A surprising testimony from Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) when pit up against the right-wing jingo Rep. Peter King (R-NY) on CNN. Woolsey says the drone war is creating more enemies than it is eliminating and that America is setting itself up for blowback. She also threw in some commentary about how hypocritical is the U.S. use of drones, considering Washington would not allow other nations to engage in this kind of lawless, borderless, remote-control war.
“It’s such a trend to dehumanize warfare. It’s machines and computers doing the job. You know what, Candy, this is not video games, these are real people and it’s real death and we’re making real enemies around the world by continuing with the drone strikes,” Woolsey told CNN’s Candy Crowley on “State of the Nation.”
The congresswoman said instead the country should be investing in “a different kind of security” and warned of unforeseen repercussions from the drone program.
“We’re setting a standard for all other nations that when they’re ready if they want to, they can send drones at the United States,” Woolsey said, adding later that “what goes around comes around, and those drones are going to come right back at us.”
I have to part ways with Woolsey on this notion of “helping other countries with their development needs” and what not, but she’s on the right track regarding drones. See here and here for more of the growing chorus of official and expert opinion saying the drone war is murder, blowback, or both.