On March 14th, a Russian SU-27 fighter jet shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. The exact details of where and how remain a mystery even after the release of drone video of what appears to be a jet fuel dump on the drone, but those details don’t matter much. The case mainly serves as an excuse to increase the tensions between the USA and Russia around the war in Ukraine.
When I think of drones, I’m more likely to think of music — yes, music — than unmanned military aircraft. And thinking about the drone effect in music provides a useful analogy for US foreign policy.
Simply put, a drone’s job in music is to play a single underlying note or chord continuously throughout the song while layering melodies/harmonies above it. Those melodies/harmonies are special variations; drone note is a theme.
The drone note of US foreign policy since at least World War II, and certainly since the fall of the Soviet Union, has been “global hegemony.” In other words, the United States is not only the world’s policeman, but the world’s judge, the world’s jury, and the world’s executioner.
The martial tune that the US administration plays to that drone beam is full-spectrum dominance, defined by the US Department of Defense as “[t]a cumulative effect in the air, land, sea, space and information environment that includes cyberspace that enables joint operations to be conducted without effective opposition or deterrent intervention.”
But if the world is a big band, not all of its 195 administrations agree to accept the United States as their leader, play the same tune, or keep the same rhythm.
If you’ve ever played in a band (other than maybe an experimental jazz combo), you know what happens when each member plays or sings on different instruments, different tempos, and different time signatures.
You don’t get a song.
You get an ugly mess.
If you’re smart (and maybe after three fights), you’ll eventually realize that this band is never going to hit the same note and decide to break up.
A lot of the world is not interested in playing with an American band. They prefer to form their own combos or pursue a solo career.
The USA should ditch its ugly drone and melody/harmony system and play a different tune: “Give Peace a Chance”.
Factor: Thomas L. Knapp
Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in North Central Florida.
HT
This is an “Outlook” opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of The Helsinki Times. This column has not been verified and HT is not responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in this article.
When I think of drones, I’m more likely to think of music — yes, music — than unmanned military aircraft. And thinking about the drone effect in music provides a useful analogy for US foreign policy.
Simply put, a drone’s job in music is to play a single underlying note or chord continuously throughout the song while layering melodies/harmonies above it. Those melodies/harmonies are special variations; drone note is a theme.
The drone note of US foreign policy since at least World War II, and certainly since the fall of the Soviet Union, has been “global hegemony.” In other words, the United States is not only the world’s policeman, but the world’s judge, the world’s jury, and the world’s executioner.
The martial tune that the US administration plays to that drone beam is full-spectrum dominance, defined by the US Department of Defense as “[t]a cumulative effect in the air, land, sea, space and information environment that includes cyberspace that enables joint operations to be conducted without effective opposition or deterrent intervention.”
But if the world is a big band, not all of its 195 administrations agree to accept the United States as their leader, to play the same tune, or to keep the same rhythm.
If you’ve ever played in a band (other than maybe an experimental jazz combo), you know what happens when each member plays or sings on different instruments, different tempos, and different time signatures.
You don’t get a song.
You get an ugly mess.
If you’re smart (and maybe after three fights), you’ll eventually realize that this band is never going to hit the same note and decide to break up.
A lot of the world is not interested in playing with an American band. They prefer to form their own combos or pursue a solo career.
The USA should ditch its ugly drone and melody/harmony system and play a different tune: “Give Peace a Chance”.
Factor: Thomas L. Knapp
Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in North Central Florida.
HT
This is an “Outlook” opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of The Helsinki Times. This column has not been verified and HT is not responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in this article.
Source: The Nordic Page