Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control by Medea Benjamin (PDF)

Description

Drone Warfare is the first comprehensive analysis of one of the fastest growing—and most secretive—fronts in global conflict: the rise of robot warfare. In 2000, the Pentagon had fewer than fifty aerial drones; ten years later, it had a fleet of nearly 7,500, and the US Air Force now trains more drone “pilots” than bomber and fighter pilots combined. Drones are already a $5 billion business in the US alone. The human cost? Drone strikes have killed more than 200 children alone in Pakistan and Yemen.CODEPINK and Global Exchange cofounder Medea Benjamin provides the first extensive analysis of who is producing the drones, where they are being used, who controls these unmanned planes, and what are the legal and moral implications of their use. In vivid, readable style, this book also looks at what activists, lawyers, and scientists across the globe are doing to ground these weapons. Benjamin argues that the assassinations we are carrying out from the air will come back to haunt us when others start doing the same thing—to us.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “In this remarkably cogent and carefully researched book, Medea Benjamin makes it clear that drones are not just another high-tech military trinket. Drone Warfare sketches out the nightmare possibilities posed by this insane proliferation.” —Barbara Ehrenreich“The first book that reveals the vocal international citizen opposition that challenges the legality and morality of America’s extrajudicial execution drones before they kill here at home.” —Ann Wright, US Army colonel (ret.) and former deputy chief of mission for US embassies in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and elsewhere“A compelling mix of humanity and factual data.” —Foreign Policy in Focus“Thoroughly researched, hard-hitting … so very timely, and so very much needed.” —Tikkun About the Author Medea Benjamin is a cofounder of the peace group CODEPINK and the international human rights organization Global Exchange. A former economist and nutritionist with the United Nations and World Health Organization, she is the author or editor of eight books. Her articles appear regularly in publications such as the Huffington Post, CommonDreams, AlterNet and OpEd News.Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of fourteen books, including the bestselling Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch. She lives in Virginia.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This book is uninformed and biased, a collection of snippets and half-facts presented in poor context. Instead of using convincing data, Benjamin jumps from anecdote to anecdote to prop up poorly-built and organized points.The author believes drones are illegal and overly dangerous weapons – in itself not a radical opinion – but disregards all information that contradicts that opinion and fails to fully explore any other aspects of the controversy than the one she sympathizes with. Some of many, many examples:Benjamin takes an anecdote about an aircraft’s near-collision with a drone over the congested skies or wartime Iraq as an “alarming preview of what is to come,” implying that that drones will become so numerous that they will be continuous air hazards.After citing sources that describe drones as precision weapons with 95 percent accuracy ratings, she points to the introduction of more accurate and advanced systems as proof that the weapons weren’t accurate in the first place – a ridiculous, counter-factual claim that completely ignores even obvious things like the number of missions aborted because of unacceptable margins of error or increases from 95 to 97 percent accuracy.Instances of collateral damage and strikes which kill civilians are used as proof that drones are an especially dangerous weapon, but no statistics are given for comparable manned weapons like attack helicopters or jet fighters (which most data suggest are less accurate than drones are, conveniently omitted from the book).She will claim that drone warfare “distances soldiers from the consequences of their actions,” calling them “cubicle warriors” (pg. 87), then two pages later call into question whether or not pilots “can deal with the consequences of their actions,” describing how much more traumatic it is to witness a drone strike than a fighter strike. Which is it, Medea? Are they soulless gaming-culture killers, or PTSD time bombs? Both?These are holes a college freshman could identify in her arguments, and amount to an insulting disregard for logic. It’s a poorly disguised rant, just drivel and propaganda from front to back. Read it only if you already hate military drones and want to hate them more without a risk of learning something.

⭐This new book by leading American anti-drone activist and CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin is a must-read for anyone interested in the bitter reality of the ongoing US drone wars. It will be of interest to researchers, journalists, activists, ethicists, legal analysts, and the general public.Any initial fears that this is merely a sensationalistic, superficial analysis of the problems of drone warfare quickly vanish as one begins reading. With over 300 notes and citations, the book supplies an unparalleled, sweeping perspective on the entire problem, alluding, in one way or another, to all the main issues. It contains a lot of details about drones that probably hadn’t occurred to you before. (For example, did you know that drone-launched Hellfire missiles travel faster than the speed of sound? A strike victim doesn’t even hear them coming.)Overall it’s an excellent, and perhaps essential starting point for research on US drone warfare.The style is extremely readable, without loss of depth or impact. Medea Benjamin has an amazing command of the facts, a consequence of her sheer passion and commitment to the topic. There is no political agenda here — it is not marred by ‘leftist’ or ‘rightist’ prejudice. Rather, what comes across is an intense humanitarian motivation. She is writing from the heart, with pure and trustworthy instincts, accompanied by a high degree of intellectual and journalistic skill.

