Drones: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

The United States has launched a huge number of drone strikes under President Obama.
It’s widely accepted and extremely terrifying.
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[@KayclauShipper]

"We don't know who we killed, but we believe it was the right target." That's called a terrorist attack.

[@nejlaakyuz4025]

Yes, it is called terorizing the terorists.

[@thatoneguy7792]

No

[@mushroomkaat2667]

@Winston Mosquehill please help I hate my country it's literally a nightmare of apathetic citizens pretending to care and fascist leaders slowly undermining our democracy from the inside. Please God either send help our send highly skilled assassin's to kill all of our political leaders and just give us a blank slate

[@NuclearSavety]

Whats the difference between a terrorist camp and a Pakistani elementary school? I dont know either, i only fly the drone ...

[@108khan]

@@NuclearSavety yeah but it do matter to those who have feelings for innocent lives .. that's the reason many of your mates goes to trauma while operating drones and some point in life they end up as psychopath and put on counselling sessions

[@asdfghyter]

First sentence of Wikipedia's article on Terrorism: "Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts (or the threat of violent acts) intended to create fear (terror), perpetrated for an economic,[1] religious, political, or ideological goal, and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (e.g., neutral military personnel or civilians)." That seems to fit the US use of predator drones perfectly.

[@LombardiPls]

Here is the thing, we at times live at fear knowing that the Taliban can strike at anytime... Also keep in mind that the U.S. did not start attacking the Middle East, they had attacked us in 1993 with the "truck bombing" at the North Tower of the trade centers, which killed 6 and injured 1,042. Then comes 9/11 in which killed over 3,000 in one day. Keep in mind these were citizens such as the people of Yemen for example. Although many forget the past for our motives...

[@AuronFtw]

Michael Crisci That was the justification for our military invading Afghanistan, and nobody really had a problem with that. They attacked us, we attacked back. But then we started targeting neighboring areas for completely fabricated reasons (UMDs say hi), solely to raid their oil supplies because Bush was the prez and Bush comes from an oil family. Once our country has started invading others for their oil, we're no longer the good guys just fighting back, we're the terrorists.

[@cRashBandicooT2091]

Puglous You are aware that there are only slightly more than 7 billion people on the planet right? So if the US killed billions of civilians.... I don't really see how that would work out.

[@asdfghyter]

Puglous Not targeting, but disregarding safety for non-combatants.

[@asdfghyter]

Puglous At least it is according to the definition I quoted: "which deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants "

[@kualarompin589]

11:22 His grandmother was picking up okra that she grew nearby her house. That boy and his younger sister saw their grandmother blown into pieces. Imagine that happening to you. Then perhaps you understand how evil is drone program is.

[@reddragon0624]

Everytime the U.S tries to intervene in the Middle East it's like that "We Saved The City!" Spongebob meme

[@HybridSpektar]

"People look to the sky and see hope, I will take that from them first" - Ultron

[@espalorp3286]

Holy shit you just opened my eyes. Ultron is a mother fucking predator drone. Holy fucking balls.

[@HybridSpektar]

+Proteus Not sure if sarcasim or actually agrees

[@espalorp3286]

+Mario Bonanno nah man ;) didn't see that before

[@tbr2109]

+Mario Bonanno Wait, so Ultron is in control of the US Government? That...makes a lot of sense actually.

[@HybridSpektar]

+tbr2109 I just took the quote and applied it the young man's feelings about the sky and the drones. Since he said he used to like looking at the sky, Ultron said "people look to the sky and see hope, I will take that from them first.". So they lose hope in the sky metaphorically speaking.

[@the81kid]

Nobody ever asks "how would we react?" if a foreign nation did this to us. Nobody ever asks that. What if Iran bombed and terrorized our civilians like this, while "targeting" people who have killed Iranians?

[@josephstahl9119]

I may be misreading what you're trying to say but if so I apologize but its cause "they" can't they don't have the recourses. They don't have the power or ability to do so but "We" do. We can do these things at anytime or place. So why would anyone bother asking us?

[@JohnDoe-ji3vd]

Shadow of the Undertaker That's not the point. His point is the "if it was the other way around" scenario. Which is a legitimate statement..

[@noneofyourbusinesssame4228]

Shadow of the Undertaker Lol, you mean you only do it to peoples who don't have the resources, power or ability...

[@josephstahl9119]

Noneofyourbusiness Same yup that's it... as long as its for the sake of "national security" and you have the guns/weapons to back it you now suddenly have the right to go right ahead and dominate the skies

[@vukosavljeva]

The worst part is that you are under a biggest media manipulation in History... This was on TV just because Obama let it.. You have no idea what's really going on and why are you in a war with certain country! US is doing this for a long period of time, before drones were invented. They come, under the excuse of human rights and protection, and then bomb the hell out of country...and them come with their companies and industries and take the land and all the goods.....that's the only reason. But, if they didn't present it on TV as saving the people from evil dictators, then ppl of America wouldn't let that happen. This way, majority of Americans think their country is doing a noble thing by saving ppl, when it's exactly the opposite! Now, I'm sure that someone will come with "legit" TV facts, but don't forget! They own media, they can say and make up everything! The best way to go out of this propaganda machine is to travel to foreign country (But not US friendly country :P )

[@bazilda]

I will just call it the John Oliver emotion. Its when you feel like smiling, crying and having terrified shivers all over your body at the same time.

[@InservioLetum]

Wildly unerrated comment, this could literally be the tagline of his show. Chapeau!

[@TheMapa888]

12:02 she basically describes Hydra's plan in Captain America Winter Soldier...damn reality is scary

[@disappointmentjuice8676]

well, as they say, fiction has roots in reality.

[@DaDunge]

Yeah the only fantasy there is that it takes evil nazi infiltrators to make the US do stuff like that.

[@GirlPantsProductions]

"When children from other countries are telling us that we've made them fear the sky, it might be time to ask some hard questions." I love John Oliver so much.

[@naqeebali3141]

heartbreaking stuff.

[@grahamwinchester4892]

but i liek drones the y maek me feel safe from the terrorists

[@AresWasTaken]

Sun is shinin' in the sky, There ain't a cloud in sight It's stopped rainin' Everybody's in a hole And don't you know There's a drone above your head.

[@sumitsinghthakur2930]

Graham Winchester Do you live in Yemen or Syria?

[@tobythedog7478]

Girl Pants Productions ya think

[@Sturmdude]

"We're convinced it was an appropriate target" She said that like Grand Moff Tarkin would have after blowing up Alderaan.

[@edwarddundon-smith9059]

Huh

[@raymondbenjamins5884]

Yeah. That's what happens if people get the power to destroy, no matter if they think it's for a good cause...

[@Petr75661]

+Sturmdude and then she went home and made her children a dinner. Fucking mindblowing.

[@iluvkochikame]

+Raymond “Dnomyar96” Benjamins Up The Irons

[@erikbaran7197]

Yeah, a drone attack that kills three is exactly like the destruction of an entire planet. That's like comparing 9/11 with Benghazi.

[@mariamkhalid5976]

I'm from Pakistan, the areas close to where these strikes happened. While no one close to me was harmed, I remember the daily terror of the word 'drone attack '. I was too young back then to understand what it really meant, only that a lot of people died and the subconscious terror that came with it. It still feels edgy and wrong when I hear about drone attacks.

