Posted on 05/23/2012 11:54:42 AM PDT by Nachum
WASHINGTON (CBSDC) – With the use of domestic drones increasing, concern has not just come up over privacy issues, but also over the potential use of lethal force by the unmanned aircraft.
Drones have been used overseas to target and kill high-level terror leaders and are also being used along the U.S.-Mexico border in the battle against illegal immigration. But now, these drones are starting to be used domestically at an increasing rate.
The Federal Aviation Administration has allowed several police departments to use drones across the U.S. They are controlled from a remote location and use infrared sensors and high-resolution cameras.
Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas told The Daily that his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone.
(Excerpt) Read more at washington.cbslocal.com ...
No, it was Krauthammer.
Yes, they are, this may be one of the reasons why 0bama remains confident he will be re-elected.
“The problem is mission creep plus a complacent group of...citizens”
Thank you, excellent answer and stuff to consider. I don’t want armed anything flying around my city, county or state. The platform used is incidental, which was the point of my questions. I’d be against them arming blimps, if that was the proposal. Flying things are great survailance tools, but just as subject to the constitution as any other government/police tool.
As you point out, a complacent public in the face of grasping government is the real danger here.
“Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step over the ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!— All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the
Blue Ridge, in a trial of a Thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” —Abraham Lincoln 1838.
Dang dude, now you went and made me quote Lincoln.
Okay. I’ve just seen it attributed to both here on FR. It just sounded more like the Judge to me.
Charles Krauthammer : First guy that brings a Domestic Drone down will be a folk hero (May 14, 2012) (video 2:01)
I'm not sure why Kraut is characterizing his opinion as "hard-left liberatarian" but I agree with him. No Fed drones over the U.S.
What’s the difference between having a helicopter or plane vs. a drone overhead patrolling your city?
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No difference as far as I am concerned. I find them all terrible.
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What’s the difference between armed drones and armed helicopters or planes? (Like you, I want neither)
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There isn’t any, all terrible.
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What makes armed drones WORSE than armed helicopters or armed planes?
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All terrible, Drones are killer and spy robots that can get up close and personal.
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Why hasn’t the government armed helicopters or planes when they’ve had 50+ years to do so, but can’t wait to arm drones?
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I have no idea. Drones have cameras and infra red and can get up close and personal with their targets. Horrifying!
I have to imagine you are you anti-helicopter and anti-plane for the same reasons you are anti-drone, correct?
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Yes
Easier said than done. At operational altitudes, drones are invisible and silent from the ground. (Not counting “toy” drones owned by small town PDs.) They use encrypted frequency hopping commo channels. The only way for now to counter the drones would be to attack them and their handlers on the ground. Since they are operated from military bases by and large, it would be quite a trick to attack them. I see no way for the individual citizen to counter them while they are in the air.
I have a few thoughts right off the rip that I will not share publicly. Might be effective counters out there.
“I see no way for the individual citizen to counter them while they are in the air.”
Correctamundo. I also don’t see how arming a drone has any domestic necessity at this time. What is expected to change that dropping bombs on targets in the US is expected to be a necessity? It is expensive to even do so.
“What about airspace?
Drone v airliner.”
Anything over 18,000 feet in the US is Class A airspace, meaning controlled airspace. All aircraft in that airspace must be on an instrument (IFR) flight plan, meaning they are told by Air Traffic Control (ATC) where to fly. So, if the drones and the airliners are all under ATC control, ATC is also providing separation of those aircraft. Frankly, those little drones might become a PITA to ATC, orbiting as those drones do.
How do you say "I'm over here" in Swahili?
Cough cough...haaaack ....cough cough. Virus is going around these days more frequently I am told. Cough....hack sneeze... Bird Flu maybe ?
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