Sweeping stun guns to target crowds (& other obscene pacificers)

[donsu]

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996014

Weapons that can incapacitate crowds of people by sweeping a lightning-like beam of electricity across them are being readied for sale to military and police forces in the US and Europe.

-snip-

But human rights groups are appalled by the fact that no independent safety tests have been carried out, and by their potential for indiscriminate use.

-snip-

A weapon under development by Rheinmetall, based in Dorf, Germany, creates a conducting channel by using a small explosive charge to squirt a stream of tiny conductive fibres through the air at the victim (New Scientist print edition, 24 May 2003).

Meanwhile, Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems (XADS), based in Anderson, Indiana, will be one of the first companies to market another type of wireless weapon. Instead of using fibres, the $9000 Close Quarters Shock Rifle projects an ionised gas, or plasma, towards the target, producing a conducting channel. It will also interfere with electronic ignition systems and stop vehicles.

-snip-

HSV Technologies of San Diego, California is also working on stun and vehicle-stopping shock weapons with ranges of over 100 metres. And another company, Ionatron of Tuscon, Arizona, is due to supply a prototype wireless vehicle-mounted weapon to the US Department of Defense by the end of 2004.
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Nazi

[htuttle]

1. They plan on shooting lightning at us now?

:eyes:

Wonder how many electronic devices they'll screw up with that thing? Hey boys, go ahead and do that in front of the Stock Exchange! Might wipe out some poorly positioned options contracts!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. "Heil Hitler"!!!

:puke:

:grr:

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Oh man. Now we have to invent some sort of disruptor field

to use at protests. :eyes:

[DBoon]

4. Finally!

My tinfoil hat can be put to good use!

[TolstoyAndy]

5. And they'll use it, too...

Anyone who's been to a protest in the last few years can't help but notice the distinct resemblance between cops there "to protect" the public (we are the fucking public!) and armored stormtroopers.

I'm sorry to say I personally know racist freeper cops (one with several "dismissed" brutality complaints) who won't hestitate to pull the trigger on us.

See you in camp!

[Maurkov]

6. Less lethal weapons are a good thing

I don't trust the government to use any weapons discriminantly. When there are excesses, I would rather folks be injured than killed.

This is great for riots, and protests that are in fact riots. If they use these on peaceful demonstrators, it's going to backfire because it will look too much like this: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/moore/pressure.shtml

[shoelace414]

7. yes

I agree with you in prinicipal. however.. if the cops were issued star trek phasers the cops would end up shooting protesters with very little provocation. why? It'll only sting a little.

[Delano]

8. Can civilians buy these things?

Maybe moveon and other groups need to come prepared and give the stormtroopers a taste of their own medicine if need be...

[shanti]

9. what do you think?

n/t