|
Foreward
to Drone Warfare by Barbara Ehrenreich
In many ways, drones present the same moral
issues as any other action-at-a-distance
weapon: They allow warriors to kill at a
minimal risk to themselves, thus lowering
the human cost of aggression. Thus the ancient
contempt for archers, as recounted in The
Iliad, where the Greek chieftains deride
the Trojan prince Paris for his reliance
on the bow and arrow. Real men are not afraid
of hand-to-hand combat; only cowards attack
from a distance, often hiding behind trees
or rocks.
Drones are of course the ultimate action-at-a-distance
weapon, allowing the aggressor to destroy
targets in Pakistan or Afghanistan while
“hiding” thousands of miles away
in Nevada. But this alone does not make
them uniquely pernicious: Missiles and aerial
bombardment can also be launched from great
distances, by individuals who need not see
the extent of the violence they inflict.
If we are to end war, we need to take aim
at all the weaponry that makes it possible
and even inviting – guns, artillery,
fighter planes and bombs—and at the
industries that manufacture them.
But in this remarkably cogent and carefully
researched book, Medea Benjamin makes it
clear that drones are not just another high-tech
military trinket. In fact, it is hard to
even claim that their primary use is “military”
in any traditional sense. Drones have made
possible a program of targeted assassinations
that are justified by the U.S. “war
on terror,” but otherwise in defiance
of both international and U.S. law. As Benjamin
documents, it is the CIA, not the Pentagon,
that operates most drone strikes in Western
Asia, with no accountability whatsoever.
Designated targets, including American citizens,
have been condemned without evidence or
trial-- at the will, apparently, of the
White House. And those who target the drones
do so with complete impunity for the deaths
of any civilians who end up as collateral
damage.
One of Benjamin's most disturbing
revelations has to do with the explosive
expansion of the drone industry in just
the last few years, to the point where 50
nations now possess the devices. Drone Warfare
sketches out the nightmare possibilities
posed by this insane proliferation. We cannot
only expect drones to fall into the hands
of “rogue” nations or terrorist
groups; we should brace ourselves, too,
for the domestic use of surveillance drones
and even armed drones at the Mexican border
and possibly against American civilian protestors.
In anyone else's hands, this could
be a deeply depressing book. Fortunately
though, Medea Benjamin is not just an ace
reporter; she's one of the world's
leading anti-war activists. Drone Warfare
ends with the story of the global anti-drone
movement, in which she has played a central
role. At the end of this book, you'll
be inspired – and you'll know
exactly how to get involved!
|
