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_danhill's review against another edition
4.0
A scathing look at a military too reliant on a technology they don't seem to understand directing it against a populace they seem to understand even less.
zfeig's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This book reviews the history of high value targeting as a US military strategy from WW2 to the present. Using Vietnam, the War on Drugs, and the War on Terror as case studies, he claims that targeting leaders is bad military strategy. He argues after an assassination the previous leader is quickly replaced and the organization becomes more effective and more violent. He also goes into the incentives that make 'high value targeting' so persistent and ineffective.
It's a good reminder that assassination is bad, but also gives a utilitarian framework for that argument. It's great to say assassination is unethical, but sometimes that is not enough to convince folks it is bad, you also have to show it doesn't work. Fantastic book.
It's a good reminder that assassination is bad, but also gives a utilitarian framework for that argument. It's great to say assassination is unethical, but sometimes that is not enough to convince folks it is bad, you also have to show it doesn't work. Fantastic book.
idrees2022's review against another edition
4.0
An important contribution to the drone debate. The book focuses more on the history of the technology, the political and commercial interests behind it, the bureaucratic inertia that sustains its use, and false certainty that it's supposed precision engenders.
I'll be writing a fuller review of the book shortly.
I'll be writing a fuller review of the book shortly.
danhill's review against another edition
4.0
A scathing look at a military too reliant on a technology they don't seem to understand directing it against a populace they seem to understand even less.
plbee's review against another edition
I don’t really care for war content. I’m sure the book was good for what it was but it wasn’t what I’d guessed it would be
oisin175's review against another edition
5.0
Well written. Kept me engaged through the entire book. I knew some of the information in this book, but I had never heard so many of the problems with the military technology. I can't recommend this enough.
aseel_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what America does with drone and how they are a literal bully that kills people all across the world. The wars they fight are not because they are altruistic or even want to protect their own people, but because the military companies, the defence areas (army, navy etc) want money. They are literally creating wars and killing people all across the world for money. There are multiple reports that shows that certain drones don’t even work at all and what do they do? Make the respective military group spend BILLIONS of dollars on a literal bunch of metal scraps.
People across in the Middle East are dying because the drone decided they were part of a terrorist group. Ding dong, wrong, they were children or people at a wedding. The US government thinks they can just gather intelligence and feed it into a drone that will decide to kill everyone in the radius while promoting “pin-point accuracy”.
I never trusted the bs the American government or the CIA puts out, but now I call utter bullshit on anything they say, including everyone’s favourite, Obama.
So yeah read this book if you want to be educated about he real world. Very easy to read and the author did a lot of research and interviewed so many relevant people.
People across in the Middle East are dying because the drone decided they were part of a terrorist group. Ding dong, wrong, they were children or people at a wedding. The US government thinks they can just gather intelligence and feed it into a drone that will decide to kill everyone in the radius while promoting “pin-point accuracy”.
I never trusted the bs the American government or the CIA puts out, but now I call utter bullshit on anything they say, including everyone’s favourite, Obama.
So yeah read this book if you want to be educated about he real world. Very easy to read and the author did a lot of research and interviewed so many relevant people.