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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Drones

Despite receiving little attention from the Left or the Right during the election, our nation's drone warfare program continues to inflame anti-American sentiments across the world – particularly in volatile nations like Pakistan. 

And we ignore this semi-covert drone war at our own peril, because in the near future, those same drones will be flying over U.S. skies, too. In fact, they already are – assisting in law enforcement and anti-immigration missions. And this week, the Department of Homeland Security announced it plans to double its fleet of Predator drones flying inside the United States. Already, DHS has spent $250 million on a fleet of ten surveillance drones to fly U.S. skies – but according to the group California Watch, DHS signed a contract worth nearly $500 million to purchase an additional 14 drones to spy on us. DHS is also encouraging local police forces to purchase their own drones – and has dished out $4 million to local agencies to "accelerate" the purchase of unmanned surveillance drones. According to estimates from the FAA, we might have as many as 30,000 drones patrolling American skies by the end of the decade. If the countless dead civilians from our drone strikes abroad don't affect you, then the complete disappearance of your privacy rights at home will.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's hunting season, and now I have another target to look for.

Anonymous said...

Is that why the "Last resort" is getting the axe? Too real?

Anonymous said...

The airspace surrounding DC has the most advanced protection of any air space on earth.Drones will soon replace manned jets entirely as threat responders.Since drones are in DC airspace 24/7 there is an instantaneous response to any unauthorized aircraft.Point being that drones do have their advantages when used appropriately.

Anonymous said...

And they have a possibility of being used inappropriately. Check your fourth amendment, and get back to me.
DC is DC, but my airspace is my airspace. I've got the rifle.