Benefits of Drones

We Affirm
Resolved: The benefits of American drone strikes on foreign targets outweigh the harm.
We Observe:
1. Drone strike are effective mitigating the effects of terror attacks
2. Drones have low acquisition cost
3. Drones overcome the limits faced by human militants
Contention 1
1. Drone strikes are effective mitigating the effects of terror attacks
A. net decrease in terminal attacks by terrorists (Washington post) i. 1) decrease military cost for United States 2) Reduced loss of lives
B. According to Patrick Johnson of UCLA, Drone strikes may reduce terrorism
i. 1) Amount of terrorism drops

Contention 2
2. U.S. Drones are inexpensive to the American Military
A. According to a study by MIT, Drones cost less than manned aircraft i. 1) America saves millions of dollars
B. According to Harvard Political Review, With the money saved by switching to drones from manned aircraft, America can strengthen the economy i. 1) More money for the American economy 2) Stronger military

Contention 3
3. Drones overcome the limits faced by human militants
A. According to MIT University, The technical endurance of many drones in the U.S. arsenal often allow for 24 hours or more of constant surveillance in a single location. i. 1) Outlast what a human could do

B. Drones are not subject to human limits such as fatigue, stress, pain, etc.

i. 1) nothing can slow a drone down

Final Focus Drones offer an incredible array of technical capabilities. Among others, DoD has cited a range of current and possible uses for drones—surveillance and reconnaissance, precision targeting and strike capability, chemical and biological weapon detection, port security, etc.—all of which come with a lower risk to the life of the pilot