Begging Quote by George R. R. Martin
“We're setting up mechanisms where we can kill human beings with drones and missiles where you're sitting at a console and pressing the button. We never have to hear their whimpering, or hear them begging for their mother, or dying in horrible realities around us. I don't know if that's necessarily such a good thing.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing AI and warfare, 2023
Remote warfare lets operators kill without witnessing suffering, raising moral distance and desensitization.
In simple terms: Killing from afar hides human cost.
Key Takeaway
Consider the human impact of remote killing.
Themes
ethics
technology
warfare
Mood
disturbing
thought‑provoking
Type
ethical
political
When to use this quote
- military decision making
- policy debates
- public awareness campaigns
Key Concepts
dehumanization
moral disengagement
psychological distance
Questions to Reflect On
- How does distance affect moral responsibility?
- Can empathy be maintained when killing is mediated by screens?
A Different Perspective
Remote killing can still cause collateral damage and unintended casualties.
![“The best writing advice I had was [in] ‘Heinlein’s Rules for Writers’ by (American science fiction author) Robert A. Heinlein. His first rule is that you must write, and I was already doing that, but his second rule is, ‘You must finish what you write,’ and that had a big impact on me.” quote by George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/14d/george-r-r-martin-2-926_advice_the-best-writing-advice-i-had-was-in-hei_51395.jpg)
