Is it the drones or the policy that is the problem?

[KharmaTrain]

17. Dangerous Precedents...

There's several issues here that people seem to be trying to rolling into one...let me try to separate some key ones.

Firstly, drones are the latest and definitely not the last new technology that is changing how war is conducted. If we are at "war" (which hasn't been declared since 1941...subject for another time) then if this technology saves our soldier's lives and hastens the end of the conflict, then its use is not only justified it should be encouraged. It also serves as a valuable surveliance tool that promises to get more evasive as better cameras and other sensors are developed. The technology won't go away and is proliferating...other countries are looking to add drones to their military...and this leads to the next point.

We're using drones in what many would consider outside the "theater of war". There's no international laws governing the use of this technology and could easily lead to the escalation of "third world" wars as weaponized drones controlled from hundreds or thousands of miles away duke it out with civilians in the crossfire. The international community needs to look into this issue as we'll see more use of this technology in the future.

The last matter is the invasion of American privacy that drones present. Also the ability of a government to target American citizens without any due process who they deem as an "imminent threat". I'll be honest...I was not satisfied with Holder's explanation or with Brennan avoiding using the word "torture" while trying to denounce it. There needs to be oversight on using this or any new technology against American citizens. If they're threats...then get a warrant from a judge or panel. While I may trust this administration in their judgement in using drones, that may not be the case with a rushpublican in that position.

Cheers...