Conor Friedersdorf’s Argument Against Drones

Cartoon by Stuart Carlson

Cartoon by Stuart Carlson

Conor Friedersdorf’s entire argument against Drones is worth reading, but here’s a sample:

In thought experiments, we may be able to separate the questions, “Should force be used?” and, “If so, what is the most ethical weapon available?” But the questions are not typically asked independent of one another. A fleet of drones at the ready significantly lowers the costs of certain lethal operations. As we’ve seen, it also makes perpetual war possible in a way that it wasn’t before. Due to drones, lethal acts occur that wouldn’t have happened in a world without drones. And those acts can be carried out with more secrecy than would otherwise be possible. […]

There are also numerous reports that the U.S. carries out so-called double-tap drone strikes, where we fire a missile at someone, then fire another at rescuers who rush to the scene or mourners who attend a funeral. Of course, it could be the case that a rescuer, or a funeral attendee, is also a terrorist. But by carrying out these strikes, we prevent rescuers from rushing to the scene even when innocents are hit.

Finally, there is a question of proportionality. Drone strikes are a response to a real threat. Terrorists are bent on attacking us. At the same time, terrorist attacks are relatively rare. Terrorist attacks perpetrated by people in Yemen, as opposed to homegrown threats like Tim McVeigh or the Tsarnaev brothers, are more rare still. Are all the people, including innocents, that we’ve killed in, say, Yemen really a proportionate response to the threat that we face from terrorists there?

I’d say that is far from clear.

The Obama Administration says it only takes lethal action when the target poses “an imminent threat of violent attack.” It is absurd to suggest the thousands we’ve killed were all imminent threats. I suspect that the actual standard is hidden because it is indefensible.

More.

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