• yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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    18 hours ago

    “We cannot be proud of working at [Boston Dynamics] when that work is being used by a government agency that brutalizes civilians, including some of our own colleagues … ,” the petition read.

    But like, what did they think their dogs would be used for? Walks in the park? Of bit ICE, then what?

    • ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip
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      17 hours ago

      I mean…up to this point they’ve been used as advanced scouts in disaster areas, as well as equipment carriers for rough terrain. Non violent functions.

      • edible_funk@lemmy.world
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        16 hours ago

        Didn’t they have videos of guns strapped to these things like ten years ago? This was obviously always gonna be how they’re used.

      • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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        16 hours ago

        Year I view it kind of like firearms. You can say you have one for self defence but they’re used more for crime and war and hunting.

      • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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        16 hours ago

        Of course but where’s the money at? Search and rescue, or military?

                • betanumerus@lemmy.ca
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                  11 hours ago

                  Which confirms they are not “exactly the same”. The ICE agents I’ve seen are unprofessional, and not nearly as disciplined as military soldiers able to march, run obstacle courses, and instill confidence in civilians.

                  • idiomaddict@lemmy.world
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                    11 hours ago

                    and respect civilians

                    American military? The ones who bombed an elementary school and continuously target Caribbean fishermen? I’m glad you’ve seen a different side of them, but they’re not generally big on respecting civilians.

                    Unless you mean American civilians, which is kind of a fucked up distinction to draw, because American lives aren’t worth more than anyone else’s.

              • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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                13 hours ago

                Maybe by definition, but in practice ICE looks like the military these days.

                • betanumerus@lemmy.ca
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                  12 hours ago

                  The military only works on US soil when called upon to help people, never to hurt anyone. ICE mimicking a military look is to intimidate people. They have shown to be much less competent than the military, and without being called for.

                  • Chulk@lemmy.ml
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                    11 hours ago

                    ICE is a paramilitary force. Arguing that they are not a military is pedantic and serves to detract from the severity of the institution’s atrocities.

                    The military only works on US soil when called upon to help people, never to hurt anyone.

                    Historically, this is not true.

                    ICE mimicking a military look is to intimidate people. They have shown to be much less competent than the military, and without being called for.

                    No, ICE is mimicking a military to occupy cities that are not politically aligned with the president. They are a paramilitary force that aims to punish political dissidents. Their competency relative to established militaries is beside the point entirely. In fact, it just makes them more dangerous.