[@meowrad4430]

The guy was only collecting scrap metal I was so close to crying. 😭😭😭😭

[@meowrad4430]

My heart literally broke

[@iP0djunkie]

According to Merriam-Webster changes made in 2013, yes. Literally. :) You're a few years too late to start complaining about something that's in the dictionary now.

[@meowrad4430]

McZidanne what's your problem it's a comment on a KZbin video, not an essay. You don't even respond to what I'm talking about. Jeez

[@meowrad4430]

McZidanne at least I have a fucking heart you cold bitch 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@meowrad4430]

McZidanne lol was that actually a comeback oh wait you didn't have one

[@ExcorcistBagel]

If Facebook is able to recognize faces in just about any picture that they're in, you'd think something as deadly as a drone would have an even better recognition system.

[@abeautifulend9163]

XZDrake thats it 40,000, haven't we killed twice that amount?

[@alexgiurgi08]

XZDrake So 10 years later, after some 400 billion dollars spent, 20.000 coalition troops and another 20.000 civilian dead, you'd think it would be obvious that this war cannot be won...I fail to see how you see this war as a victory, honestly. The Soviets gave up after 10 years in that forsaken land. The Afghans have been at war in one form or another(civil war or against foreign occupation) for the last 36 years. Yes, as you have pointed out, not that many people died. During the Soviet invasion more that 1 million died and another 5 were displaced; so compared to that, yes, this war didn't go that bad. But is still pointless; the Taliban are just as determined as they were 15 years ago, and they are making a come back. No amount of drone strikes will help; for every Taliban killed there are likely civilian casualties as well. Which only breeds hatred and gives them more recruits...

[@BobBob-of7fg]

Drone Strikes is probably one of the reasons why people join these terrible groups. A drone strike kills someone who's close to you in order to try and get a terrorist. You probably wouldn't think too good about these people and fight back against them.

[@DoctorWhoKage]

If you kill a man's loved one, you'll only make him so angry, that he'll reveal the worst of himself to you.

[@marshalbaek5580]

Most of the people hate the terrorists in their country and they want them killed too. They don't blame the death of their loved ones on the people trying to kill the terrorists among them. Rather, they blame the terrorists and rightfully so.

[@rickmorty7284]

Not really a justification though. There are no drone strikes in Africa, but you still have idiots joining terror groups. Kids grow up in the UK nicely, only to randomly decide to join ISIS. Drone strikes are horrifying, but the real problem here is ideology.

[@jorgenoname6062]

Theres a movie on Netflix about this exact topic its called war machine

[@RaifuEnthusiast]

Idk what gave them the idea killing their loved 1s would make them stop

[@afreeeire8149]

"You dare to call me a terrorist while you look down your gun" Irish lyrics

[@orangeapples]

Wait, we have created a state where children an innocent people are scared of both going outside and the sky? Are we the bad guys?

[@vivstephen]

yes.. really slow, dense and rich bad guys..

[@joetotheflow]

Good morning

[@someonesomewhere9746]

And the US asks "Why do they hate us so much?"

[@bigboysindahood1243]

And the terrorists asks why does the world hate us so much

[@ExecratedPlaysGaming]

Intelligent Americans don't. Many French citizens booed and jeered US troops as those troops destroyed Vichy France. There were Italians that hated Americans for invading Fascist Italy. German insurgencies persisted for decades after WWII. My grandfather didn't fight for the French or the Italians. He didn't fight for their approval. He fought for the Americans that died at Pearl Harbor and Normandy. What made us great was that we didn't need or want the approval of France. We want that approval now, and you can see what that has gotten us.

[@bobsherman904]

I see comments like this on his videos all the time. And you know what? America isn't the only country with problems like these, and other countries like Britain have similar problems with corruption or flawed systems as well. The difference is that Americans are able to laugh at themselves, while other countries ignore their problems to laugh at ours

[@someonesomewhere9746]

ExecratedPlays "What made us great was that we didn't need or want the approval of France. We want that approval now..." Well I think the world situation was different back then? But what bothers me most is that US doesn't even want to take the responsibility. I mean collateral damage, really?

[@someonesomewhere9746]

Bob Sherman "America isn't the only country with problems like these" Oh I totally agree. But other countries having the same problems doesn't make our problems less/more serious. And I can't say about other countries but yes I honestly love it when we can laugh at ourselves. Because pretending to be perfect is just silly imo. But sometimes I find that all US does is laugh and not really try to solve the issues? I mean the problem still remains. That is a bit depressing. Btw I see you liked your own comment :)

[@jacushman]

What's the difference between a terrorist training camp and an orphan hospital? I dunno, I just fly the drone. PS: This joke will never get old... kinda like those orphans.

[@emmanuelm.184]

Wait I'm confused

[@denisl2760]

+Tiger Diesel The drone pilot is asking his commander why he's about to bomb an orphan hospital. Also the orphans will never get old because they're gonna die.

[@boringmanager9559]

+Tiger Diesel the world would feel so relieved, if one day all americans would finally start asking their government questions.

[@memebois9764]

Tiger Diesel bbbh

[@Poldovico]

@@denisl2760 And then the operator goes home and commits suicide. Because that happens very often too.

[@secludedmisanthrope6388]

Did they give drone strike statistics like it was time for the weather report?!!

[@Krystalmyth]

Psychologically, having a "predator" constantly in rotation in the air unseen kind of describes how horrible we really are to not just our enemies but specifically toward those who can't defend themselves.

[@robdeskrd]

Jesus made a special point warning people about that, he said "I will judge you by how you treat the least among you" but all these batshit crazy bloodthirsty Christians are still chomping at the bit to go have another crusade....... not only are these people vile in the way they lord their power over the weak but they do this in service to a God that explicitly told them they would fail to pass its judgment for such behavior- they aren't just monsters: they are brain-dead stupid monsters, like dumber than pigshit kinda stupid!...... ..... ..... krystal myth 🤔.... I think we have met before..... no, sorry that was Crystal Meth my bad 😁

[@JonathanNeilRhodes]

My respect for John Oliver just grew by a million notches because of this particular segment

[@calebhicks4441]

yeah what's with all the dislikes ?

[@souliaq]

They don't like drones.

[@kin-dza-dza320]

Those "precautionary measures" dont work. They just breed more deep rooted hatred for America and if anything give a reason for people to seek vengeance on that hatred. Fun fact : guess wich country trained Bin Laden and help build said Pakistani Military Training Center

[@vaibhavbiradar9451]

Keon Glenn Pakistan has more most wanted people by many governments around the world than any other country. Why don't they hand over them? Because they support Pakistan financially! The mastermind of 26/11 Bombay (India - more than 100 killed)attack is still in Pakistan and he is treated like a god figure!! Another example is 1993's series of explosions in Bombay was managed and funded by underworld don Daud Ebrahim, guess where is he now!! Pakistan supports the violence and terrorism. If USA decided to just stop these missions terrorism will grow even More!!

[@KM-ch2wc]

You are so cool man

[@abdousalem3079]

well at least there are people like john oliver and jon stewart telling americans the truth.

[@abdousalem3079]

***** i don't think they do it to laugh at other people misery. these comedians have become america's most reliable source of information since the american media is just too biased and unprofessional and show you only what they want you to see.

