Weaponized drone = Indian savage

For Memorial Day, here's the standard view of modern Native warriors:

Native Americans and the U.S. MilitaryThe requirements for successful military service--strength, bravery, pride, and wisdom--match those of the Indian warrior. Military service affords an outlet for combat that fulfills a culturally determined role for the warrior. Therefore, the military is an opportunity for cultural self-fulfillment. By sending young tribal members off to be warriors, they return with experiences that make them valued members of their society. Finally, the military provides educational opportunities, which allow Native American veterans to return to their community with productive job skills to improve their quality of life.

With the 21st century on the horizon, the United States military can be expected to provide continuing opportunity for Native American men and women. For their part, Native Americans can be expected to carry on their centuries-old warrior tradition--serving with pride, courage, and distinction.And here's a hint of what's behind that view:

Predators, Warriors and Ravens:  the CIA Drones Wage War

The CIA’s use of unmanned aircraft to kill insurgents and militants marks a turning point in the history of war

By Lara MarloweA representative selection of the army’s drones are displayed in a lane under the trees. There’s a Shadow, equipped with an Israeli-made camera, used mainly for surveillance, but also for some targeting, and the diminutive Raven, a battlefield surveillance drone that is launched by hand.

The only weaponised drone, and the star of the exhibition, is the Warrior, a souped-up Predator that carries four laser-guided Hellfire missiles under its wings. The army calls it the Grey Eagle. “There are rules in army aviation that you have to have a North American Indian chief or tribe name,” says Lt Col Kevin Messer.

Predator drones have been used extensively by the CIA to assassinate alleged al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the tribal areas of northwest Pakistan. The army uses drones mostly in what it calls TIC (troops in combat) incidents.Comment:  I believe helicopters and missiles are among the military items that have Native names. "Weaponized drones" may get Native names also because they're missiles or missile carriers.

So according to the US military, Warriors are equivalent to Predators, which are equivalent to Indians. Could it be any clearer what the Army thinks? Grey Eagle, Indian, warrior, predator, lion, tiger, bear...they may not make great scientists or diplomats, but they sure make great killers.

As the child said when explaining his school mascot, "We simply chose an Indian as the emblem. We could have just as easily chosen any uncivilized animal." This kid could've been a military planner instead of an eighth grader.

These drones are mindless killing machines that pursue enemies relentlessly and mercilessly. Not coincidentally, that's how many Americans view Indians. So a weaponized drone is the military equivalent of an Indian savage. Recognizing this, the Army names the drones after the savages.

Americans also like to think of their sports teams as mindless killing machines that pursue enemies relentlessly and mercilessly. So they give their teams the same names: Redskins, Apaches, Chiefs, Warriors, Braves, Eagles, Wolves, Lions, Tigers, Bears. They're all savages, marauders, predators--ready to do or die, kill or be killed, etc. Nice.

For more on the subject, see Indians in the Military and Smashing People:  The "Honor" of Being an Athlete.

Below:  A savage Grey Eagle Predator drone, I presume.