MovieChat Forums > 60 Minutes (1968) Discussion > Predator Drone segment

Predator Drone segment

posted 15 years ago by doodleboy
3 replies | jump to latest

Man, couldn't they have put a reporter with military experience or at least familiarity on that story? She sounded sooo inexperienced and naive.

"doesn't that make it like a video game?"
"it's like a movie, eat breakfast with your wife, go to war...."

a little depth would've been nice. how about an interview with someone who's done it, cycled out, and we see him/her adjust to society? how about an interview with the base psychologist? how about a discussion of ethics of war? the light "Collateral Damage" discussionw as really weak.

you don't need an slant, just *coverage*. information. we all know what the drones are and what they can do, tell us MORE. you're 60 FRICKIN' MINUTES.

[–] yldr45 15 years ago

a little depth would've been nice. how about an interview with someone who's done it, cycled out, and we see him/her adjust to society?

I don't understand your suggestion at all. A major point of the story was to show that, unlike those who actually fly planes in warzones, the people who do this job already have about as normal a life as anyone while they are doing this. There isn't really any such thing as "cycling out" and "adjusting to society" when they no longer perform this job. The story showed one of these individuals driving from work to his house and being interviewed about how it feels to do a 9 to 5 job (or whatever hours it is) in the middle of the U.S. that may involve killing people in the middle east. They showed another person having dinner with his family at home after work. That is society. There is nothing to indicate that there would be anything significantelly different once they no longer perform these tasks. There is nothing to adjust to. I think the two questions/comments from the reporter that you cite illustrate quite well the issues that this practice brings up. I'm not sure why you think they suggest "inexperience and naivity".

[–] doodleboy 15 years ago

but what about when their hitch is up, and they're not playing wargames 8-12 hours a day? what about when they get discharged, and they start selling insurance and vacuum cleaners and coaching little league? what happens when they have no outlet or adrenaline rush, except maybe road rage and snorting coke?

that's what i mean by "cycling out". they really hammered the point home about how the joystick warriors feel just as much pressure and battle-wear as people in the field. how they "feel it" - adrenaline, pressure, guilt, etc.

so, when they don't have that anymore, do they have trouble adjusting to a mundane grind? do they have higher substance abuse probabilities than civilians? compared to other soldiers?

[–] bobcunk 14 years ago

most Military people and scientists and stuff use big words to sound more intelligent. small minds use big words.