CRISISBOOM

dcourier.com

Drones – the controversy! Not just Republicans but also Democrats are worried that the president and the CIA can decide who to target with drones and who not to without any oversight from the Department of Justice or from Congress. Drones are unmanned aircraft. They can be small and used for fun, larger and used for undercover work, or larger still and used for targeting those the government considers overseas enemies of our country such as al- Qaida .

However, I contend that there’s a further concern than simply a Democratic or Republican president deciding who to spy on or who to kill. Drones are kind of like the Internet. We’ve opened a Pandora’s box – they’re here to stay and they will get more powerful and skillful. And they will be used all over the world, by all nations – both our allies and our enemies. Think of an Iran or a Mali with drone capabilities.

Just as we can’t put the Internet and all its repercussions back in the box, neither can we rewind our technology on drones. They are a permanent part of our world now – and they will grow – and spread.

Unless, of course, we were to begin thinking in terms of real world peace. Is that a possibility with our blustery culture and that throughout the rest of the planet?

Susan Lanning

Prescott