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On killing remotely : the psychology of killing with drones / Lieutenant Colonel Wayne Phelps.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2021Copyright date: ©2021Edition: First EditionDescription: xviii, 348 pages : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 0316628298
  • 9780316628297
Subject(s):
Contents:
The evolution of killing from a distance -- An insatiable appetite : rise of the robots -- The machines -- The people -- The missions -- The methods -- How do we kill with RPAs? -- How do we respond to killing remotely? -- Who is the most affected by killing remotely? : the demographics -- Are we at war? -- RPA and the warrior ethos -- Dehumanizing the enemy versus intimacy with the target -- Distance from the target -- Sleep and mental armor -- Demands of authority : everyone's in the cockpit -- Group absolution : killing as a crew -- Target attractiveness -- The video game comparison -- Culture -- A toolbox of best practices -- Where do we go from here? : future killer robots.
Summary: The former commander of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft unit explores the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions of PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots.Summary: With advances in technology, from armor to in the Middle Ages to nerve gas in World War I to weapons of mass destruction in our own time, the rules of armed conflict have constantly evolved. Today, when killing the enemy can seem palpably risk-free and tantamount to playing a violent video game, what constitutes warfare? What is the effect of remote combat on individual soldiers? Phelps addresses these questions and many others as he explores the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots. His book is a compelling reminder that it should always be difficult to kill another human being lest we risk losing what makes us human. -- adapted from jacket
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 355.0019 P541 Available 33111010532576
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A "can't-miss for anyone interested in current military affairs," On Killing Remotely reveals and explores the costs--to individual soldiers and to society--of the way we wage war today ( Kirkus Reviews, starred).



Throughout history society has determined specific rules of engagement between adversaries in armed conflict. With advances in technology, from armor to in the Middle Ages to nerve gas in World War I to weapons of mass destruction in our own time, the rules have constantly evolved. Today, when killing the enemy can seem palpably risk-free and tantamount to playing a violent video game, what constitutes warfare? What is the effect of remote combat on individual soldiers? And what are the unforeseen repercussions that could affect us all?



Lt Col Wayne Phelps, former commander of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft unit, addresses these questions and many others as he tells the story of the men and women of today's "chair force." Exploring the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots, his book is an urgent and compelling reminder that it should always be difficult to kill another human being lest we risk losing what makes us human.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-332) and index.

The evolution of killing from a distance -- An insatiable appetite : rise of the robots -- The machines -- The people -- The missions -- The methods -- How do we kill with RPAs? -- How do we respond to killing remotely? -- Who is the most affected by killing remotely? : the demographics -- Are we at war? -- RPA and the warrior ethos -- Dehumanizing the enemy versus intimacy with the target -- Distance from the target -- Sleep and mental armor -- Demands of authority : everyone's in the cockpit -- Group absolution : killing as a crew -- Target attractiveness -- The video game comparison -- Culture -- A toolbox of best practices -- Where do we go from here? : future killer robots.

The former commander of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft unit explores the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions of PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots.

With advances in technology, from armor to in the Middle Ages to nerve gas in World War I to weapons of mass destruction in our own time, the rules of armed conflict have constantly evolved. Today, when killing the enemy can seem palpably risk-free and tantamount to playing a violent video game, what constitutes warfare? What is the effect of remote combat on individual soldiers? Phelps addresses these questions and many others as he explores the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots. His book is a compelling reminder that it should always be difficult to kill another human being lest we risk losing what makes us human. -- adapted from jacket

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