War Has Changed
We utterly deny all systems of violence and war
Wars are conducted in significantly different ways today. Artificial intelligence systems select targets, too often incorrectly. Armed, unmanned drones operated remotely kill the people targeted, largely eliminating the need for human soldiers on the ground. Large numbers of civilian men, women and children are killed or maimed. Civilian infrastructure has become targets despite that being a war crime.
Ironically, those with relatively small armed forces have successfully used drones against countries with great military might.
The new machines of war require different forms of human interaction, such as software developers, engineers and remote control drone pilots. New groups of people who might conscientiously object to doing this work.
Historically military conscription was used to force people to fight. Today there is an economic draft. Students with huge loans, people who require jobs that provide health care, and those who are impoverished and can find no jobs are conscripted into work which they may conscientiously object to doing. Peacemakers need to offer guidance and support.
We continue to utterly deny all systems of violence and war.
Jeff Kisling (a Quaker)
War Has Changed
This is a link to an interactive web page about how war has changed.
