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It's probably just a coincidence. But I'd like to think this is a nudge-nudge wink-wink from Teddi. Hey, you never know, right?
US Navy unveils unmanned drone squadron 'the magicians'
The US Navy has launched a squadron combining unmanned drones as well as manned aircraft, amid a national debate over the role of drones in warfare.
The Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35, called the Magicians*, is the first such unit.
*(Emphasis added by me.)
PS: If you don't get the joke, start by reading Air Force Sweetheart by T. D. Aldoennetti
Comments
One might also take a gander at...
...the Science Fiction book, Gunner Cade, by C. M. Kornbluth and Judith Merril, a prescient look at a future society which had experienced much the same "logical" nightmare scenario later explored by the Terminator franchise, a world in which wars were fought by faceless brutal cowards with no "skin in the game" at all.
I personally think that generals (and the lawmakers who hire them) should lead each any every charge, stand picket duty on every front line, but maybe that's just me... I think it's a good idea for "leaders" to live intimately with the consequences of their decisions and policies.
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
I'm reminded of a comment by
I'm reminded of a comment by General George S. Patton, when confronted by journalists and reporters after hearing about the German "wonder weapons". He said something to the effect that he failed to see the wonder in taking honor out of warfare. Patton was one of those officers who truly believed that you were supposed to actually see your enemy face to face so to speak. Now people just push buttons and use joysticks to kill.
Samirah M. Johnstone
The Faceless enemy
The more you can make your enemy faceless the easier it is to kill them. It doesn't matter if it is propaganda that paints them as some caricature like the old War posters did, with derogatory names or with distance by shooting, dropping bombs on them, or in this modern age pressing that button, doing by remote control.
I say we go back to basics. Put our leaders in a cage match each with a rock and have them beat each other's brains to mush instead of sending someone else's loved ones off to die. Hell, sell tickets and pay for view to really solve the world's problems. Okay maybe it wouldn't but it might work better than what we have.
As for Teddi. She is greatly missed and always will be.
Hugs
Grover
It's an old, sad truth,
"that old men start wars, and young men die in them." War, fighting, etc have never solved anything. They only prove which side is stronger, faster, or luckier. I served during the Viet Nam debacle and saw and talked to many guys and gals who survived but were permanently damaged either physically or mentally from"doing the right thing for their country."
I value my freedom, such as it is, and I owe it to the hundreds and thousands of men and women who "did what they had to do" and sacrificed their well being and lives to give me the freedom to do with my life as I see fit, but wars only kill people and that is the conundrum. Without wars no one can say how our lives would be today and we know that some "wars" were fought for political reasons ONLY, not to free some people.
History, they say, is written by the winners and it's likely that most people will never know the REAL reason some of them were fought. Making war faceless is only another way of saving some lives, but it also, unfortunately, will take others. Teddie, as great a writer as she was, saw war as a thing that needed to be done and wrote about people who went and did. She was a wonderful, caring human being and her loss will be felt by every person who knew her or read her works.
I enjoyed her writing as much as anyone did, and I was privileged to receive a couple of private messages from her when I commented on her stories. I treasure her words and will always miss her tender caring nature. Thank you Teddie for sharing your words, your work, and your heart with us. Rest in peace, knowing that you touched many, many hearts and minds with your talent, and thank you to those who are carrying forward with her works.
Love always,
Catherine Linda Michel
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
You ALL missed it!
In "Air Force Sweetheart", the codename of the protagonist that ended up forming her own intelligence analytic group, is "Magician". This helio drone intelligence gathering group is "The Magicians". I spotted that before I even read the BBC article. Forget all the war/NSA/CIA/FBI references, that has nothing to do with this. I spotted the similarity of the names and found it humorous. That's it, period. You wanna go argue about morality and U.S. actions and such, go start your own blog on it. That is NOT what this is all about. I even changed the name od this blog after the first comment to try and drag it back on track, to no avail. Sheesh!
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
It would be nice to think it
It would be nice to think it was a tribute because AFS is an amazing story. :-)
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Yes it is
I just finished rereading AFS and have started on Duty Calls. Just rereading some of her notes and comments on ideas we will never see, and it depresses me to think what could have been but wasn't. An amazing talent, and an amazing person we lost.
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
Another thought of Teddi
As another thought of Teddi, would be the recent release of the book Warrior Princess." ("Warrior Princess"/Advanced Press)by Kristin Beck, formerly Chris, served 20 years as a SEAL and fought on some of the most dangerous battlefields in the world