The Military's New Heat Ray Weapon: On Second Thought...

While sifting through the news today, I came across an article that I found to be particularly interesting. It detailed the US Military's new mass containment weapon that uses an electromagnetic beam that, although not harmful, causes people to get a fleeing reaction and run in the opposite direction.

Upon first thought, I did what just about any other reader would do. Cool! I thought to myself. What a neat piece of weaponry!

However, on second thought, I became far less enthusiastic. I began thinking of the implications of something so powerful - so mighty, that the press of a button could send thousands of people fleeing from something they couldn't even see, smell, or hear. 

In the same way that I was concerned when the US government authorized police units in the use of drones here at home (as you can read about here), I don't feel comfortable with anybody being in possession of a weapon like this. What does it mean for a society when the ruling class has almost every weapon conceivable at their disposal? Why are we so willing to defend the further development of weapons like these, never once suspecting they could be used against Americans themselves?

I feel that as a society, we have lost our way in the sense that when it comes to the military industrial complex (remember from our discussion in class?), Americans are unwilling to question government. It seems as if every year the United States blows hundreds of billions of dollars on bigger and better military equipment, but at what cost? Does anybody really believe that we're going to need these things? We already spend more on the military than all of the other countries put together. Is there anybody out there who actually poses such a serious threat to the United States?

In my research of this matter, I watched this video of President Eisenhower warning the American people about the military industrial complex in his farewell address. As he so eloquently stated. "We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex.The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight  of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes." The president himself acknowledged the potential for "misplaced power" - quite possibly the lobbying power that we see today from massive US military contractors. The exact kind of lobbying power that was most likely responsible for the building of this heat ray weapon.

If you ask me, I say we must take Eisenhower's advice and begin to question the military industrial complex once and for all. And that means that even if the government tries convincing you that some gizmo will only be used against your enemies, you remain suspicious and questioning. It's time to get the United States military machine under control.

What do you think? In the midst of our tremendous debt, should the government still be financing military projects like these?