Might read John Robb's blog. He has quite a bit going back over several years on this.
Bad enough that those who think themselves the owners of this country (by wealth) and their lackeys who've implemented the war on Americans (the politicians indistinguishable from one another by anyone with a brain) in the name of an abstraction,
"terra-rism"!! . . it's that the cheap ubiquity of drones will
also be available to the organized and unorganized criminals who -- like the drug gangs in Mexico -- have no use for replacing government, but wish all profit to themselves. Regions, industries, etc. Why else does Wal-Mart contract the CIA to build the largest ever private intelligence center?
One should note that the Mexican Army suffers no casualties of note in the border drug skirmishes. After all, the fight is about controlling the profits from drugs on their side of the border. Same with dismembering PEMEX as Mexican oil production terminally declines. Citizens as collateral problems are easily ignored.
On this side of the border the same corruption prevails. Major banks admit to laundering the money of the above for their share. None are charged, much less go to prison. This profit has to be protected. USAF and other drones fly their 24-hr "missions" courtesy of taxpayer dollars all along drug routes.
Those of us in the middle suffer the indignity of attack
from above and from below. The Palestinians and Iranians are learning to use such tools, well. Game theory predicts following success, especially when it is becoming dirt cheap.
Plenty of other commentators out there. Glenn Greenwald is especially good on the evisceration of the Constitution.
Drones are just one part of that puzzle in a hollow state: the laws stand, but have no meaning. The Bill of Rights is an ancient joke, or, as the most recent President declared,
just a piece of paper.
Laws, and Exec Orders under the current one just widen and envelope the legal cover for any and all behaviors. After all, we've been in a State of Emergency since 9/11 . . . though no threat is visible, evident or extant.
Total Information Awareness. No joke that a guy (a convicted felon) was put in charge of that one . . named
Poindexter, ha!
If you're declared a threat to the State (under secret laws not admissible in court), or have a handy idea someone else can steal,well,
drones for look-down, shoot-down capability are awesome. Swarming behavior, like birds or a school of fish. All sorts of capabilities.
The pointless demonstrations at this years politico conventions will have hundreds of them airborne . . . the ones you can still see from fifty feet that is.
Your new "guardian angels".
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