Did anyone watch PW Singer just now on C-Span Booknotes? On DRONES FOR KILLING!

[KoKo]

It was incredible... WAR GAMES FOR the YOUNG!...Just go bomb out ANYONE...and your Game Skills give value to the American Military...where the Geneva Conventions will never apply to a "Gamer" who TAKES OUT a FAMILY...because their "beamer" just got the wrong target and they are living in Military Housing and WTF do they care, anyway?

It was very interesting...but had me in tears.........

http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=10463&SectionName=



Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century

Author: P.W. Singer

Upcoming Schedule

Tuesday, May 26, at 7:00 AM


About the Program

P.W. Singer discusses the rise of robotic warfare and the impact of this technological revolution on future wars. He spoke at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

About the Author

P.W. Singer is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of "Corporate Warriors" and "Children at War." For more information, visit: pwsinger.com.

[anigbrowl]

1. we shouldn't teach math either

because ballistics involves math, and you might shell the wrong target. To be honest, I'm less worried about drones bombing families than I am by soldiers in situ doing so due to panic about personal danger. War sucks, however you look at it, but I do think questions like this need to be considered in context because looking at them in isolation can actually be misleading.

[KoKo]

2. You need to listen to his whole promotion of his book at West Point before you make a statement like

that. :-(

[anigbrowl]

3. It's not a new subject to me, in fact

I've been thinking about these issues for many years now; I believe there's a much greater danger to civilians from PTSD-induced battle rage and indiscriminate shelling and bombing than from desensitized techno-warriors. This does not mean I'm dismissive of the unique new problems brought about by technology like this, but nor do see us raising a generation of emotionless videogame killers.

[KoKo]

4. Okay...I can agree with some of what you say...eom