WASHINGTON -- Thousands of drones patrolling U.S. skies?
Predictions that multitudes of unmanned aircraft could be flying here within a decade are raising the specter of a "surveillance society" in which no home or backyard would be off limits to prying eyes overhead. Law enforcement, oil companies, farmers, real estate agents and many others have seen the technology that was pioneered on battlefields, and they are eager to put it to use.
It's not just talk: The government is in the early stages of devising rules for the unmanned aircraft.
So far, civilian use of drones is fairly limited. The Federal Aviation Administration had issued fewer than 300 permits for drones by the end of last year.
Public worries about drones began mostly on the political margins, but there are signs that they're going mainstream.
Jeff Landry, a freshman Republican congressman from Louisiana's coastal bayou country, says constituents have stopped him while shopping at Walmart to talk about their concerns.
"There is a distrust amongst the people who have come and discussed this issue with me about our government," Landry said. "It's raising an alarm with the American public."
Fear that some drones may be armed, for example, has been fueled in part by a county sheriff's office in Texas that used a homeland security grant to buy a $300,000, 50-pound ShadowHawk helicopter drone for its SWAT team. The drone can be equipped with a 40mm grenade launcher and a 12-gauge shotgun.
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Lots and lots of really big-ass sombreros and golf umbrellas. that's what we need.
ReplyDeleteAnd some "stealer" radio controls...
Not even sure where to start on this one...
ReplyDeleteIF the drones were going to be used for "good" purposes only (monitoring power lines, farmers checking fields for dryness, etc.), I might be able to understand.
Unfortunately, repeated lessons from the observation of "human nature" suggest otherwise. Giving Big Brother more ways to snoop into our privacy... HELL NO!!
Edward Teach
ReplyDeleteIf Iran can figure out the codes to bring one down, it will be a very possibility, within a year or two an average 12 year old will be able to steal the original codes. Will they be able to update the software, now that is what we have to figure out.
Start practicing up on your long range sniper shots boys!!
ReplyDeleteWon't be long until someone starts marketing remotely controlled drone killers. Lots of potential there. No need for them to be anything larger than small recreational remote control aircraft. Next step in the escalation will be for the drones to have chaff and air to air.The horseshit never ends. AE
ReplyDelete"IF the drones were going to be used for "good" purposes only (monitoring power lines, farmers checking fields for dryness, etc.), I might be able to understand."
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't believe that, if so, go to your room and stay there.
I would hope people would be concerned, about something, anything, they sure don't seem to be getting worked up about our dictator in chief going around congress.
Miss Violet
http://northcity.fox2now.com/news/news/95163-us-army-training-st-louis-city-streets
ReplyDeleteDid you know Google has a map of US airspace drones? (link: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=214769660919529725423.0004bde31d74fe6eb1ece&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=45.336702,-110.039062&spn=58.987964,112.5&z=3&source=embed)
ReplyDelete