and some of them were controversial and not to mention highly criminal, like this event done on September 30, 2011: the drone assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen in Yemen, who was believed to be a terrorist, and was killed without due process of law. As I read further down the essay, I realized that drone attacks was a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and was prominent during the Obama administration, but years later, there were many cases in which most military and intelligence analyst believe that not only there are less and less major drone targets, but drone use has become counterproductive for drone attacks have resulted in the creation of more terrorists. But I believe in this phrase: a tool can be used for good or evil depending on the one who uses it, and it's high time that the ones in control of such things like drones should be highly responsible and ethical in using it, like using them to find lost people, land in need of water and/or pesticides, people who are in need of rescuing from anywhere, especially in the event of natural disasters ranging from fires to earthquakes. Needless to say, drone use should be used responsively and ethically in the first place so that it wouldn't be short-stopped so suddenly due to public fears about drone tech abuse and the absence of safety regulations and what not.

5 Things Learned From Article: 

 

  1. I learned about the meaning of drone warfare.

  2. I learned about the fact that drone warfare, even though precise in its actions, may cause innocent lives to be destroyed unintentionally.

  3. I learned about information regarding drone tech abuse and assassinations or extra-judicial killings involving drone use.

  4. I learned that drone use also has its good sides like having the ability to spot people in need to help.

  5. I learned that drone use has its effects depending on the one who uses it.

 

 

 

5 Integrative Questions:

 

  1. Is drone use dangerous or not in your opinion

  2. What's your opinion on drone use?

  3. Why do you think the public fears drone use these days?

  4. Do you have suggestions or insights regarding drone use?

  5. If you ever have a drone, what would you do with it?

 

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