Activity Quote by Medea Benjamin
“It's not as "cheap" as it's put out to be. One predator drone in one day of activity supposedly needs 168 people... to carry out the day's operations... They crash a lot. So when you calculate their costs, consider that the Air Force has said about a third of their drones have crashed.”
About This Quote
The speaker critiques the claimed low cost of drone warfare, highlighting hidden human and material expenses and high failure rates.
In simple terms: Drone warfare is more costly and risky than advertised.
Key Takeaway
Recognize true costs of military tech.
Themes
military
ethics
technology
economics
risk
Mood
critical
analytical
concerned
Type
political
environmental
ethical
When to use this quote
- defense budgeting
- policy debate
- public awareness
Key Concepts
cost analysis
military strategy
drone reliability
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance security with ethical concerns?
- What alternatives exist to drone strikes?
A Different Perspective
Drones may still be justified for strategic reasons.
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![“There were between 46 and 52 drone strikes under the [George W.] Bush administration. And now there are over 400 - that's not counting Afghanistan. So this has been tremendously increased under the [Barack] Obama administration.” quote by Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/db9/medea-benjamin-27522_administration_there-were-between-46-and-52-drone-strik_1140265.jpg)
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![“The CIA is absolutely out of control. The CIA has been on a killing spree... The CIA has become a death squad and to see these films [ like Zero Dark Thirty] get so much acclaim at the time when the CIA is in its rogue killing phase is very disturbing.” quote by Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc2/medea-benjamin-27522_acclaim_the-cia-is-absolutely-out-of-control-the_1543302.jpg)
