Politics & Current Events
MommyLiberty5013
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Is there a better alternative to Drones?
I am uninformed on this. Educate me.
I guess I was under the impression they saved more lives. And while anyone dying isn't good, having lower death tolls using them is better. Isn't it a stuck between a rock and a hard place position to use them or not?
The stats flashed up on the screen last night in the debate about civilian casualties caused while using them. Would the number be lower if another attack method were employed?
And, even if civilain casualities decreased by way of another method, would that mean, in turn, more U.S. troops were possibly put in harm's way?
Re: Is there a better alternative to Drones?
I was going to post/ask this same question earlier.
I also feel a dearth of knowledge on this subject. I hope someone can help us out.
I certainly don't have a ton of answers on this, and I'll add that I don't think I'm representing the Democratic viewpoint on this but...
I do think it's being stuck in a rock and a hard place, although not completely for the accidental deaths. We had tons of accidental deaths in Bosnia too with Clinton. I think, in terms of cutting edge saving people from total buildings being blown up, drones are the best technology has to offer (so far)
That said, drones are a different weaponry in that U.S. soldiers aren't there to man them. I know Ron Paul acolytes have a HUGE problem with drones (they think drones are unconstitutional) and the fuzzy standards it takes to use one to kill.
Finally, yes, the government is using these machines to spy and kill on bad guys now, but who's to say that the government won't use these to spy on it's own people? Already state governments are talking about using governments in police forces.
There are plans to use the drones domestically.
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2846813
(Fairfax County is a major area in the DC Metro)
To more precisely kill people for less money? No. It's a trade off, how many of the "bad guys" are you willing to let live or catch at a higher price in exchange for not killing innocent civilians? We could not achieve the same objectives without drones, but we also wouldn't kill innocent men, women, and children.
I do wonder if in the long term we could achieve the same objective (fewer "bad guys") by offering aid and support and thus encouraging people to like us - because let's be honest, to Americans "bad guys" really just means anti-American. But that's not immediately measurable so I don't think politicians are willing to take the chance.
I just think our standards should be higher. If I lived in a country under American drone strikes that threatened me and my family, then I'd hate America too.
No, to many American's, "bad-guys" means terrorizers who kill innocents by the thousands, and subvert womens' rights, and violate international law. That's the definition of "bad guys." Anti-American sentiment can be found world-wide, like in Europe, but they aren't "bad guys" there.