[@5BuddyLover]

***** abdou salem agree abdou, I dont think they do it to make a mockery out of the situation, it's more just laughing about how stupid our government can be. Least those 1000s of peoples voices are being heard because of John Olivers humor.

[@mysuperblog]

***** Making it entertaining seems to be the only way people will learn about all this wrong doing.

[@tameenhaque2285]

Yes, harsh truth many american won't like, and would really love to look the other way ......... SILENT MAJORITY anyone?

[@beegdipa1441]

***** If you watch his net neutrality monologue you'll understand that making it entertaining is the only way to get people to pay attention to these things.

[@madmechanicus9405]

07:21 "We're convinced it was an appropriate target." Wow scrap metal collecting seems like a pretty rough business if you're competitors use drone attacks to corner the market.

[@jamescanson3352]

*looks up at blue sky* *slowly steps away from window*

[@globalcitizenn]

I thought guns were a cowardly way to fight, drones take it to a whole new level.

[@espalorp3286]

That's like arguing technology is making people work less and getting us lazy. Technology just makes being human easier, and humans are inherently assholes.

[@DeannaJacksonDJsDelectables]

I agree. Drones are more cowardly than guns. This country really is the biggest threat to world peace.

[@GuyUWishUWere]

+globalcitizenn At least drones are quiet. I'd rather be a coward than obnoxious. Of course something that kills indiscriminately and at anytime sounds less like a weapon and more like a tornado or a monster than a weapon

[@Eragon954]

The amount of power the USA has, and the incredibly small responsability that goes with it scares me a lot.

[@matthew_natividad]

And think about the tensions later on

[@danieljames1868]

+thesphynx Uncle Sam: "With great power comes OOH SHIIINY!" Lady Liberty: **Facepalm**

[@NwoDispatcher]

the US has ended. They are run by a small cabal of global totalitarians

[@Fiufia]

Puglous you are just unimaginably idiot. and even the stupid ppl that govern America is a little smarter than you.

[@NwoDispatcher]

+fufia maybe thats what you want? How about it... cull humanity a few billion? You greenies are all about depopulation

[@Rekcoj]

"You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain"

[@agentwashingtub9167]

I've got a joke: What's the difference between an Afghani school and a terrorist camp? I don't know, I'm just a drone pilot.

[@metazoxan2]

The Sad thing is I think Drones would be a good thing if we just did a few things 1.Spent a little more money to make them more accurate. 2.Spent a little more time identifying actual targets 3.Create strategies to guide targets away from populated areas before striking 4.NOT USING THEM ALL THE FUCKING TIME!!! Like he said at the start Drones are cheap and efficient and they don't require us to risk the lives of our soldiers. But it's a problem that we use them so often and so poorly that it's costing far too many innocent lives.

[@Altimit1417]

Actually drones are accurate. Depends on the pay load. It is usually operators error.

[@JaalsBoi]

I actually read somewhere (sorry, I don't have a citation) that the military has developed a new type of projectile that is more akin to that of a bullet, able to be for with extreme accuracy. Don't hold me to that, I may have dreamed it, but that's what I think I read.

[@metazoxan2]

iHateApple2 If it's true and they can actually kill targets properly without killing a dozen civilians too it will do wonders for the military's reputation not just world wide but in nation.

[@skeleta1993]

Murica being Murica again they dont even know who they kill or why, from 1 to 10 of how stupid they can be, they stop at 25...

[@metazoxan2]

Yusuf Dzh hey those guys controlling the drones don't speak for all of us. We think it's stupid too but the common guy doesn't really get much say in that kind of thing.

[@thatthingthatisaid65]

John Oliver's videos start some of the most robust and intelligent discussions on youtube, sincerely.

[@ianhall-watt4326]

Fak u

[@thatthingthatisaid65]

thanks! You've made my day!!

[@adamsandle4569]

+Vincent St. Sintsensin. lol

[@paylove5173]

I love how after he says a joke he smirks a little that kinda says “nailed it”

[@mdmobashshir432]

11:17 I wept when I listened to this boy. His urdu was a bit muffled, it still managed to pass a chilling feeling. Sad

[@SpacemanXC]

What if, instead of bombs, we just dropped candy? Would...umm...would that work?

[@Cornelixx]

I seriously wish they go through with this idea.

[@partymayker]

SpaceManDawn But how is US gonna get its oil then?

[@SapphireCrook]

That's how America conquered Europe after WW2. They fed everyone chocolate until they dominated the market. Taking over the world, one chocolate bar at the time.

[@jurassicperk86]

because bombs are working so well? you realize those children growing in fear everyday are gonna grow up and want to bomb you back, right? unless you manage to to sweep whole villages and countries, that program is not working

[@SpacemanXC]

Sapphire Crook That. Or we had the convenient pleasure of not having our factories and refineries bombed.

[@Coeurebene1]

"We don't know who it was, but we are convinced it was an appropriate target". Well, after that I suppose that terrorist recruiters have no trouble convincing these kids that any occidental civilian is an appropriate target as well.

[@severusfloki5778]

Exactly

[@GTAVictor9128]

Since I'm not American AND I'm not too much into politics, I don't want to divert myself too deeply into all this. However I must say, politicians from all around the world and especially the US just fail to realize that by igniting a fire to counter another fire, the only resulting thing you're doing is creating more fire. Or as Martin Luther King once put it, "Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars." Further quoting; "Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones." By killing "terrorists" in front of inocent children, they're only generating new recruits for the future terrorist groups by making them, over time, be filled with hatred and seeking vengeance. I mean, wouldn't you be filled with hatred if your family was killed by some airstrike because politicians think that "counter terrorism" is a good solution? Be it a manned plane or an unmanned drone, it gives the same result. Again, exactly as MLK said, "It creates bitternes in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers." Who would've thought that Martin Luther King's speeches would be so perennial and transcendent. Like they say, the past often reverberates the present.

[@selmaa812]

GTAVictor9128 maybe that's precisely what the US govt wants...a constant need to be involved in other countries affairs, exterminating 'terrorists' and producing a market for weaponry.

[@GTAVictor9128]

Selma Ali With the whole policy of US government secercy, especially within groups like the CIA, many things are plausible. There were numerous conspiracy theories that actually turned out true, like the one were the CIA added poison to alcohol during the 1920s alcohol prohibition, so as to discourage people from illegal drinking. Now, I'm not an obsessed conspiracy theorist, but some say the US government secretly planned 9/11 so that they could have an excuse to invade Iraq, similar to how Hitler made a few of his soldiers dress up in Polish army uniforms and attack a German radio tower to give him an excuse to invade Poland. I don't absolutely believe this, but neither do I reject it. You can never know what they're up to these days.

[@severusfloki5778]

Well said

[@onkelpappkov2666]

@Andrew Christian Missing the mark. Nobody here talks about thugs and thieves. The topic is the US government's calculated killing of civilians to perpetuate a war that serves to siphon tax money into military industry which in turn pays the politicians who enable them. No war, no reason to spend money on the industry, therefore no payout from the industry to officials. Therefore, war is -necessary- desirable for officials to get paid by the taxpayer. Means of perpetuating war include killing innocents to increase resistance. That's what is being discussed. You could call the people who take money out of the federal budget "thieves" but that doesn't really fit. I'd call them forfeiters. The act of thievery requires taking something from a framework designed to protect it. Instead, the framework is carefully redesigned to explicitly allow taking the thing. But I digress. It's not about thieves. It's about drone strikes fueling the war business.

