this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2025
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[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 9 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Yes, I spent the last 20 years developing a very particular kind of chemical agent that is tailor made to dissolve an eight-year-old's testicles. But I assure you we only intend to use it in self-defense.

I have no idea how the Israelis got seventy of them.

[–] RedFrank24@lemmy.world 2 points 33 minutes ago* (last edited 24 minutes ago)

If I worked for a defence contractor, I would make the most accurate weapons in the world. Why? Because when the people who fired those weapons are up in court and they go "Oh well I didn't MEAN to hit that hospital, the bomb just didn't hit its intended target", the prosecutor can go "Nonsense! Those are the most accurate weapons in the world. They ONLY hit what you intended to hit with as much force as you wanted to hit it with!".

The weapons are gonna get built, I'd rather there be no ambiguity in how they get used. It's not like WW2 where Bomber Command was like "Here's the dockyards we want to blow up, and a bajillion tonnes of bombs to blow it up with", and then the bombers flatten half a city just trying to hit the docks and miss every single time because it's cloudy, or hit an entirely different city because they got lost on the way!. You only have to look at Russia's "throw enough artillery shells at the area until it's completely flat" approach to war to know what happens when you haven't got precision munitions, or not enough of them.

[–] mhague@lemmy.world 1 points 23 minutes ago

Would it be like a spectrum with weapons being a cardinal sin, and cotton swabs and morphine a thing you can only do on lent? Would weapon makers be in a lower circle, logistics in the middle, and those on the periphery of the military apparatus go to purgatory?

[–] RymrgandsDaughter@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

damn it's true

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 hour ago

I completely lost respect for an intern when I found out he was going to a weapons company next.

[–] lowleekun@ani.social 17 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

To be honest i think its one of these industries that should never be private. Why do we think it is a good idea to have people profit from war in such a direct way?

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago

Because wherever there is a possibility to make massive amounts of money, those with power will push and push and push to be in control of it.

[–] tamman2000@lemm.ee 19 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I worked in the analysis tool division of a company that built civilian and military jets when I was fresh out of engineering school.

I didn't feel too bad about it because I was making commercial aircraft quieter and more efficient with my work. Then, the Iraq war started up and they told me I had to work on the engine for the F22. I started looking for a new job that day.

Now I work in planetary defense and don't feel guilty about it...

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

I'm pretty sure "planetary defense" just means more imperial offense.

Technology under capitalism is a force for exploitation, violence, control, etc.

[–] tamman2000@lemm.ee 11 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (2 children)

@uuldika@lemmy.ml is right. I hunt and track asteroids. If I'm offending on behalf of an empire with this work, the empire is humanity and the offense is against chunks of rocks in space

I'm offended on behalf of myself. You are the reason I cannot reasonably assume humanity will die off in a meteor strike that allows nature time to heal.

But then it was a long shot anyway...

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 hour ago (3 children)
[–] uuldika@lemmy.ml 18 points 2 hours ago

"planetary defense" usually means tracking and maybe deflecting asteroids that are likely to hit Earth.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 hours ago

The education system functions to indoctrinate, privilege, and filter.

If there's one thing that I learned from grad school, it's that talented people will be made dependent and subservient to death and doom for money... But more importantly because that's the social system they've been funneled into. They don't see any alternatives.

[–] TanteRegenbogen@feddit.org 0 points 1 hour ago

I'd say depends on which one and what lobby work they have done. If it is from the US or Russia, it is probably a big no-no.

If it is a European or South American defense contractor or weapons manufacturer, it varies.

[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (6 children)

Not all countries are the USA btw. Most countries use their defense budget to actually defend themselves from external very real threats.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Most countries use their defense budget to actually defend themselves

Defend themselves from whom!

From whom!

[–] TanteRegenbogen@feddit.org 2 points 59 minutes ago (1 children)

Potential invaders like Russia or the US. Or in the future: China. But in Europe a nation just 1500 km away attacked it's neighbor in 2022 and the war is still ongoing.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 53 minutes ago

Or in the future: China.

It's so crazy to see the Chinese steadily building out a dense web of business relationships and transit networks, from which their industrial and scientific power base commands enormous influence. And for westerners to look at this and conclude "They're going to start bombing us at any moment! We need to fight back first!"

But in Europe a nation just 1500 km away attacked it’s neighbor in 2022

Europe's been dropping bombs all over North Africa and the Middle East for the last three centuries. Hell, they've been bombing themselves straight through the Years of Lead and the post-Soviet civil strife. If Europeans have anyone to worry about, its each other.

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 4 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

Pretty sure most countries use their defense budgets to steal the shit out of the population.

[–] TanteRegenbogen@feddit.org 1 points 58 minutes ago (1 children)

2% defense budget is nothing though.

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 1 points 10 minutes ago

2% of the GPD of a country is a lot when there's secret budgets without any oversight.

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[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 7 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

Working for Social media companies or health insurance companies isn’t any better as far as destroying the world and mass murdering people by proxy

[–] bestagon@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Yeah but profiting off of starvation, homelessness or sickness is slightly less concerned with destroying human life efficiently, more so extracting value from suffering. Far harder to wiggle your way out of a bomb dropping on you. In that way, defense contractors are especially gross imo. I guess you could argue being blown apart may be more humane though idk

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

I’ve seen people die in the extract profit from suffering system. If I had to choose I’d choose the quicker option. I mean at the end of the day we’re all stuck in an unethical system of oppression.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I haven't seen Lemmy destroy anything.

[–] Donkter@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

Idk, just one glimpse of the fediverse chick was enough to shatter my world.

[–] Realitaetsverlust@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 hours ago

Billionaires got no morals, why should I?

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