This documentary does bring up some important issues of using remote control and autonomous weapons, especially issues of accountability and oversight. However, many of these issues seem to be drowned under rather disjointed arguments and heavy focus on bigger issues that are not unique to drones. For example, much is made over the fear that insurgent fighters get from the buzzing Reaper Drones, though I fail to understand any appreciable difference between being killed from miles above and away by a drone compared to being killed manned helicopter gunship or a cruise missile. Also, the issue of accidental civilian deaths caused by manned war machines and the reduction in accidents that pure machines could bring about is hardly discussed. All of these have great levels of detachment.
As to the faceless victims the documentary initially speaks about or Taliban fighters who claim drone usage is cowardly, one can also argue that booby-traps and tripwire IEDs are just as anonymous and immoral and significantly older, and therefore the issues of faceless warfare they bring up are indeed older than drone warfare. The issue of just or unjust war is important, but not limited to the field of drones.
Had the documentary ended at 45 minutes I still would have given it 6 stars for raising some real issues over how and if drones should be used, but I am docking it 2 stars for the last few minutes. The image of a swarm of drones descending on New York City was frankly ridiculous and looked lifted from a bad scifi movie.
As to the faceless victims the documentary initially speaks about or Taliban fighters who claim drone usage is cowardly, one can also argue that booby-traps and tripwire IEDs are just as anonymous and immoral and significantly older, and therefore the issues of faceless warfare they bring up are indeed older than drone warfare. The issue of just or unjust war is important, but not limited to the field of drones.
Had the documentary ended at 45 minutes I still would have given it 6 stars for raising some real issues over how and if drones should be used, but I am docking it 2 stars for the last few minutes. The image of a swarm of drones descending on New York City was frankly ridiculous and looked lifted from a bad scifi movie.
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