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Robotic Warfare in a Brave New World

Warfare Monday, November 25, 2002 . This is a SciScoop post by Drog

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Personally, I think the danger of robotic warfare causing increased terrorism is the wrong concern. The U.S. military budget exceeds that of the rest of the world combined–nobody wants to meet them on the battlefield with or without robotic technology. I think a more important concern is how the existence of robotic weapons will influence the U.S. foreign policy, which has become increasingly forceful and unconcerned by world criticism since September 11. Suspension of civil liberties for anyone suspected of being a terrorist, labeling prisoners “enemy combatants” so as to side-step the rules of the Geneva Convention, pre-emptive military strikes and assasinations–all are justified now as being necessary to combat the the “axis of evil” in the “war against terror”. But when it can all be done from your armchair with zero chance of incurring any human casualties at all, watch how easily those previously tough moral decisions just evaporate away.

Dystopias have long been explored in science fiction, such as 1984 and Brave New World. A more recent example (which is described in great detail here) is the television series Babylon 5, in which creator J. Michael Straczynski explored the theme of how people let their fear of an enemy overcome their morals and common sense, and wind up supporting an oppressive system. People allow totalitarian regimes to come into power because they genuinely believe their leaders when they say that the end justifies the means, or because they are too afraid to oppose authority and be labeled unpatriotic (as many members of Congress admitted they felt after Sepember 11) or worse, “sympathizers” (remember the U.S Communist witch hunts of the 1950’s). “You are either with us or against us,” said the President of the most powerful nation on Earth not too long ago.

Is anyone else worried about the direction we’re headed? Fear of terrorism. A refusal to accept any responsibility for creating the motives of terrorists as a result of foreign policy. A refusal to change that foreign policy, virtually ensuring that terrorism will never end. An overwhelmingly superior military force that’s becoming virtually impervious to harm. A willingness to strike pre-emptively. Suspension of civil liberties based on suspicion rather than proof. An anti-terrorism bill that permits spying on citizens. Deportation of any foreigner that arrives at the U.S. border who happened to be born in specific countries, regardless of their current citizenship. A president who seems to believe that the end justifies almost any means and that his country is unaccountable to the rest of the world. It’s a horribly dangerous mix, with all the makings of a sci-fi author’s worst nightmare. If the public can’t read the history books and recognize the warning signs when they occur, I wish they’d at least read some sci-fi.

I didn’t start this story off intending to rant like this, but hey–now I have my first official “commentary”! And a nice, controversial one to spur lots of heated discussion. Yeah.

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2 Responses to Robotic Warfare in a Brave New World

rickyjames

November 26th, 2002 at 6:08 am

Boy, I sure worry about the way we’re heading. The most powerful office in the world is held by a guy who a mere eight years ago was primarily concerned about getting the Texas Rangers baseball team to a winning season. Yep, that’s relevant training for the life-and-death decisions America faces today. I could go down the list of how American has grown more Orwellian by the day since Dubya took the reins, but hey, I’d just get depressed. One problem not just with Dubya but the puppeteers behind him pulling the strings is just exactly what you point out – robot soldiers. When you start thinking you can unleash these hi-tech super-capable things to go out and do your bidding with little or no GI Joe bloodshed, well, letting ‘em rip looks a lot more appealing. And it’s not just the robotic aircraft you mention. There’s just as much if not more interest in unleashing software robots to gather electronic intel against our own citizens as there is to unleash smart bombs againts the unwashed dumb masses. Lots of commentary these days comparing 2000s America with 1930s Germany – pretty on target, or at least worth thinking about as a cautionary tale. But one analogy I haven’t seen in these discussions is suggested by your commentary. Ultimately, Germany was willing to start World War II because it had what it thought were weaopns that would allow them to win quicky, easily, with minimal bloodshed – the Luftwaffe and the doctrine of Blitzkreig. They viewed those things as revolutionary to warfare as we view GPS and microprocessors and stealth. But it ultimately comes down to who holds the ground, and there’s a lot of people out there holding ground they intend to keep….

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Mechano

December 1st, 2002 at 10:06 am

You are not ranting, You are thinking and evaluating the information given to You. I also have worried feeling when I watch the news nowdays.
First of all I want to say that I like America and what it stands for. I think that there is no other country in the world that gives people the opportuinity to do whatever they want with their lives. No rules or taxes to keep you down the ladder. If you have the will, strength and wits, you can go as far as your dreams. That’s unique – even in the west.
No, my major concern is when the US starts to put their nose where it does not belong. In my country we have a saying: “If you stick your chin out to far, be prepared to get punched”.
I think that is what happended at 911. It was horrible and when I watched the two towers fall on a TV at work. Knowing that all this happened live. something inside me snapped and I cried. I’m not an american, but somehow I felt strongly for our entire world at that moment. Why did it have to come to this?
And that is the question media should focus on. How can we neutralise the situation instead of escalating it? There is nothing wrong with patroism, but when it goes so far that you stop thinking, that’s when it get’s really scary. That’s what happened in germany in the thirties.

I feel that we have skipped one important step in the war against terrorism. How did the conflict start? What is the reason behind this war? It didn’t start at 911.
It doesn’t take much brainpower to figure out that it’s about the US support for Israel. And this is where it get’s really complicated. Becasue we can’t talk about these thing without risc for being called antisemitistic or un-patriotic. So we avoid talking about it and then the questions we are supposed to ask are forgotten.

So by ignoring the root to the problem, we can only watch the conflict grow. I think US will eventuall win. But at what price when it all could be stopped years ago?
We condem the islamic nations that mix religion with politics, but at the same time we support another country that also mix religion with politics. I have nothing against any religion in the world, but I get very sad when so many innocent people have to die because of a rock in Jerusalem.
If it wasn’t for both sides claiming the religious and territorial right to the temple mountain in Jerusalem there would be no conflict and all those people would still be alive. Heck, Israel could have been formed as a state in the US and there would be no need for occupations and interfadas.
I get angry when I see people die because of religious matters. Don’t get me wrong, we all should have the right to religious freedom. But keep it in your hearts and your churches (or similar).

I work in marketing and know that you can sell ice to eskimoes if have a big enough budget. The Pentagon has a $200 000 000 budget to create an opinion for a war against Iraq. More people will die and every journalist or senator who questions this get’s left in the cold.
So when you can’t discuss things without fear for getting called un-patiotic and risc loosing you job and friends, where is the democracy in that?

Scary I say…

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