Monday, March 25, 2013

VCU SDS Challenges VCU-Military Drone Partnership

Some people like to argue that drone research at VCU is completely harmless or has nothing to do with the war overseas, but documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request by a friend of our organization show otherwise. VCU has been collaborating with the military to perfect these instruments of war as far back as 2008.
DRONE is the buzz-word in WAR TECHNOLOGY these days due to its highly publicized use for information-gathering and missile launching in well known conflict zones in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. More notoriously and horrifically, however, DRONES are being recognized for their use in targeted assassinations of individuals "suspected" of "terrorist" activities, including the 16-year old son of one such assassinated suspect, and the botched attempts that result in the deaths of non-combatants. The justification for the use of DRONES is that it saves lives. In truth the only lives being saved are those of the men and women who pilot these killing machines remotely.

The quote above comes from a petition started by the VCU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), long known for its anti-war stance. Guests Nicholas DeFillipis and Leigh Williams of the VCU SDS join us to chat about this critical topic.their challenge to VCU's partnership with the US Military in developing drone systems technology, who have posted this effort as a means to train up and coming engineers in this critical technology of the future. But SDS begs the question, aren't there other more positive uses for drones that could provide the same systems education? Join us today at 12 noon to learn more about this student-led campaign and what they feel are the ethics and the priorities at stake.

To learn more about VCU's SDS visit http://vcusds.wordpress.com

There is also an April 11 National Day of Action to Protest War and Occupation on April 11. Visit www.newsds.org to learn more about that.

12 noon online at WRIR.org or 97.3 lp FM radio.
Repeats Tuesdays at 11 am online only.


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