[@DoctorWhoKage]

@Vijay Surya um...negotiation and words come to mind? #wordswinwars

[@michellegodwin6567]

Aladdin was voiced by Brad Kane, who was also in the Olson Twin(s) Mother Day Special. According to Wikipedia, Skittles are made of "sugar, corn syrup, and hydrogenated palm kernel oil along with fruit juice, citric acid, and natural and artificial flavors" Now you know...

[@GhostInTheShell29]

When I served in Iraq, It was both the most real, and surreal experience of my life. I was cursed with a unit that had a captain, and a first sergeant who were both very career minded. We were stationed in a relatively peaceful area in 2009, wasn't much action. But I'll never forget our first sergeant telling us that we needed to go out and "kick the hornets nest". These people honestly expected us to engage the civilian population just so they could get freaking medals. Thank god, that the fellow enlisted men and NCO's of my unit did not agree. And thank god that the first sergeant was the kind of pussy that he almost never left the wire. The one time he did he nearly shot a bunch of children, who he thought were a threat. He was only stopped by the actions of one specialist who risked his career by grabbing his weapon. The real danger of drones in my opinion is the decision to kill or not needs to rest with enlisted men, and lower NCO's on the actual battle field. Because its far to easy to order the death of men when your far removed from the actual carnage. And far removed from the consequences of doing so.

[@haberdasherrykr8886]

You reminded of a quote from call of duty 2 which have recently become a trend nowadays Which go along the lines "in Soviet Russia, the opposite of what you would expect happens" The original quote was by Stalin stating that in the red army there's more danger while retreating!! The checks and balances being skewed and or destroyed are expected to be hallmarks of evil inept governments Your anecdote proved otherwise :(

[@tilltronje1623]

Your statements are of course a bit undercut by you having been in Iraq but yeah, drones bad

[@marshalbaek5580]

Are you aware of ways we've uncovered terrorist cells and were successful in taking them out before they killed people again? Is there a method you believe works best that is decisive and effective enough to deter terrorists? Here's something to consider when you think about ways or methods to keep America free: I don't know how old you are to know if you were alive or old enough to internalize the morning of 9/11, but I was. Watching real time live camera feeds when the first tower collapsed and the 2nd collapsed was and still is not something I can describe regarding how it moved me at a spiritual or at the core of my existence level. To say it made me angry is laughable. It transported me to almost an out of body experience - to a state of mind I have never felt in my life.I wasn't the only one. We all felt that way. The American people wanted whoever it was to pay no matter what it took. We agreed to let our own government invade our personal privacy to try and find them. We were like Freddy Kruger- we wanted the people responsible killed - even if it meant we had to chop off our own fingers, arms, or legs - a self willing mutilation in order the kill those responsible. None of us want innocent people to die like we lost that day. None of us wants death to those caught up in the crossfire. Consider this: After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and we got pulled into WW2, a cost of lives lost and to be lost to the enemy vs lives lost to our people had to be evaluated and an unthinkable decision had to be made. And with fair warning given, a B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. The explosion immediately killed an estimated 80,000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on the city of Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. The U.S. appealed to the people of Japan to put pressure on their leaders to surrender immediately in order to avoid the United States from systematically taking out all major cities, key infrastructure, and most importantly, the loss of so many Japanese people. Leaflets were dropped out of American planes into many Japanese cities stating those things. I only have rumors and some speculation on what I'm about to say; I believe we told Japan we were going to destroy 5 more cities if they didn't surrender, meaning, if they didn't surrender by a certain day/date, the U.S. was going to bomb a MINIMUM of 5 cities likely all dropped in one day before we would answer their phone call to surrender. I think we made it very clear that we will destroy their entire country if that's what's needed to eliminate them as a threat that has already come to our homeland and killed American people. We were bent on doing whatever it took to take out the threat to American lives on our own soil. We went Freddy Kruger on them. Japan announced it's unconditional surrender on Aug 15th 1945. War is ugly. Survival of the fittest is harsh, cruel, and unforgiving. It is how the world is ordered. We can kill or be killed. It really is that simple. There is no doubt that America's capability to destroy our enemies and a proven track record that we will destroy our enemies is what has kept us from mass civilian casualties on our homeland soil. I believe some of the intel we've received as to where terrorist cells are located, was provided by civilians in the countries the terrorists are in. Many of the civilians see the terrorists as their enemy too. They blame loss of civilian life on the terrorists and some on Americans, but most of the blame is on the terrorists. We are hunting them down and trying to surgically remove them from the masses. An unbelievably difficult thing to do. And it's tragic...it's gut wrenching to know civilians of all kinds - men, women, old, young, - have been killed in the crossfire. I believe the relentless pursuit to kill them on their side of the world sends a message. Taking out the number 1 leader 10 years after he attacked the U.S. - and make no mistake, he vanished from the Earth - no one knows what we did with him or to him....and taking down the number 2 leader 21 years later after the attack (they're still finding pieces of him where a non explosive drone payload chopped him into thousands of pieces) sends a clear message: If you attack the U.S. on our home soil, we will engage you until either you're dead, or we're dead - a death match. I believe this approach has saved countless American lives on our own soil. War is bloody. Kill or be killed. So what do we do Soldier? Because allowing terrorists to go unchecked is not an option. Allowing another mass loss of life on American soil is not an option. I'd like to know your thoughts if you feel like sharing them. I have sent this comment to you with the utmost of all due respect. My thankfulness to you and others like you that have served in our military to protect us from the threats of the world that want to kill us all is immeasurable. All the best to you and yours.

[@theguyshadows]

In terrorism studies, we call this the rational choice model. When someone perceives there to be an injustice in society and they choose to become terrorism to combat that injustice, they are rationally choosing to become terrorist. Most people won't take this step until they view that there is no other way to stop an injustice. Based off of this video, one can see why there are terrorist in the world.

[@Fuzz_Face]

Yeah sure, but now you're implying that due to the drones there's retaliation in the form of terrorism. I'd think that's a pretty nearsighted view of the situation, and probably there's something wrong with causality in that premise. I do agree that the (immoral) use of drones can propagate apparent active aggression. On an individual scale I feel empathy for people that rationally fear a deadly invisible force in the sky, but you need to take more variables in account... I would always promote debating this "injustice". Because I don't think an act of terror would ever solve anything... (And obviously I'm including the USA, NATO, ISIS, any individual country, to this.) But yeah I guess then the (dangerous) ideologies come into the equation, and that's a whole different discussion. :)

[@justincronkright5025]

The injustice wouldn't and doesn't and I hope never would be percieved as only coming from ''Military & and Threatening Injustices''. But instead view all forms of oppression (which I would argue we almost all live within now), as providing rights to diplomatically sue to change, and beyond that with no recourse to revolt. NOT TERRORISE or become TERRORISTS, because this becomes revolt. Something inherently different with fundamentally different goals.

