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#5 [...] Indignation is reserved for private citizens, so use it on their behalf but don't expect them to rise up in defense of themselves. Can you elaborate o
by negativity 13y ago
#5 [...] Indignation is reserved for private citizens, so use it on their behalf but don't expect them to rise up in defense of themselves.
Can you elaborate on that? In particular, the "use it on their behalf" and "to rise up in defense of themselves" parts.
...and...
#7 [...] don't assume that you know better [...] Most rules and regulations are written in blood [...] someone had to die or [...] some major loss of expensive or sensitive hardware [...]
The excerpts I've pointed out in #7 represent a very serious philosophical grey area. Considering that some militaries around the world harness the power to use nuclear weapons to which can destroy entire cities full of people, there is a very broad scope of the definitions which can encompass the word "hardware" in this context.
Weighing the difference between the value of inanimate objects and the value of human lives isn't easily quantifiable, but in the military sense the leap is literally made from an ambiguous grey to starkly contrasted blacks and whites. But we're entering into times and places now, where we rely on these inanimate objects to animate themselves according to (sometimes imperfect) artifacts created by people well-removed from the circumstances of a conflict.
In my humble opinion, given the bizarre abstractions that many highly advanced technologies introduce into all spheres of human behavior and activity, and the rapid pace of continued advancement that has transformed how human beings inter-operate in coordinated behavior throughout the world, it feels incredibly dangerous to me, that not just military personnel, but the world at large is disinformed of precisely how decisions to kill and destroy are even made anymore.
Consider that civilian web traffic is being used to indict and adjudicate killing decisions around the world, which would be considered extra-judicial death sentences in the civilian sphere. Consider that the analysis of such web traffic relies on machine learning and algorithms. Consider that even the people that design the machines that govern civilian web traffic can't even instruct each-other on how to exert explicit willful control over these devices, such that no one person can honestly claim that they have total control over a given device resting in the hands of a casual civilian. Consider that we have invasive software designed to sabotage industrial systems, that have accidentally leaked into civilian infrastructure. Consider that no less than a former general and director of the CIA (which advises the pentagon), had his career ended by a political scandal involving gmail.
There's a very complex and disturbing equation emerging here, and as events continue to take shape, I think the more any one person refrains from questioning decisions made at any level in any hierarchy, the more we place all of our lives in jeopardy. This becomes especially true when we have to now question the very nature of some of our so-called "inanimate" objects.
Sorry to be long winded, but certain ideas can't be summed up briefly and easily. Not trying to be an arm chair general, but everyone, including the all military personnel, needs to carefully understand what it means to trust modern electronic devices of any scale or scope, and especially who might be placing trust in electronics, and at what level.
- ryanmarsh 13y agoYou asked me to elaborate on two statements and then wrote six paragraphs. How exactly would you like me to elaborate on #5 and #7?
- negativity 13y agoI was asking/am asking for an elaboration on #5 only. I think I have an idea of what you mean by it, but it might be better if you spelled out exactly what you're saying with #5, so that I don't misinterpret it. I don't want to put words in your mouth on that one, or paraphrase it unfairly. The rest was actually about the #7 only.
- ryanmarsh 13y agoEffective militaries require people who follow orders. Ours in particular functions with a bit of honor, but still it is full of people who have been indoctrinated to (and should) follow orders. Acting as an individual can be very detrimental to the group. This loss of individuality should not be a problem, because in effect we have not lost our individuality through the proxy of our civilian leadership. If the civilian leadership of this country (the elected POTUS and elected members of congress) decide that a thing is in the interest of the people then we should be able to trust this. If the civilian leadership is telling the military to do something it shouldn't, then the citizens should vote those elected persons out of office. No matter who the Commander in Chief is the volunteer members of the military have taken an oath to obey them, and they will. What I'm trying to say is if you want the military to be different, tell the civilian leadership, don't tell the soldiers at the bottom.
- cinquemb 13y ago>What I'm trying to say is if you want the military to be different, tell the civilian leadership, don't tell the soldiers at the bottom. What if the circumstances arise that the civilian leadership and the process to get them elected is not effective for the (majority) people, will the military step up for the people (like it has in Turkey throughout history on occasions, or what like what is going on in Brazil)? Maybe what I am asking is: are there cases where "effective militaries" would be enabled/allowed to circumvent traditional civilian leadership? (I do not believe this is the case [yet] in the United States since the majority seems complicit [perhaps passively] with the actions of its civilian leadership.)