War is one of the most ugly things in the world. The Vietnam war was the US's first and last "TV war". The disgust of it was largely a byproduct of the unprecedented imagery. As a result, the US military decided that it needed to take measures to reduce the proliferation of such imagery, and nowadays we bicker over whether it is even permissible to release something as symbolic as photos of soldiers' coffins to the public. In order to expose war for what it is, the most effective tactic is probably to show it. But I am pessimistic that will happen again for the US anytime soon. Automation may be the way of the future. However, I wouldn't consider it as having yet proven its potential. The civilian casualty problem largely hinges on the use of missiles, rockets, and bombs instead of guns. Explosives decrease our casualties but increase civilian casualties. As regards US nuclear hegemony, well, ICBM defense technology also has yet to prove its potential. As for sharing the technology with Russia, I would be for that if we could receive guarantees the technology wouldn't be shared by Russia with other countries without our consent. I don't think any deal of that sort has yet been offered. For this reason, and for other reasons, it seems to me that the Obama administration implicitly doesn't fully trust Russia. Or maybe it just thinks it would be too politically costly to act as though it did. The neo-cons seem like they want a new Cold War, and they are good at scaring people.

Video games! I got something to watch, or I have something to watch, I guess, as I am waiting to die while dying. Superpowers always clash. Trust? Never. You don't trust anything that you don't have to and even then be weary. I guess with war comes advances in science and medicine so okay, go ahead but always be paranoid and always think. I honestly believe that the foot soldier should fight, however. It's like martial arts. You don't bring a gun to the match, and you are polite about it. I'm sure that the desert is going to glitter for a thousand years here soon.

In case the author of this piece doesn't yet realize it, America is at war with the very people willing to explode their own bodies so they can murder a few of us. You talk like America isn't at war but we're going around bombing everyone with robotic precision then laughing and laughing like demonic fools. Paranoia is an ugly thing, but spreading your paranoia to your own nation so they can live in fear of a nation who isn't even considering hurting them, well, that's just cruel to your own people. Russians have more to fear from your fear-mongering than they have to fear from America. America fights those who hurt them. Just exactly as Russia would do and has done for themselves. Get a grip. You act like you're scared to death of America. Why? Are you planning on attacking us and you don't want us to be able to defend ourselves? Leave us alone and we'll leave you alone. Our news media doesn't focus on Russia and what Russia's military is doing, and hence, Americans have not learned to fear you by rote. I mean, why would you do this to your own people? Why would you make your own people cower and tense up at the thought of America when it's completely uncalled for? You just hurt everybody's feelings for nothing. Why doesn't Russia help us get the terriorist in Afganistan, help us win the "war on terror", and help us put an end to suicide bombers? If America were to fall into the earth and disappear, would Russia be safer? HA! Here would come the terriorist, right after YOU!!

In your paranoia, do I detect a bit of envy when it comes to American science and cutting edge technology? I agree totally with Pamela's comment.

Dear Pamela, Thank you for the comments. Yes, everybody is very much aware that "America is at war," and most of all the American people, but not everybody will share similar ideas on how that war should be waged. I am certainly not the first person to suggest that our heavy reliance on hi-tech methods for eliminating the enemy may possibly back-fire. Personally, I agree with Ron Paul, a real American conservative, it seems, who told RT in an interview (http://rt.com/Politics/2010-01-14/ron-paul-mass-control.html For direct comments, go to 3:00 minutes) that by indiscriminately dropping bombs or implementing UAV strikes may only serve to fuel negative sentiments - including vengeance - towards the US. After all, if our present strategy proves to be increasing the risk for terrorism, is it not our right to question that strategy? And concerning your advice to "get a grip," I would hope that you would offer the same advice to individuals who talk about America being capable of somehow emerging victorious in some hypothetical nuclear showdown. (To quote from two writers in Foreign Affairs journal, as mentioned in my article: “Today, for the first time in almost 50 years, the United States stands on the verge of attaining nuclear primacy. It will probably soon be possible for the United States to destroy the long-range nuclear arsenals of Russia or China with a first strike.”). After reading that sentence, do you still honestly believe your comment that: "Russians have more to fear from your fear-mongering than they have to fear from America." ? My article asks a simple question, asked many times in other articles: Once a nation becomes too comfortable with its military technologies, will it be more more tempted to initiate war (which seems to have been the case with Iraq)? I'm sure you have heard the quote attributed to Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

wow, you make it sound like all we do is kill the innocent. These terrorists are savage... There are civilian casualties in the Afghan/Iraq Wars but as collateral damage. It's horrible, yes, but we do not specifically target them. These animals are targeting civilians. We're doing everyone a favor fighting them, something that Middle Eastern governments should have been doing for a long time. You're fooling yourself if you think Hussein didn't have WMD's. He had so many warnings to start getting rid of WMD's before the Western armies went in there.....YEARS. And what, Russian is not converting to the same style of military technology as every single modern world power? You're kidding yourself if you think the US is the only one going this route. Russia has been producing UAV's. Russia has been working extensively on military grade attack lasers just like the US and every other modern country. Russia is moving towards a more autonomous fighting machine just like every other modern world power. There is so much new technologies coming from the US, the EU, Israel, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, etc, etc. Don't try to tell anyone that the US is the only one...please.

These poor americans (fundamentalists) when open the mouth only repeat what their government say. like parrots (well programmed). They try to defend the undefendable.