Beyond Labels

A 360° Discussion of Foreign, National and Local Policy Issues

Monthly Archives July 2013

U.S. Drone Policy

This topic was discussed on July 29, 2013
The U.S. Government’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for targeted attacks has caused a great deal of discussion in the U.S. and abroad.

  • Is the U.S. use of drones effective? Even if the targeted individual(s) is/are killed:
    • What about collateral damage?
    • Do the impersonal nature of the strikes and their asymmetric risks to U.S. forces serve as fuel to mobilize (and radicalize) foreign antagonists?
  • Is it appropriate for the U.S. to have different criteria for strikes against U.S. citizens as opposed to foreign nationals?
  • What do we understand about the “rules of engagement” for drone strikes, and is there sufficient oversight of, and accountability for, making the necessary judgments about “acceptable collateral damage,” whether host country “permission” should be obtained, etc.
  • Since non-weaponized drones can be used for surveillance, how do we feel about the use of this technology within the U.S. borders?

Federal Student Loan Programs

Renewal of the Federal student loan program is in the press these days as debate takes place over what rates are appropriate and what the programs should look like in the future.

  • Should the Federal government be in the student loan business?
  • Given the concern about graduating students’ debt load (and, even more so, about the debt load of students who fail to graduate), is a Federal subsidy to encourage more borrowing appropriate?
  • Do other ways to finance education (such as a “levy” on future income) better align costs and benefits?

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Related Materials:

As a registered Beyond Labels participant, consider the following resources:
Uncle Sam’s Phantom Loan Revenues (WSJ 7/22/2013)

 

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Infectious Diseases

  • Have we become complacent as a result of relatively few massive US epidemics?
  • How should the risk of epidemic be managed?  Global (WHO), national (CDC), local?
  • Are we doing what we need to do to manage the risks?
    • Annual flu vaccines?
    • Stockpiling other vaccines and treatments for the epidemic risks?
  • Do we need to do more to curtail the risk, or is the current system sufficient?
  • Who should pay for enhanced “epidemic prevention/management?
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