Autistic kids being recruited for drone operators?

[coastie]

I was recently talking to a good friend of mine, when the subject of drones came up.

The conversation started with my asking her how her 13yr old son was doing, he has Asperger's Syndrome. He's on the usual cocktail of various SSRI's and other powerful drugs, and has been since I've known them(since he was about 4 yrs old).

We gradual drifted of the subject, when suddenly, she blurts out, "Oh my god, I can't believe I never told you this!"
Perplexed, I asked what it was. I still wish I hadn't.

She recalled to me that about 2 years ago, some men in Air Force uniforms approached her about her son coming down to the local AFB(Tyndall in Panama City) "to pay some video games". She was told it was some kid of research/study program for autistic kids. Anything electronic seems to calm him down, especially video games. Not thinking anything of it, and desperate for help, she said "Sure, why not?".

About a week later, she was told to come on down to the base with her son. After a brief meeting, she was under the impression that they were simply going to observe him while he plays a game. They took her son into a small room that she could not go into with him. After about an hour, her son came out, and seemed ok.

On the car ride home, she asked him what kind of video games they had him playing. He told her all about how cool it was to fly a "UAV plane" from that little room. She thought originally they had him in a flight simulator of some sort. Some time had passed when it dawned on her what they really had him flying.

I was reminded of this today because of this post at DP: http://www.dailypaul.com/306521/wou...to-serve-as-a-drone-operator-or-paid-assassin

It's perfect. These folks are basically incapable of feeling any empathy. Get someone with Asperger's to fly the drones, and you don't have to worry about them going on a guilt trip about killing people.


'Merica, fuck yeah.

 

[squarepusher]

I don't think they would trust multi-million dollar equipment to a kid, as well as implications of mistakes.

I've worked with autistic kids, and they can't really be controlled or put in position of responsibility.

 

[specsaregood]

It's perfect. These folks are basically incapable of feeling any empathy. Get someone with Asperger's to fly the drones, and you don't have to worry about them going on a guilt trip about killing people.

That is not true. People with aspbergers and autism are perfectly capable of feeling empathy to the same degree as anybody else. The problem they have is reading/understanding visual cues that trigger such feelings. you are thinking of sociopaths, not people with aspbergers.

 

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Interesting post! rep+

Though I wouldn't say that Autistic people can't feel empathy... they just have a hard time reading body language, so to us it might appear they don't feel emotions by how they react. Not sure how that would factor in to the Air Forces mission; perhaps if you can't tell your target is a passive non-threat, you will have little problems coping with carrying out the mission. That would be my guess.

Or maybe this has something to do with it: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/201...ism-or-adhd-more-prone-to-overuse-video-games

 

[Ender]

I don't think they would trust multi-million dollar equipment to a kid, as well as implications of mistakes.

I've worked with autistic kids, and they can't really be controlled or put in position of responsibility.

Disagree.

I've worked with several autistic kids that were bloody geniuses and can be brought on to a team if they are treated correctly- and especially if their parents didn't fill them up with drugs.

Sounds likes OSC was on the money and years ahead with Ender's Game.

 

[Anti Federalist]

And the argument devolves into what autism is or isn't.

SMMFH

Not the fucking point people!

The point is that here we have a first third hand account of the Department of Doom apparently, actively recruiting children with "developmental difficulties" to pilot their killing machines, for, what we can assume, better killing efficiency.

Christ help us all.

 

[erowe1]

It's not funny. But this was anticipated by Arrested Development. And in the show, it was hilarious. For it to be real is horrifying.

 

[Cutlerzzz]

They aren't going to let an 11 year old with no training fly a drone and people with autism feel guilt.

I rate this thread 3/10.

 

[Anti Federalist]

They aren't going to let an 11 year old with no training fly a drone and people with autism feel guilt.

I rate this thread 3/10.

Since mom was not allowed to see what was going on, it most likely was a simulator of some sort.

 

[Christian Liberty]

And the argument devolves into what autism is or isn't.

SMMFH

Not the fucking point people!

The point is that here we have a first hand account of the Department of Doom apparently, actively recruiting children with "developmental difficulties" to pilot their killing machines, for, what we can assume, better killing efficiency.

Christ help us all.

