Drones, due process, and the rule of law
More and more, in "the war on terror", armed drones, such as the Predator, are used to kill people by remote control in far-off lands.
The media often reports that they were terrorists when in fact they were people merely suspected of being terrorists.
And then, on top of that, others are often killed whose only "crime" was that they were in the same vehicle, or building, or vicinity of a person suspected of being a terrorist (whatever that means).
Does anyone else think there's something fundamentally wrong here?
Clues: Due process... Rule of law....
The media often reports that they were terrorists when in fact they were people merely suspected of being terrorists.
And then, on top of that, others are often killed whose only "crime" was that they were in the same vehicle, or building, or vicinity of a person suspected of being a terrorist (whatever that means).
Does anyone else think there's something fundamentally wrong here?
Clues: Due process... Rule of law....
posted by The Editor at
12:35 AM
4 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
The technology for the Predator drones to operate completely autonomously already exists. Presently it's a bit too bulky to be feasible, but in 5 years ... ?
The Americans seem to be operating on the principle that if the jihadists aren't following due process or the rule of law, then they don't need to either. Hence Abu Ghraib.
If you hold your principles so lightly that if your opponent doesn't share them you can just discard them is fundamentally and always wrong, no matter what your principles are.
So if you're American, you are entitled to due process, but if you're a Yemeni you're just drone fodder, eh?
Being _suspected_ of being a "terrorist" (whatever they're having that mean this week)is now sufficient to warrant summary execution, by remote control from an armchair somewhere in Nevada, eh?
Gee, I wonder why so many people get so pissed off they go heading off to get some American scalps. Any American scalps...
That must be good news for those who want to see "the war on terror" go on ad infinitum. i.e. the military, the contractors, the military industrial complex and its shareholders. Good for the economy, stiff shit about the "sub-humans", eh?
I notice the term "insurgent" (which used to mean freedom fighter, or resistance fighter), is out of vogue these days, having been replaced by this handy term "terrorist"
I know it's not just the Yanks, but they're the main instigators.
Oh, and if you point this out, you're "anti-American". I wonder how long before that means you're drone fodder...
And we Australians fall over backwards supporting those mad bastards and their delusion of being "the superior culture".
Grrrrrrr...
I would hate any form of drone become available to private citizens, I fear it would be curtains for me.
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