⭐and maddening.If you are one of the common rabble who happily whistle ‘it can’t happen here’ from Sinclair Lewis … think of the jug of Monsanto’s RoundUp in your garden shed. The weeds you apply it to are the jungles of Vietnam; the drones directed by remote control from Ramstein and Las Vegas are the pervasive snoops across the street who call the police every time you step outdoors. Only these snoops murder you – being guilty of nothing.None of this bodes well for us. The NSA isn’t in Bluffdale, Utah perfecting biscuit recipes. Remember this when you merrily send in your DNA swab.

⭐I admire the author, Medea Benjamin. I have seen here grilled on Thom Hartmann’s “The Big Picture”, the best, most in depth political show on television in my opinion that delves into politics and much more including drone warfare and climate change. How would you like it if a foreign government sent drones to take out drug traffikers or terrorists, and your innocent children, spouse, neighbors and friends were killed under the ill-conceived concept of “collateral damage”. President Barack Obama is much better than neocon Hillary Clinton or Mitt Romney would have been, but he was not the progressive that we believed he would be, especially when he refused to process Wall Street CEOs, torturers, and continued drone attacks that promote new generations of Muslims to hate and terrorize us. After reading Drone Warfare, I am even more convinced that it is an ill-conceived program that taints what we are supposed to be about: Liberty & Justice for all! Kudos for Medea Benjamin!

⭐Ms Benjamin has the courage of her convictions and lays out the facts clearly why she feels so strongly about the drone killing program. Medea has been a hero of mine ever since I watched a video of her interrupting John Brennan’s “pack of lies” press conference. It was sickening to listen to him saying that there have been no civilian casualties from the drone program. Ms Benjamin spoke the truth and was physically dragged out of the room. The image of her with her hands and feet pushing back against the door frame like a monkey while continuing to yell the truth is burned into my consciousness. Seriously, brutally killing people with sky-robots is immoral as well as counter-productive. It has been a singular recruitment tool for the terrorists. Why not? How would you react to a loved one being blown to bits by a Hellfire missile?

⭐This reads well and is written from the perspective this is what is happening. For me this is putting a slight bias on to the facts – it is very hard hitting. The research is thorough and wide – with over 8,000 active drones in Warfare this makes for a compelling read. Reaserchers this is a must buy. Highly Recommended.

⭐Anyone questioning the ethics of drone use should read this authoritative and factual book. The proliferation of drone technology is well documented and the author touches on the ethical debate around remote extra-judicial killing. If Obama is ever tried for war crimes some of this book content will explain why.

⭐It reads like a collection of essays bundled together but still a valuable alternative viewpoint to the promoters of drone warfare.

⭐Got it,dave.

⭐Insgesamt ist das Buch der Autorin sehr interessant und gut recherchiert. Sie schildert darin sehr gut wo Drohnen mittlerweile überall zum Einsatz kommen, sowohl im militärischen, als auch im zivilen Bereich und beleuchtet ihr Leistungspotential. Natürlich liegt ihr Hauptaugenmerk aufgrund des Themas vor allem auf dem militärischen Bereich und den massiven Einsatz von Kampfdrohnen durch die USA, aber auch Israel. Ebenso geht sie darauf ein, welche Länder ebenso in der Drohnenentwicklung tätig sind. Ebenso werden die Hersteller von Drohnen und die dazugehörige Lobby dokumentiert.Sie schildert den Alltag und die Probleme von Kampfdrohnenpiloten sowie auch die Schicksale von Zivilisten, die Opfer von Drohnenangriffen wurden. Im Anschluss beleuchtet sie die Widerstands- und Protestbewegungen, die gegen den Einsatz von Kampfdrohnen in den USA, Europa und weltweit entstanden sind. Eine Schlussbetrachtung rundet die wirklich gelungene Gesamtschau zu dieser Thematik ab.Jedoch weist dass Buch auch einzelne Fehler auf. Der Name einer Propaganda-Zeitschrift von Al Qaida ist falsch angegeben sowie mehrere Rechen- und Zahlenbeispiele nicht komplett logisch zu Ende gedacht. Zudem ist ihre Fundamentalkritik an Drohnen so breit gefächert artikuliert, dass ihre Kritikpunkte wie Kosten, fehlende Treffergenauigkeit, falsche Informationen über Ziele auch auf bemannte Kampfflugzeuge sowie fast jedes weitere Waffensystem übertragen werden können. Das Thema das Buches ist jedoch nicht die Grundsatzfrage nach der Berechtigung und Führbarkeit von Kriegen etc. sondern speziell die Drohnenkriegsführung und deshalb sollten die Argumente auch speziell zur Thematik passen.Insgesamt jedoch ist das Buch eine wirklich umfassende Dokumentation zu einer wichtigen, aktuellen Fragestellung, die wichtige Aspekte beleuchtet, wichtige Zunkunftsfragen stellt und die völlige Automatisierung von Waffensystemen zu Recht als ein großes Gefahrenpotential für die gesamte Menschheit aufzeigt. Unter Berücksichtigung der Schwachpunkte von mir deshalb aber trotzdem vier Sterne!

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