SuitabookDrones, surveillance, and targeted killings
Anne C. Cunningham
- Reading
- Read a pair of opposing pieces together, pausing to distinguish reported events from claims and opinions. Keep a short list of each author’s reasons and unanswered questions.
- Themes
- Military drone use: The anthology pairs arguments condoning military drone use abroad with reporting on civilian deaths and claims of terrorist recruitment. The stated structure presents competing arguments and consequences rather than a single uncomplicated case for military use.
- Domestic surveillance and civil liberties: The book presents claims about drones’ effectiveness in domestic surveillance alongside assertions that their use violates Americans’ civil liberties. The overview frames this as a clash of positions; it does not establish that either position is the book’s endorsed conclusion.
- Border security and civilian use: The anthology considers pros and cons of drones for securing borders and possible benefits and dangers of commercial use. The topic is presented as contested, but the overview does not show how the articles evaluate either use.
- Worth knowing
- The book includes reporting on civilian deaths and claims that drone use can create more terrorists, alongside discussion of military killings. These are serious topics to be ready to discuss.