Comments on: War is still hell, even with really cool technology http://trueslant.com/toddessig/2009/10/24/war-is-still-hell-even-with-really-cool-technology/ [Please go to 'Settings' to change your Tagline] Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:04:34 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: bobshanbrom http://trueslant.com/toddessig/2009/10/24/war-is-still-hell-even-with-really-cool-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-157 bobshanbrom Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:25:18 +0000 http://trueslant.com/toddessig/?p=813#comment-157 Recall George S. Patton's response in Coppola's Patton on the prospect of "wonder weapons." "Wonder weapons... my God, I don't see the wonder in them. Killing without heroics, nothing is glorified... nothing is reaffirmed? No heroes, no cowards, no troops, no generals? Only those who are left alive... and those who are left dead. I'm glad I won't live to see it." --Spoken by George C. Scott in the film Patton. Recall George S. Patton’s response in Coppola’s Patton on the prospect of “wonder weapons.”
“Wonder weapons… my God, I don’t see the wonder in them. Killing without heroics, nothing is glorified… nothing is reaffirmed? No heroes, no cowards, no troops, no generals? Only those who are left alive… and those who are left dead. I’m glad I won’t live to see it.”
–Spoken by George C. Scott in the film Patton.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Todd Essig - Simu-Nation – War is still hell, even with really cool technology - True/Slant -- Topsy.com http://trueslant.com/toddessig/2009/10/24/war-is-still-hell-even-with-really-cool-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-156 Tweets that mention Todd Essig - Simu-Nation – War is still hell, even with really cool technology - True/Slant -- Topsy.com Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:10:33 +0000 http://trueslant.com/toddessig/?p=813#comment-156 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by American Taliban, Simon, ringo, Tweets Tube, topsy top5k and others. topsy top5k said: War is still hell, even with really cool technology http://bit.ly/as2eV [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by American Taliban, Simon, ringo, Tweets Tube, topsy top5k and others. topsy top5k said: War is still hell, even with really cool technology http://bit.ly/as2eV [...]

]]> By: Todd Essig http://trueslant.com/toddessig/2009/10/24/war-is-still-hell-even-with-really-cool-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-155 Todd Essig Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:27:21 +0000 http://trueslant.com/toddessig/?p=813#comment-155 Ultimately? Actually kids get killed immediately and horribly. While I share your concern about striking an ethical balance, even in war, having the killing done remotely kinda puts a finger on the ethical-balance scale. I think we really need to feel the blood that is on our hands to make sound ethical judgements. While the techno-dream of a sniper-missle we can program with an instruction to “get bad guy,” is a dream worth having, we are no where near that now. And having that dream does not mitigate against what looks like lots of unnecessary killing being done in our name. Ultimately? Actually kids get killed immediately and horribly. While I share your concern about striking an ethical balance, even in war, having the killing done remotely kinda puts a finger on the ethical-balance scale. I think we really need to feel the blood that is on our hands to make sound ethical judgements.

While the techno-dream of a sniper-missle we can program with an instruction to “get bad guy,” is a dream worth having, we are no where near that now. And having that dream does not mitigate against what looks like lots of unnecessary killing being done in our name.

]]> By: misterb http://trueslant.com/toddessig/2009/10/24/war-is-still-hell-even-with-really-cool-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-152 misterb Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:04:15 +0000 http://trueslant.com/toddessig/?p=813#comment-152 If the technology is so good, why can't the drones be armed with sniper rifles rather than missiles? Most people will give an ethical pass to murder under the auspices of war, and, in fact, drone-based missiles have smaller collateral footprints than bunker-buster bombs or nuclear weapons. But there's no reason that we can't keep improving the technology to be even more surgical. Ultimately, war kills children; it always does, and we are best off if we do everything in our power to promote peace. If the technology is so good, why can’t the drones be armed with sniper rifles rather than missiles? Most people will give an ethical pass to murder under the auspices of war, and, in fact, drone-based missiles have smaller collateral footprints than bunker-buster bombs or nuclear weapons. But there’s no reason that we can’t keep improving the technology to be even more surgical.
Ultimately, war kills children; it always does, and we are best off if we do everything in our power to promote peace.

]]>