145 replies to this topic

[OverSword]

http://www.prisonpla...oughout-us.html

From the article:
Thousands of pages of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents released under the Freedom Of Information Act highlight that the military is extensively flying surveillance drones in non-restricted skies throughout the country.
The records, released by The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), reveal that three branches of the military are operating drones within civillian airspace. Those branches are the Air Force, the Marine Corps, and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).
According to EFF, the documents show that the Air Force is testing all manner of UAVs, from small hand launched drones all the way up to the Predator and Reaper drones, the kind that routinely conduct missile strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen.
EFF notes that the use of drones capable of extensive surveillance in public airspace is concerning, especially since recent reports have revealed that Air Force drone operators have been conducting practice spying missions by tracking civilian cars along highways adjacent to military bases.
In addition, a recently uncovered Air Force documentalso raised alarms over military use of spy drones in US skies. The document outlines how to circumvent privacy laws, and clears the way for the Pentagon to use drones to monitor the activities of Americans.
EFF notes that the latest FAA documents indicate that the Marine Corps is also flying drones in US skies, but that “it chose to redact so much of the text from its records that we still don’t know much about its programs.”
Perhaps most disturbingly, DARPA, according to the documents, is flying full sized Reaper drones in areas of Nevada, California and Utah that are able to use technology that can capture motion imagery of entire cities. The technology, known as “Gorgon Stare” uses an array of nine to twelve cameras attached to the drone to take concurrent footage from multiple different angles.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

makes sense, you make it legal for the police to have survailance drones, you make aure everyone knows the erones are police erones and then you alow military armed dornes up there as welll and the punters just assume they're policecdrones.

[OverSword]

Wearer of Hats, on 06 December 2012 - 10:44 PM, said:

makes sense, you make it legal for the police to have survailance drones, you make aure everyone knows the erones are police erones and then you alow military armed dornes up there as welll and the punters just assume they're policecdrones.

The difference being that the police drones are basically really cool RC planes like you would buy at the hobby store and not going high enough in he air to warrant filing a flight plan with the FAA.  Military grade drones are a whole different animal.

[Hilander]

Not surprised unfortunately.

[OverSword]

Amazing that Americans are more concerned with Syria than this.

[and then]

OverSword, on 07 December 2012 - 08:34 PM, said:

Amazing that Americans are more concerned with Syria than this.

Why should the stupidity of our fellow citizens amaze?  They reelected Obama didn't they?  No other group of citizens in our history have been willing to reelect such a proven failure to the highest office.

[The New Richard Nixon]

And? I think its cheaper than too run  than helicopters, loud, expensive on fuel, maintenance, wages, needs updating, training

[Babe Ruth]

When you get right down to it, in terms of visual ability--taking pictures--the drones are no different than satellite photo and Google Earth which have been with us for years.



Otherwise, the drones are but another expansion of police technology.  There's nothing I can do about it, but if I were king for a day I would ground the fleet.  Government is too big.

[DieChecker]

My wife said that she saw two UFOs flying relatively slow over Portland when she went to see the Zoolights exhibit at the Oregon Zoo. Saw them flying over Washington Park at dusk. An online search turned out to be that they were both military drones like these...


The bump/head on the front was highly recognizable she said. As were the downward tail fins.

Anyway. I say... So what? These are just another way of survillance, just as a helicoper, or street cameras are. I don't see a problem with it. I think these are Fantastic for patrolling the borders and the coastlines. Fan-freaking-tastic....

Edited by DieChecker, 09 December 2012 - 09:37 PM.

[DieChecker]

Wearer of Hats, on 06 December 2012 - 10:44 PM, said:

makes sense, you make it legal for the police to have survailance drones, you make aure everyone knows the erones are police erones and then you alow military armed dornes up there as welll and the punters just assume they're policecdrones.

But why? What are the Armed Drones going to do to US civilan populations? Herd us into those FEMA camps?? Come on......

[The New Richard Nixon]

DieChecker, on 09 December 2012 - 09:38 PM, said:

But why? What are the Armed Drones going to do to US civilan populations? Herd us into those FEMA camps?? Come on......

People getting paranoid too much nowadays

[Babe Ruth]

As with any new technology introduced into the police arsenal, the downside is abuse by the authorities.

Yes, one can make all sorts of arguments in favor of Tazer, but the reality of deployment is that they are frequently abused.

Time will tell on the UAV....

[Taun]

DieChecker, on 09 December 2012 - 09:38 PM, said:

But why? What are the Armed Drones going to do to US civilan populations? Herd us into those FEMA camps?? Come on......

I don't believe anyone claimed they were armed...

Personally... if this is for training i wish they would conduct that training over military air space... For saftey and command/control issues alone...

[OverSword]

There was a time (that time  is still here for me) when American's would be upset that the police or the government were keeping an eye on them for no reason.  The fact that so many of you (pardon the expression) drones don't care really shows that the media has created through fear and propaganda, a new breed of americans that don't value thier privacy.  Amazing.

[Babe Ruth]

OverSword, on 10 December 2012 - 04:50 PM, said:

There was a time (that time  is still here for me) when American's would be upset that the police or the government were keeping an eye on them for no reason.  The fact that so many of you (pardon the expression) drones don't care really shows that the media has created through fear and propaganda, a new breed of americans that don't value thier privacy.  Amazing.

Good post.  Bertrand Russell had some thoughts that might be relevant: "As soon as we abandon our own reason, and are content to rely upon authority, there is no end to our troubles."

And Dresden James: "The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims.  The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."