Today’s Op-Ed Reaction comes from the article
Huge increase in police drone use: Sensible solution or spies in the sky? By Mike White Published in the New Zealand newspaper The Post on September 5th
My initial reaction to the question posed in the title is spies in the sky. If government is good at anything it is good at expanding its power. If there is a way for a tool to be used in a coercive manner over time it will be used for that purpose, even if that was never the original intention.
White begins by noting that drone use by police in New Zealand has quadrupled in the last 2 years. He then notes that the police have gained certification to allow drones to be used “outside of normal constraints.”
Those constraints that the police do not have to abide by include flying below 120 meters, not flying over property or people without their permission and flying indoors.
The first question that arises is can anyone gain this certification or is it reserved for certain actors? If it is available to the general public then gaining certification shouldn’t be seen as a red flag. If the certification could only be obtained because they are police then it becomes more concerning.
White notes that Inspector Darren Russell sees drones serving 3 main purposes. They are search and rescue, aerial photography of crime and crash scenes and high risk situations.
White notes the international use of police drones including as first responders to emergency calls. I wonder what the efficacy of a drone as a first responder is and what level of satisfaction the person requesting emergency services had when a drone instead of a police officer arrived.
When noting the dangers White wrote: “In Israel, police used drones to fire tear gas at protestors in Jerusalem last year, and in China, they were used to enforce Covid regulations such as mask wearing, by flying over people and repeating official messages.”
These examples provide the destructive potential of police drones. A drone capable of firing tear gas is not a far step from a drone capable of firing live ammunition. Drones will be used in violation of privacy laws by police officers at some point in time. The real question is what punishment will those officers face? If it is not substantial drone use in violation of current law will become more and more invasive and more widespread and we will only wish that those drones were merely spies in the sky.
Read the article linked above and let me know your thoughts.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
“Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” - Thomas Hobbes
“Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.” Jean Jacques Rousseau
In January 1238 the Moskva River was frozen solid. This made it a great highway for the advancing army. The Golden Horde was commanded by Batu, the grandson of Genghis Khan. Batu only knew victory and approaching Moscow he must have felt confident in continued success on the battlefield. His latest round of imperial conquest had begun the year before.
In 1237 Batu marched on Riazan. He was seeking a tribute of ten percent of armaments and of the armed men. Iurii Igorevich the prince of Riazan refused. This meant a battle would ensue. Iurii reached out to the nearby cities requesting aid, but it would be too slow in coming. Riazan fell to Batu.
Batu continued his advance. Geoffrey Hosking in his book Russia and the Russians notes:
“In Vladimir many of the inhabitants took refuge in the Cathedral of the Assumption, where...
“Thou shalt have a wicked son. Terror will ravage thy estate; rivers of blood will flow; the heads of the mighty will be laid low; thy cities will be devoured by fire.”
Stephen Graham
The wolves were on the move. The hunt for land and wealth created an insatiable desire for action. The principalities of Russia had proved to be an easy feeding ground. Riazan, Moscow, Vladimir had all fallen. Kiev would be taken in 1240. The Golden Horde marched west and conquered at will. They were the enemy from the east.
Novgorod was a strategically important city. It was located along the major trade routes of the day. This also made it a wealthy city. Batu as leader of the Golden Horde would clearly like to add its wealth to his conquest.
The Swedes to the west also desired to conquer the city. Surrounded by enemies on both sides this was a precarious time for Novgorod.
Alexander was the prince of Novgorod and the fate of the city rested on his shoulders. His leadership qualities would be put to the test. The Golden Horde wanted tribute. The Swedes wanted to take the land and impose their values and their brand of Christianity on the region. Both enemies would take slaves and ruthlessly murder ...
