I want to slap this guy. He goes on and on about robots being emotionless, but completely fails to mention that we have NO combat robots that are autonomous.
And then with the slide show - He's showing exoskeletons and all that jazz and then busts out a picture from the Braingate project. Seriously? You're comparing a technology that allows a quadriplegic to have very limited use of a computer to that of humans interfacing with combat robots?

What really made me laugh was the side-by-side of the Star Wars AT-ST and the Japanese walker mech.

First of all, you're a douche. ZOMG! Not some piece of shit "mech" that simulates walking by gliding on wheels made by some guy in his garage out of sheet metal!

Secondly, he seems to willfully neglect that these machines are NO different than a predator drone, a M1A1 Abrams tank, or a 2004 Toyota Camry.

They all require an operator.

Dag, I thought you said once if the clip can be considered newsworthy (and generally not awful) then it's okay to stay - I cannot find that video for reference, so feel free to say no and prove me wrong. In my opinion, there's a difference between posting the beheading of Eugene Armstrong and a video like this or the nearly clinical night vision shots of war. My $0.02.

I know I've argued that this was snuff once before and was shot down, but in light of this clip being deemed snuff and not suitable for the sift, I see no reason at all why this should be allowed to stay. If anything, this has less value then the other one, and that was discarded -- so this should be discarded as well. I've always felt a bit queasy about this being on the sift, so I'm glad to have an excuse to put it back on the chopping block. *discuss

You're comparing apples and Granny Smith apples.

I don't recall any of the examples you've cited nor why they were allowed, but this video isn't any of those. It's a short clip of soldiers killing bad guys and there is no discussion to be had for such clips. It's been discussed many times before and the bottom line is they simply are not allowed.

Personally, I agree with you that it's nice to see what's going on in our wars, etc., but VideoSift does not agree. (A bigger issue is that I am glad VideoSift doesn't allow it for one reason: If we allow videos of our soldiers killing bad guys, then we'd have to allow videos of bad guys killing our soldiers, and I wouldn't enjoy that a bit. [I've seen a few on LiveLeak and never want to see them again, let alone on the Sift.])


In reply to this comment by Sarzy:
Well then what about the massive highway accident clip that I linked to? I argued that was snuff and was completely shot down. What makes that not snuff and this snuff? The only difference I see between the two videos is that at least this one has some value, since it's related to relevant current events.

In reply to this comment by lucky760:
Really? What more is there to discuss? It actually is extremely clear cut.

Several times videos near identical to the one in question have been declared snuff. (In fact, that was my very first submission.)

The rules on snuff allow for a very slight gray area, but this doesn't fit there. It's been well defined that military clips of soldiers killing bad guys is never permissible.

In reply to this comment by Sarzy:
I don't think this video is quite as clear-cut as you made it out to be. I know you're the one who discarded it, but... ummm.. can you help me put it back on the sift talk page? I think more discussion is in order.

Well then what about the massive highway accident clip that I linked to? I argued that was snuff and was completely shot down. What makes that not snuff and this snuff? The only difference I see between the two videos is that at least this one has some value, since it's related to relevant current events.

In reply to this comment by lucky760:
Really? What more is there to discuss? It actually is extremely clear cut.

Several times videos near identical to the one in question have been declared snuff. (In fact, that was my very first submission.)

The rules on snuff allow for a very slight gray area, but this doesn't fit there. It's been well defined that military clips of soldiers killing bad guys is never permissible.

In reply to this comment by Sarzy:
I don't think this video is quite as clear-cut as you made it out to be. I know you're the one who discarded it, but... ummm.. can you help me put it back on the sift talk page? I think more discussion is in order.

Really? What more is there to discuss? It actually is extremely clear cut.

Several times videos near identical to the one in question have been declared snuff. (In fact, that was my very first submission.)

The rules on snuff allow for a very slight gray area, but this doesn't fit there. It's been well defined that military clips of soldiers killing bad guys is never permissible.

In reply to this comment by Sarzy:
I don't think this video is quite as clear-cut as you made it out to be. I know you're the one who discarded it, but... ummm.. can you help me put it back on the sift talk page? I think more discussion is in order.

I don't think this video is quite as clear-cut as you made it out to be. I know you're the one who discarded it, but... ummm.. can you help me put it back on the sift talk page? I think more discussion is in order.

Kudos to Obama. He already went out on a limb, claiming he would use more predator drones in Pakistan. W. Bush ixnayed the hunting party. And for those who think Obama was incorrect in his assumptions about the surge, realize that the surge only worked once Rumsfeld was fired and Gates took helm.

No, he clearly said that if we do nothing for 20 years and keep same level of inflation-adjusted benefits, the amount to pay out in interest on 20 years of borrowing to pay retirement benefits will be larger than the entire military budget.

Here's the real trick to this. We spend X trillions every year. We can only afford to maintain these Bush deficit spending by robbing the social security and medicare funds. See, the baby boomers for the most part already paid into the system approximately what they will take out. (Not really, but if it was wisely invested.. it would have grown to cover the population bubble)

What happens it that there is no money being invested. It's like your company 401k, but instead of investing it they spent it on R&D every year, and when people retire they just take it out of the corporate profits. Well eventually if the company stops growing, or everyone quits, there will be no money to put back into the 401k plans.

Literally, right now, your social security is being spent in Iraq. It's being spent on missle defense systems. It's being spent on predator drones. It's being spent on Enron and corporate welfare and federal pension guarantees.

Mostly, your retirement social security and medicare is being stolen from you everytime companies "restructure" and lay people off and collect tax write-offs to move jobs overseas. It's being stolen from you and paid into corporate stocks and investor programs. And guess what the solution is???
Raise retirement eligible age to 70, then 75, then 80. You will be working at Walmart until you die. Because otherwise you will be destitute, unless you have your own 401k that saved up enough.

Go read the history and the point of Social Security in the first place. We are going to have millions of impoverished homeless old people left to rot in state run (Halliburton contracts) institutions.

Buy stock in cat food companies!

The worst was the Predator drones being taken out of Afghanistan and sent to Iraq. They were the most effective weapon to try to cover the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, and their removal was one of the main reasons bin Laden got away.

We'll have to agree to disagree because I found this - and the 'predator drone' skit (hello?!? Looney Tunes homage!!!) - absolutely hilarious.

I didn't even realize it was the Ali G intro and found it hilarious; when I found out the deeper meaning (so to speak) I had even more belly laughs

I agree with darksun - They describe it happening but you can't see it happen. Rock throwing may or may not be visible for the predator drone footage, but that was done after he was already dead.