True. I'm absolutely ticked off. Like, if I knew that kid I'd seriously consider going to jail...

 

[Christian Liberty]

As someone with AS this kind of stuff really, really ticks me off. Which should discredit the "People with Asperger's dont' feel empathy" meme

 

[MelissaWV]

And the argument devolves into what autism is or isn't.

SMMFH

Not the fucking point people!

The point is that here we have a first hand account of the Department of Doom apparently, actively recruiting children with "developmental difficulties" to pilot their killing machines, for, what we can assume, better killing efficiency.

Christ help us all.

It is a part of the point, though, because it forms the basis for the OP.

Some time had passed when it dawned on her what they really had him flying.

She drew the conclusion that he was flying actual drones, and the OP says "it's perfect" because "these folks are basically incapable of feeling any empathy." The fact that this is totally wrong does put a bit more of a question mark on the whole thing. I don't see it as first hand, and don't see how you can, since it's a poster's friend discussing her deductions, being reported to us by the poster. By definition it isn't a first hand account.

I have no doubt the military does things like this from time to time, but I am also of the opinion that it'd create a huge liability at this time to have children flying actual drones in combat. More likely, it is part of a test/study to see how easy the drones are to fly, and that data will eventually lead us to have children piloting them. We're just not quite there yet. There needs to be another big scare first.

 

[Christian Liberty]

Sometimes I really hate being awake. I haven't been truly "happy" for any long periods of time since. I'm afraid of literally falling straight into 1984...

 

[Cutlerzzz]

Since mom was not allowed to see what was going on, it most likely was a simulator of some sort.

A simulator? Probably.

But no chance of a real drone. The OP's ignorance of Autism also makes the story less believable.

 

[Anti Federalist]

It is a part of the point, though, because it forms the basis for the OP.



She drew the conclusion that he was flying actual drones, and the OP says "it's perfect" because "these folks are basically incapable of feeling any empathy." The fact that this is totally wrong does put a bit more of a question mark on the whole thing. I don't see it as first hand, and don't see how you can, since it's a poster's friend discussing her deductions, being reported to us by the poster. By definition it isn't a first hand account.

I have no doubt the military does things like this from time to time, but I am also of the opinion that it'd create a huge liability at this time to have children flying actual drones in combat. More likely, it is part of a test/study to see how easy the drones are to fly, and that data will eventually lead us to have children piloting them. We're just not quite there yet. There needs to be another big scare first.

Never said it was a first hand account.

At best it is a third hand account, son to mother to OP.

We can dismiss it as bullshit, or run with as being mostly true.

Given what Mordor has been up to lately, I'd say true.

 

[Christian Liberty]

A simulator? Probably.

But no chance of a real drone. The OP's ignorance of Autism also makes the story less believable.

Maybe it wasn't real, but it may well have been a simulator of a real drone. And... did the 11 year old kid know it was fake?

 

[Christian Liberty]

Never said it was a first hand account.

At best it is a third hand account, son to mother to OP.

We can dismiss it as bullshit, or run with as being mostly true.

Given what Mordor has been up to lately, I'd say true.

I'd like to hope not, but I seriously doubt it. For much the same reasons as you doubt itt.

My head is seriously spinning on this one. Yeah, some of the things the OP said about AS are not really accurate, but that doesn't mean it was completely fake either. I'd like to think it was, but I doubt it.

 

[Cutlerzzz]

Maybe it wasn't real, but it may well have been a simulator of a real drone. And... did the 11 year old kid know it was fake?

It definitively isn't real.

 

[MelissaWV]

Never said it was a first hand account.
At best it is a third hand account, son to mother to OP.

We can dismiss it as bullshit, or run with as being mostly true.

Given what Mordor has been up to lately, I'd say true.

...

The point is that here we have a first hand account of the Department of Doom apparently, actively recruiting children with "developmental difficulties" to pilot their killing machines, for, what we can assume, better killing efficiency.

Christ help us all.

Try again?

 

[specsaregood]

Not the fucking point people!

If it wasn't the point then the OP shouldn't have made it the basis of his conclusion on why they were supposedly targeting these kids for military purposes.

It's perfect. These folks are basically incapable of feeling any empathy. Get someone with Asperger's to fly the drones, and you don't have to worry about them going on a guilt trip about killing people.