The Drone Phenomenon Glenn Greenwald uses a 2012 New Stanford/NYU study on drone usage by the American government to justify his article, claiming that the presence of drones “terrorizes men, women, and children, giving rise to anxiety and psychological trauma among civilian communities” (Greenwald 2012). Greenwald defines those affected by America’s drone campaign as systematically terrorized. This drone campaign is a result of a one-day attack on America that now has started a “never-ending” operation of violence, which, according to Greenwald, is only increasing aggression toward the U.S.
He also expresses outrage toward the term “militants” and the way the term is loosely thrown around by journalists. Journalists use “militants” to describe …show more content…
“The drone exemplifies the instrumentalization of violence and laws of war through a complex process of parenthetical disassociation” (Pugliese 186). Generally, drone operators use language when referring to drones that attempts to remove the act of killing from the operator itself, transferring it to the drone such as “the drone can see its target.” He argues that drones cannot ‘see’ what they execute, they only “execute what must be seen for them through sensor operators” (Pugliese 187). This entertains the thought that he drone does the killing, while the operator who launches it remains only as an afterthought, and not considered part of the action. This disconnect is what Pugliese argues leads to desensitization in drone operators and others involved in the mission. In response to this disconnect, he clarifies that the relationship between operator and drone is real and can be seen through tele-techno mediation (Pugliese 188). Pugliese’s idea of tele-techno mediation should be envisioned as triangulated. The relationship consists of the drone operator, the satellite he communicates with, and the signal sent from the satellite to the drone itself. It is this relationship that allows the drone operator to feel disconnected from the death wrought by the drone, because once the mission comes to an end, the operator can resume his life as though he had just finished a quick
He also expresses outrage toward the term “militants” and the way the term is loosely thrown around by journalists. Journalists use “militants” to describe …show more content…
“The drone exemplifies the instrumentalization of violence and laws of war through a complex process of parenthetical disassociation” (Pugliese 186). Generally, drone operators use language when referring to drones that attempts to remove the act of killing from the operator itself, transferring it to the drone such as “the drone can see its target.” He argues that drones cannot ‘see’ what they execute, they only “execute what must be seen for them through sensor operators” (Pugliese 187). This entertains the thought that he drone does the killing, while the operator who launches it remains only as an afterthought, and not considered part of the action. This disconnect is what Pugliese argues leads to desensitization in drone operators and others involved in the mission. In response to this disconnect, he clarifies that the relationship between operator and drone is real and can be seen through tele-techno mediation (Pugliese 188). Pugliese’s idea of tele-techno mediation should be envisioned as triangulated. The relationship consists of the drone operator, the satellite he communicates with, and the signal sent from the satellite to the drone itself. It is this relationship that allows the drone operator to feel disconnected from the death wrought by the drone, because once the mission comes to an end, the operator can resume his life as though he had just finished a quick