[@severusfloki5778]

Well said

[@defensivekobra3873]

11:41 " This is a roc, a bird of prey so large and ferocious it dwarfs many dragons, all beneath it's mighty wings should *fear the sky* " -dwarf fortress

[@tommytwotones128]

I love how he says "Obamer"

[@TheBrianJ]

I am curious about something... was the increase in drone usage because of the Obama administration, or was it simply because the technology for drones became more and more advanced after 2008, making them a more viable option?

[@TheQUBANQT]

***** The technology is amazingly advance. It just wasn't the case while Bush was in office. That said it's also a better overall military economical & political option to use drones vs the alternative. It's why the political polls clearly state most Americans support drones. The lesser of the evils available to deal with the "threat".

[@vonarroberts]

***** A combination of both, during the Bush years you really only had drones observing. Then near the later part of his Presidency we figured out that we could use them as a inexpensive offensive weapon and they started entering service in moderate numbers. They only started reaching reasonable operational levels during Obama's Presidency, hense the surprising increase in their use vs Bush years..

[@GeneralKenobiSIYE]

Boot Licker sighted!

[@PrettyH8Mach1n3]

***** Cheaper than boots on the ground and there was a planned end to the operations there. Drones were thus more viable.

[@danielmgalhaes]

***** It was because sending human armies didn't make Bush very popular. Look, in World War I, 10% of the dead were civilians. In the second, 50% of the dead were civilians. In the Vietnam War, 70% civilians killed. In the "invasion" of Iraq, 90%. Then now we have drones and our miitary can play videogame with the world.

[@mexicanfoodjunkie8857]

'Indiscriminate killing of unknown persons' is a war crime. And yet, we will never pay for this.

[@willoww5663]

I'm so glad he did this one. This is more horrific than I thought. Poor people having to be terrified of blue skies

[@reinforcer9000]

wow that's one of the most extensive and lengthy coverage of the predator drones I've seen to date. Just a little giddy cuz I worked on the software for the predator drones :D

[@plusminuscons]

Congratulations! On the plus side, you helped make something technologically amazing. On the down side, there's also now a drop of blood on your hands.

[@Glenboy21]

Wow. Americans are just fine with this?

[@michalszymanski5796]

That's such an easy thing to say, but no. American are uninformed because the government doesn't release any information on it. Please don't assume that Americans are "just fine" with it.

[@mehirohouseki]

Some... I'm not really ok with it but I can't regulate it in anyway so I guess I don't matter much.

[@AuronFtw]

It's mostly that Americans are ignorant of it, for reasons Michal stated; the gov't is intentionally keeping information under wraps. They know there would be a blowback if it became common knowledge. We're already the world's leading terrorist nation, but the knowledge that we have unmanned death-dealing machines in other countries nonstop is pretty horrifying.

[@HYTUBEH]

yes. they have their iphone 6 already, so all is well. well almost, they are outraged at how easiy the phones bend, so they are revolting against the injustice ... on twitter #bendgate Its a tragedy really.

[@4tech69]

No, we're not ok with it.

[@ilovepie58]

Thank you so much for going against the status quo and really discussing the issue of drones in the deep and holistic manner that is warranted from such a subject. You help broaden the minds of the American people more and more with each video. You help us realize that the world and its problems doesn't revolve around us, and that we must be conscious of our place in the world. Thank you so much.

[@kauske]

+ilovepie58 Sadly, I imagine the majority of US citizens will not listen to, believe nor care... A lot of the ones who even bother to defy the status quo seem obsessed with fantasies, like how walmart wants to mind control them, or how vaccines are designed to cause autism, or flat earth and moon hoaxes or some other bullshit. While the larger percentile just do not care what happens overseas. I also imagine because LWT is somewhat comedic, many will write everything started off as just a joke too, because any excuse to keep the status quo going. Plus other more at home "controversies" keep the public distracted/pacified too.

[@calvin3215]

Being an American citizen I agree with you kauske Personally my opinion has changed drastically on drones since this but theres not much I can do I wish I could do more but its just not possible best of luck those in countries with drones God Be with You.

[@erikbaran7197]

Actually, the world pretty much does revolve around us. As the US goes, so goes the world. Maybe when the rest of the world starts becoming the world's police force we'll back off, until then, either straighten up or suffer the consequences.

[@kauske]

Puglous Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep better at night. The US squanders money inefficiently on overpriced military hardware at the behest of military contractors. Then your politicians justify it by going to war against nations decades behind you technologically with nowhere near the population or economy. The US donates little in terms of aid to other countries compared to their GDP and military spending. Go actually look at the statistics for personnel and materials sent abroad for aid. The US contributes less than countries looked down on as impoverished shitholes. You can't even fucking give healthcare to your own citizens, never mind be "world police". Worse, fat cunts like you who don't even serve in your own country's military sit around acting like the world's savior. You seem to forget that all the issues in the middle east boil down to what the US has done there. The US started most of the current terrorist cells that cause so much trouble in an effort to fight the USSR. And all those operations in the middle east just boil down to oil resources. There's no greater good to the rest of the world in "liberating" those countries. And as for aid in haiti, or other disasters, the US is trailing behind other countries. You live in a self serving country, built around the ideals of self service. But then again, maybe the word police is skewed in the US too. Since most of your police have a reputation for being worthless, bullies or wasting money buying tons of hardware that's unnecessary.

[@ilovepie58]

+Puglous guys... I think you are missing the point here. the problem isn't if the US is creating global problems or not. it's about the fact that most people in the United States don't even understand the extent to which drones are being used. and more importantly, the don't understand the implications that this has on civilian life in these countries. all countries do shit... the United States included. but what is unique about John oliver is that, unlike traditional media outlets, he is INFORMING people. and also, whether you support drones or not, he is asking the American people to be aware and involved in their government.

[@karannsyt]

7:37 Indian Arranged Marriages in a nutshell. 😂

[@Wiggyam]

Karan Sreedhar 😂

[@hsihdbssbcjtzksk7426]

LMAO 😂

[@utkarshsinghal6077]

Damn it hits hard when you hear people laughing in the studio again 🥺😢

[@CagedKittyFriends7]

I don't think I'll sleep well again. Not just from fear but from guilt. I know just being a U.S. citizen doesn't put me directly at fault...but I feel I should do more to stop this.

[@Ethdawgies101]

+Emily Foster You can't, you and me are just american peasants that can't change anything, even if we wanted to, and even if we protested.

[@joeyschmoe2089]

That's some weak-ass, enabling, bullshit. Being able to change something, when we want to, when we protest, is kind of what we're about here. All it takes is action. The belief engendered in us, that we, as individuals, "can't change anything", is the greatest weapon against us. Fuck that.

[@jasoar1563]

+Emily Foster just embrace it man

[@XXxtheunlovedone]

as individuals you cant, but consider spreading knowledge! the more people know how fucked it is, the more we realize there are MANY more of us wanting change. and in reality, we should not be afraid of our government- our government should be afraid of us. we make them- we sustain them. we are more and if we open our minds, and we realize that what theyre doing is no longer in the interest of the best of the people then it is literally our obligation as citizens to overthrow and change how the government is run. the founding fathers stated this in official documents! so dont feel useless, spread word, spread awareness!!

[@joeyschmoe2089]

Well spoken. What you're talking about is John Locke's ideals, which made their way in part into our Constitution and such. Locke believed that rebellion was a citizens highest duty, and their best weapon against a shitty government.

