Thread by @RikeFranke

Once again, the #SPD, days before a decision was to be taken, is backtracking on the procurement of armed #drones. The claim: there hasn't been enough debate.
A thread showing *how utterly absurd* this claim is.*

(*No you don't need to support armed drones to acknowledge this)

In 2013 I was a fresh-faced PhD student. I wrote👇about the German debate on armed drones. At this time, the then-defence minister had argued for drones, high-ranking officers supported the idea. The Bundestag’s defence committee first discussed the issue
blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/discussing-the…

2014, my PhD advances, the German #drone debate not so much.
I comment: "There is one military topic, however, which has been discussed repeatedly and heatedly over the last few years: whether the German Bundeswehr should procure armed ‘drones’."
isnblog.ethz.ch/technology/the…

2015. Anything new? Well, I'm writing stuff. But the German debate is still the same.
My comments then 👇
drones.cnas.org/reports/a-pers…

2018. By now I have my PhD in which I study in detail German #drone use. For @zeitonline I write this 👇

zeit.de/politik/auslan…

'Politicians have been discussing for six years now whether the Bundeswehr should procure this system. During this period, at least seven countries have purchased or developed armed drones. The discussion began in August 2012...But the discussion has been stuck for six years'

2020, a new official debate starts under the heading #DrohnenDebatte2020. Together with Sophie Scheidt I sit down to try and answer any question that might be left. We publish this statement:
gids-hamburg.de/wp-content/upl…

In the same year, with @Sicherheitspod, we take on the issue too. For one hour and 30 minutes we discuss in detail all relevant questions. Over 20 000 people listen to this debate.
soundcloud.com/sicherheitshal…

So we have had at least eight years of debate on armed #drones in Germany. There literally is no point left which hasn't been made, and no expert left who hasn't made them. It's groundhog day every day in the German drone debate.

The kicker?
In my PhD thesis, I conclude this: (long quote 1/5)
"In fact, the public and political debate is one of the most striking and revolutionary elements of the introduction of drones in Germany. ...

...More than any change caused by the use of drones, it is the debate surrounding them that has caused most upheaval in Germany. The public debate was caught between hype and hysteria, leading to a situation in which factual debate was difficult.... (2/5)

...The almost exclusive focus on US drone use has created the impression among the population that all drones are armed, that they are predominantly being used to kill individuals outside designated warzones... (3/5)

...The opposition to drones has led to a reawakening of the peace movement, and has created an interest in military question in the general population that is extremely unusual in Germany.... (4/5)

...Minister von der Leyen noted, “it would be wrong to ignore the population’s discomfort with unmanned weapon systems." (5/5)

Throwing in another of my articles, for good measure.
If I have to continue having the same discussions over and over and over again, I might at least get my stuff read over and over and over...
berlinpolicyjournal.com/red-herring-bl…

This @AugenGeradeaus article also shows well just how many political, coalition and Bundestag debates there have been on the topic.

Not enough debate, I just can’t 😑

augengeradeaus.net/2020/12/spd-st…

Also

https://twitter.com/rikefranke/status/1337062282619199493

You don’t want to acquire armed #drones? Fine - make your argument and stand by it. But to insult everyone’s intelligence with the “not enough debate” nonsense is a disgrace.