Civillians

Jane Mayer's article on Drone warfare really made me wonder about the numbers. The sheer numbers of civillian casualties incurred through the use of drone warfare. by this time I'm sure they far surpass the number of American civillian casualties from the attacks of September 11th, the event that opened the floodgates to our use of aggressive predator drone warfare. I think it's likely by the time that Mayer had written her article, the drone casualties had already surpassed our September 11th casualties and that by now, four years later, the number is even greater. I was disturbed to read that so many of the drone targets in Pakistan were targets not even on our list of terrorists, but were referred to us by the Pakistani government, though I can't say I blame their government for trying to make the most out of our constant invasion and attacks on their soil. At least they can put us to work eliminating those they deem threatening to their cause. The comment that "they don't all have to be rockstars" is very telling of how easily the CIA can be prompted to use a predator strike. Just on an economic level, I wonder how many millions it takes to have a drone strike on one of those targets who is not a "rockstar" - a low-level pseudo-militant of Pakistan, perhaps wielding an old rifle. I wonder what a realistic ratio would be for the civillian to terrorist casualty rate from these drone strikes. I fear it would lean far more heavily on the side of civillian. Of children. Their statement that "they don't all have to be rockstars" tells me that they are broadening their definition of "threat" at a rapid rate. Likewise, as they broaden their definition, it seems more and more are given cause to join in arms against our nation because of our constant drone attacks. It recalls the video-game we played in class those weeks ago in which the controlled dropped bombs in a crowded city, aiming for terrorists but inevitably hitting civillians along the way. The more bombs that were dropped, the more civillians were transformed into terrorists. I feel that our continued use of predator drone strikes is perpetuating this cycle of "terrorism", making terrorists out of our government agencies, as well as those peoples under fire.
-James G.