[@jamdoodles]

Don't know why I'm surprised that "imminent" doesn't mean imminent anymore. And they honestly wonder why we distrust them.

[@davebaker]

Any time a politician opens their mouth I am prepared for lies and linguistic acrobatics. What the middle east needs is a good monitoring and that's about it. I feel it's like North Korea. They don't have the funds to mount any sort of real attack, and really need to be left alone when it comes to the kind of unseen-death-strike on probably innocent civilians that we seem to be in the business of doling out. My stance: America needs to stop being the world's police. We flip out when some teenager who is innocent gets shot by the police here, but we are fine with missiles blowing up civilians in the middle east?! It must be one of those NIMBY things. It's "over there" so I don't have to think about it while I shop Amazon.com at work. Anyone who is stirred by my ravings, please funnel your emotions, be they positive or negative, at your local politicians and tell them what you want done about America's world image.

[@Davidn1]

dave baker But they do have funds. And America isn't the only country killing people. But I guess death by AK-47 or Machete isn't as newsworthy as death by drone.

[@ryebreadreturn1]

John Oliver's focus on the definition of the word "imminent" is sort of a red herring. The memo he cited states that the U.S. "does not have to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons or interests will take place in the immediate future" in order for it to be considered an "imminent threat". This statement may not be intended to re-define the word imminent, it might be intended to explain how the U.S. interprets the word "threat". For example, you don't have to know that someone is planning to shoot you in the town square at high noon tomorrow (ie evidence of a "specific attack") for them to be an "imminent threat" to you. If you have good reason to think they want to hurt you in the near future based on menacing behaviors and statements, that would, to many people, be an imminent threat. In domestic law such a feeling does not grant you the right to kill the person you perceive to be a threat unless they are pretty much standing in your face with a gun, but many (not me but plenty of gun advocates) would argue that threshold of evidence is too great even for domestic law. And international law is much vaguer than domestic law. I would have preferred if John Oliver had delved a bit into the international law aspect of things because it's very interesting and very muddy, but I suspect that would be less funny.

[@davebaker]

David n I imagine it's because both of those methods of killing are quite personal and require one to lay eyes on their target. The drones make news because they convey a level of wealth to the point where killing a person can be distant and emotionless.

[@theautistictransboy]

...and just like that, i've watched every single john oliver episode. it's been fun.

[@ryanlesner4716]

" How many people did you kill? " " Should I go there and count human fingers and toes?"

[@backslash68]

The thing is: the USA, unlike Europe, never had to endure any kind of bombing from the sky. They never lived it, they have no idea of what it feels like. Not that I did, but at my least my parents did.

[@neinnein4800]

That could be swizerland, maybe Liechtenstein (i don't know for sure on that one), but the 73 years since the End of WW2 are more than never, we still have people that lived back then so there are people that remember it.

[@justincronkright5025]

I knew an elderly woman who lived on the border inside Switzerland. She knew of many atrocities that were committed by both sides, and she still was incredibly friendly and the content of her words and phrases were always against war in any form that it took. I took that to heart, I still have a rational brain mind you... but I did take her testimony very seriously indeed! So really Europe doesn't have to be a country for war ''only a few dozen or hundred klicks away'' to still be fucking terrifying!

[@ausomecatman4636]

You're forgetting pearl harbor

[@Lemonz1989]

@Skrooge Lantay Well, 73 years isn't really a long time and yes, every European country experienced WWII in one way or another. Even really remote places experienced the horror that was WWII. I'm from the Faroe Islands, in the middle of nowhere in the Atlantic Ocean and my grandparents were terrified by all the bombs being dropped there. There were literally only 25,000 people living there at that time. The British Army gave out gas masks in case of a German gas attack. My grandmother lost two brothers and my grandfather lost one brother (my mom's parents) due to German sea mines and my father's mother's house had their kitchen window blown through the house because a German sea mine had rolled up onto the shore next to their house. 2% of the entire population was killed, and that is _nothing_ compared to most other European countries. @ausomecat man I'm sorry for the victims and their relatives of the Pearl Harbor attack and this isn't to discredit their ordeal, but as a country, what the US went through isn't even remotely comparable to what Europe went through. Pearl Harbor was mostly a military base, and 91% of the US population didn't experience the war in any way, shape or form. The other 9% were all military. So the general US population hasn't experienced a war on their own soil since the American civil war.

[@erykfromm]

Swiss was bombed during WW2, sometimes by accident, sometimes to hinder some trades.

[@tristanmoller9498]

I feel so sorry for the innocent men, women, kids and their family and friend members... God help them plz

[@thebusiness70]

Tristan Möller “God help them”??? How about “we” the United States help them by ending these stupid wars in the Middle East and let their people live normal lives instead of taking their lives

[@nocontentacc]

Tristan Möller Americans are the ones who need to help them because God sure as hell won't. He can be quite ignorant when he wants to be.

[@jensjensen9035]

Tristan Möller their god is fake

[@nerobsc7597]

First of all, God has nothing to do with it because he doesn't exist, no God of no religion, ever

[@joesikorski4711]

Thank you for this channel. You give me at least temporary respite from my chronic, daily anxiety and depression. Keep up the good work.

[@bobnarley278]

DAMMIT NOW IM WONDERING WHAT SKITTLES ARE MADE OF!!!!

[@1SaG]

That definition of "combatant" reminds me of Full Metal Jacket: "Everyone who runs is a Vietcong. Everyone who doesn't run is a disciplined Vietcong".

[@evanhightshoe9140]

I think drones are useful. But we obviously need more defined guidelines of when to use them.

[@TheEr490]

Guidelines don't mean jack shit to the United States,..... We posses one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world.... Most of these weapons are from the VX series of nerotoxions which were invented in the 70s I believe.... However we signed trade agreements and laws banning the use of these weapons in the fucking 30s....... Do you understand how much we don't give a fuck about laws and rules? Also we use depleted uranium rounds in weapons which are technically a war crime under UN law.... Which we control the UN........

[@Sartaj32391]

America's foreign policy - If you have oil then your people need peace and freedom.

[@DoctorWhoKage]

It's things like that which make being a third-world country with little to no electricity a good thing. I don't live in a third-world country, but I bet some citizens of countries like those are thankful for that.

[@equalssign44]

@@DoctorWhoKage Nobody would or should be thankful to live in a horrifying backwater state without access to sufficient electricity, or maybe even food or water. The fact that the United States won't regularly airstrike your city is a practically irrelevant concern to the average person compared to the bigger problem of having to spend most of your money just to eat. Though you are right about one thing: the rich, corrupt elites of those countries probably are thankful that they aren't targets.

[@DoctorWhoKage]

@@equalssign44 although I do agree, what I was talking about is how said countries should be thankful they don't have oil to draw electricity from because if they did, the US would bomb the shit out of them until they relinquished all of their oil reserves to the US. Because as of right now (who knows what the future will hold for electricity generation), electricity comes from oil and so does a car's gas.

[@equalssign44]

@@DoctorWhoKage I get your point, but both of us live in the first world. We certainly don't have the right to talk about what these countries what they should be grateful for.

[@DoctorWhoKage]

@@equalssign44 maybe.

