Yes, the alternative is largely to do nothing. To my understanding, the argument is that drone strikes are questionably effective, cause collateral damage that

Yes, the alternative is largely to do nothing. To my understanding, the argument is that drone strikes are questionably effective, cause collateral damage that supports anti-American propaganda, and are wildly out of proportion to any actual threat. They're a form of security theater driven by Special Operations Command apparently holding a dominant position in DoD internal politics. This is not an issue I pay a lot of attention to, so you should probably find other summaries as well.