[@serga7486]

I’m here for the wedding drone fail and the audience reaction hahaha

[@lawrencesprague9584]

appealingly cheap and incredibly deadly. how did he not point out that that spells A.C.I.D.

[@thefracturedbutwhole5475]

A.C.A.I.D.

[@mattz9268]

Sometimes you can leave out the "A"

[@thefracturedbutwhole5475]

Just a talking Taco i know, i was just being a dick :-p

[@janboomstam8585]

The Ultimate Animators you mean acaid

[@thatoneguy7792]

If your talking about the drug it’s not that deadly

[@muditay.1790]

"HAHA! It's funny because it's POSSIBLE! I could do that!"

[@BoomKing72]

Obama should have called them the "Drone-us Brothers"

[@hitmanwolf]

When a President makes a joke about Murder... ...and people laugh... i... literally have no words to that...

[@ethancntower8850]

what good is it to kill a possible "terrorist" (who may or may not just be defending his country from an occupying army) when for every one you kill you might be creating ten more?

[@TheFounderUtopia]

+Ethan Ciantar It's good for business.

[@shaiyonhariri6115]

+Ethan Ciantar It sells a fuck ton of weapons, the U.S. loves funding both sides of war to make maximum profit from people killing each other.

[@jensjensen9035]

Ethan Ciantar so you can kill even more of them

[@Neha71580]

I can only imagine what Drumpf would do with these drones. I am TRULY terrified.

[@helenanilsson5666]

+Neha Kapoor I'm pretty sure he would forego the drones in favour of just go Hiroshima on the entire Middle East, never mind the consequences that would have on Africa and Europe. The man as about as strong a grasp of international politics as a toddler with a temper tantrum. We'd all die, and he'd probably just shrug it off as less foreigners going on about how stupid he is.

[@doodledibob]

which, incidentally, would probably end most life on earth, as the ensuing nuclear winter would certainly make the majority of our planet unlivable.

[@StardustLegend]

....Well, it's been nice knowing you all and living on this earth. I'll see you all in death XP

[@reyamala]

+TheFirstNoel see you then, the whole world will be doomed if Drumpf is president. If it was up to him, he'd only keep his family alive and a few people so that he can brag to them about being rich and bring Donald Drumpf.

[@bluesiesangel]

Reyam Ala: don't worry, in a nuclear strike he'll surely take care of enough female children, and woman that are beautiful enough to be or breed his future wifes, as well .. - oh, and maybe 1 - 5 very handsome male for variety in the breeding and the worse the future the better for him.. these sheeps will be absolutely dependent.. he even won't need money to keep them obedient.. so really need for him better anyones life ja, watching this creature from Germany I can admit this whatever he claims to be is food for horror stories

[@tiny_toilet]

I had always assumed Skittles were made of rainbow.

[@DoctorWhoKage]

I just thought of a joke about it being made of unicorn cum.

[@awesomecat42]

0:29 and that's why you hire a drone videographer and not a drone racer.

[@flavio4923]

Really sad stories. Love this channel, it's an eye-opening and can make you both laugh and feel concern at the sime time.

[@mohammadfahad3385]

+Flávio , the laughter of despair from my own throat isn't very amusing. THEY MIGHT KILL YOU ANYWHERE, ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON - HAHAHAHA.

[@bigbadgirlyman]

Looks like Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a lot more realistic than I thought...

[@alexgomez-vera3922]

Hail hydra

[@alfatazer_8991]

Who needs a S.H.I.E.L.D Heli-carrier when drones are cheaper and more successful? btw Hail Hydra!

[@leslie7872]

This isn't freedom, this is fear.

[@yaumelepire6310]

Ahaha..... AAAAAAaaaahhhh...

[@axelalonsogarcia5382]

@@yaumelepire6310 exactly

[@tianarhastings8372]

I’m so happy you did a video on this. In school I had to do a report on if I supported drone strike or if I did not. I am highly against them because while I was researching for my debate I found we had killed over 30 children and in most cases the parents had survived and became active terrorists due to the loss of their families. Drones don’t end terrorists they create them.

[@sowkanthika342]

When children end up with PTSD and are scared to even look up at the sky, it's disastrous. Their future becomes bleak unless lent a helping hand. It's amazing how bureaucrats do not acknowledge human rights violations but keep preaching about it.

I don't get why he compared the number of drone attacks by Obama and Bush administration disregarding the time difference completely. Drone is the new technology, every period has their favorite weapon. Bush had bombers and tomahawks.

[@joachimschoder]

It makes sense because we need to see how much the Drone program expanded in the last 10 years without actually solving a single one of the ethical problems coming with it. Bush has been attacked from the left constantly for using Drones. Obama sadly for the most part gets a free pass from the left. The right on the other hand didn't have a problem when Bush did it and suddenly made it a problem when the president was a black Democrat. And hypocrisy never is a solution.

[@LakerzFan96]

He compared it for that reason. It was to illustrate the direction the us is taking in regards to drones, at least that's how I see it.

[@HYTUBEH]

Yes that was the essence of the video. you got it! Good question.

[@4tech69]

That's because you're stupid. I mean really. Have some respect for yourself and the people around you.

[@unherolike]

I think a major part of it is Obama is using Drones left and fucking right like its not a big deal when either way lives are lost if the Intel on the strikes is right or wrong. The Government is just like hey we have drones and some info so we are gonna bomb some people and if we hit our target Yay us. This is why other countries fucking hate us. drones. pitchinteractive. com/ is a good example of what the current rate of drone strikes are like.......Fucking sweet Obama

[@sorush17055]

It's really sad... We experienced it only for few minutes and through the screen, but some people live like that for their entire life...! Very sad!

[@ButchE30M3S14]

Suddenly this clip became very relevant... Hello 2014 from 2020

[@Lynthari]

I love John Oliver best show on TV. He makes the "News" fun.

[@julopabene8736]

The real problem with drones is, in my opinion, that everybody sees them as flying death "robots". They are not! They are piloted by real people. Drones don't make decisions, it's the people sitting in the ground station controlling the drones. Drones are basically like the RC plane of your annoying neighbors kid, who constantly flies this annoying thing over your home. Only that drones also have 2x Hellfire Air-Ground rockets attached to them. It is not robots killing people, it is people killing people, only that they are far away and in complete safety.

[@bravesirrobin5839]

Studies show that its much iesoer to pull the trigger if ur watching the battlefield savely from your bunker on a tv screen then when you are looking another human beeing in the eye This detachment from reality can cause for a less moral or toughtfull approuch since your killing doesnt feel as real and impactfull Im not thinking drones are bad perse, but i do have the same concerns as posted in this vid

[@evannibbe9375]

The way the engagement rules are written, it would be easy enough to create an AI and scale to an arbitrary number of drones. You can’t scale up the numbers of human-internally controlled bombers.

[@DevineAbyss]

​@@bravesirrobin5839 It's not like all American soldiers have a problem with killing forgeign civilians up in person. It's just nice to visit your local burger king 40 minutes after you killed someone.

[@Ramsey276one]

Which leads to the Pro Gamer Soldier meme joke...

[@kurziieee]

I guess this shows that pakistani and yemeni life doesn't mean jack fucking shit to America.

[@Tomahawk2387]

Cpt. Planet hell they don't even care about each other.. as in their culture , there is a fight to have rights. One wants a ridiculous sharia law and the other want's modern ideology a lot like us speaking about U.S.

[@kurziieee]

Puglous hahaha, pls, keep your head straight, the horseshit is spilling over. you are extrapolating non-facts so much it's not even worth the time to debunk your nonsense lmfao. comparing civil war to recklessly killing civilians in nations far away, that's hilarious. must be nice to be living in such a bubble, enjoy your ignorance!

[@Buffytvgp]

+Tomahawk2387 not true at ALL! -.-

[@UmairKhan-qc8xe]

+Puglous People like you belong in the "dummy" audience that John Oliver is indirectly referring to. You have no knowledge of the country to make any claims AND you have no knowledge on the effectiveness of these programs. There are countless documentaries and publications stating EXPLICITLY that drone strikes increase the number of terrorists as opposed to reduce them. Of course, your lame ass doesn't see or care about this because these terrorists are a problem in the sovereign nations being bombed. I'm not saying that Yemen and Pakistan are "100% capable of dealing with terrorists" - but the US has made it worse, and justification (like the one you used) is a scary situation. Uneducated sheep like you can potentially become a problem in the future. So please, educate yourself. At the very least, WATCH THE F"ING VIDEO!

[@Buffytvgp]

J declinetousename lol i am a pakistani and a muslim and your info i completely wrong haha

[@soldiaz7261]

When he said “Who’s on first” I immediately thought “What’s on second”

[@astrowolvez]

Ah, remember when this was controversial in a presidency.

[@50Calabyte]

Drones: Yet another step on the road towards full-blown Orwellian dystopia.

[@stiffori]

***** Its not the military that are using the drones, it's the CIA

[@LRBeforeTheInternet]

***** Did you really comment on a video about drone strikes not knowing the CIA where responsible for them?

[@LRBeforeTheInternet]

I knew what you assumed because i read your comment. I was wondering why you made a comment at all?

[@sawtooth808]

50Calabyte I advise you to watch &/or read "Dirty Wars" by Jeremy Scahill, the Drone attacks are the tip of the Iceberg, there is absolutely no oversight or accountability what so ever with regards to attacks by predator drones or JSOC

[@oceanemartin1524]

Aaron Dunlap "Dirty Wars" Was an excellent film! I'm glad to know that other people are watching it and recommending it.

[@VivekKarikkethil]

man... that's cold blooded... no wonder middle east is pissed of at america

[@danielcurtin7616]

VIVEK P K they didn’t start hating us after we developed drones. The issues are much deeper and older.

[@valve_highlights9072]

Daniel Curtin the issue starts the day, Israel got created.

[@teuphil12]

and thanks to the regime changes made by cia.

[@UnYin99]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_foreign_policy_in_the_Middle_East

[@StigmaLotus]

“You will never see it coming” *Last Surprise plays

[@murmursss]

ikr

[@angusz7958]

"Drones don't fly when the sky is gray". Now I feel a lot better about my home city - Beijing

[@kieranhardy581]

Nice defensive shroud you have made for yourselves

[@huzar237]

John Oliver, the only guy with a show that talks about things that matter.

[@GuillermoAreas]

Why is the president of the United States even talking about the jonas brothers? He could've used that saliva to say something productive. What a strange world.

[@ThePharphis]

he just wanted to make a joke about drones

[@moe2366]

ThePharphis After I read your comment, I thought about how fucking screwed up it was.........

[@JustSomeDamnGinger]

It's the White House Correspondents Dinner. Basically it's the one time of the year where the President gets to make jokes and poke fun at the media and various other guests. Look up some of the previous years.

[@ThePharphis]

***** lol nice. Too bad Obama and the democrats in general are extremely disappointing. They aren't confident or pushy enough to actually get any change done. The republicans are way better at their job... it's too bad that they have the poor + minority-enslaving policies

[@ThePharphis]

***** Dick Cheney is a war criminal and is much worse than most if not all democrats. But he's better at his JOB which is attacking the democrats no matter what their policies are

[@richardscudder466]

That's the best dad line ever!

[@erikbrock5444]

If you're not willing to risk your own life to take out your enemy, maybe you should reconsider how necessary their death really is.

[@Waverer]

I really don't wanna be reminded that Beck is a scientologist.

[@ejromm]

fuck.

[@SanaSamaha]

fuck is right.

[@camparilover]

Its worse because I didn´t even know to this point...

[@strawberyyicecreamdream216]

What's the difference between a Taliban encampment and a Pakistani Elementary School? I don't know man, I just fly the drone.

[@dabrunoishere2558]

7:20 Remember the scene in Jesus Christ Superstar when Judas says :I dont want your blood money" & Caiaphas responds "This isnt blood money,its a...(then hesitates,seemingly searching for the right lie)" and Annas interjects..."It's a fee" This emulates that PERFECTLY

[@dabrunoishere2558]

Oh,& im an atheist...i just like the soundtrack ;)

[@PosthumanHeresy]

Eric Holder's mustache is fucking hilarious.

[@rutgerjager3158]

I've watched a lot of these, and have laughed through them all, but damn....this one really struck me. Hats off to John Oliver for informing us all on the impact our drones have on the rest of the world.

[@VioletEmerald]

Agree. I know this comment is 6 years old but. A few of his episodes like his new Solitary Confinement one just. He attempts to infuse humor but I'm not laughing at all...

[@jackhenderson1039]

Ah I remember when John Oliver was in Coldplay.... Good times... Good times....

[@baldkea]

John Oliver and team. This is a work of brilliance which will continue to be seen as one of the great works of satirical news commentaries in the history of all news commentaries about how the MIC requires new wars to make more money ;(

[@TheRoundtableSportsPodcast]

There was 13 minutes until Sunday football started. This video was right place right time

[@garf18bl]

10:08-11:35 breaks my heart. As an American, I remember having foreign exchange students join my school in middle and high school, any they were almost always such amazing, inspiring people. To think that their experience (which I hope was good) could be tainted by acts like this, I can't blame anyone for hating us.

[@PomeranianGirl93]

On behalf of the America I would like to formally apologize for all that my country has done. This video has brought a tear to my eye to learn of the fear that my country lays in the hearts of many. And for that I am sorry.

[@bloodfiredrake7259]

Apology not accepted.

[@johnnaliggett3625]

@@bloodfiredrake7259 that's sad...blaming a person for something done by his country or countryman is the same as countries blaming all Muslims for terrorists. And this is why stupid, terrible things are done to other people because they are retaliations for things done to their country... a never ending cycle of hate. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands innocent people are killed on both sides by people in power using this as an excuse for the war machine they build for profit & power. The majority of people would rather live in peace.

[@hokage102364]

As someone who specifically worked in UAS while in the U.S. Army, I can tell you that UAS is not used all that super indiscriminately. There's actually a load of reasons for this, some practical, some moral, but ultimately drone strikes are by and far rare compared to more conventional manned aircraft strikes or boots on ground. The most common usage by far for UAS is surveillance and recon. With the most flight hours by a wide margin for UAS being used for that purpose. Drones are mostly just flying cameras. And the system with the most flight time doesn't even have an armed payload.

[@madelineo4128]

I love that at the end of the clip of the wedding you can see the drone controller actually frantically sprinting after them