this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2026
447 points (98.7% liked)

Technology

89137 readers
3832 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots


founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

"We cannot be proud of working at [Boston Dynamics] when that work is being used by a government agency that brutalizes civilians, including some of our own colleagues ... ," the petition read.

But like, what did they think their dogs would be used for? Walks in the park? Of bit ICE, then what?

[–] ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I mean...up to this point they've been used as advanced scouts in disaster areas, as well as equipment carriers for rough terrain. Non violent functions.

[–] edible_funk@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Didn't they have videos of guns strapped to these things like ten years ago? This was obviously always gonna be how they're used.

That was Ghost Robotics. Different company

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No, ICE being funded with billions, poorly trained, and working with quotas and masks, instead of warrants, was never predictable with high confidence.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Year I view it kind of like firearms. You can say you have one for self defence but they're used more for crime and war and hunting.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

You can't think of anything other than brutalizing civilians?

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Of course but where's the money at? Search and rescue, or military?

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca -1 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)
[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I agree they are paramilitary and definitely not military.

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Paramilitaries are exactly the same as militaries, without the official sanction.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Which confirms they are not "exactly the same". The ICE agents I've seen are unprofessional, and not nearly as disciplined as military soldiers able to march, run obstacle courses, and instill confidence in civilians.

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

and respect civilians

American military? The ones who bombed an elementary school and continuously target Caribbean fishermen? I’m glad you’ve seen a different side of them, but they’re not generally big on respecting civilians.

Unless you mean American civilians, which is kind of a fucked up distinction to draw, because American lives aren’t worth more than anyone else’s.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

hey chump, you don't get to say what we say is fucked up -


Our Rules "3. Be excellent to each other!"

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

So you were saying that?

Yup, I have to bow out for civility then.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)
[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Maybe by definition, but in practice ICE looks like the military these days.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The military only works on US soil when called upon to help people, never to hurt anyone. ICE mimicking a military look is to intimidate people. They have shown to be much less competent than the military, and without being called for.

[–] Chulk@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

ICE is a paramilitary force. Arguing that they are not a military is pedantic and serves to detract from the severity of the institution's atrocities.

The military only works on US soil when called upon to help people, never to hurt anyone.

Historically, this is not true.

ICE mimicking a military look is to intimidate people. They have shown to be much less competent than the military, and without being called for.

No, ICE is mimicking a military to occupy cities that are not politically aligned with the president. They are a paramilitary force that aims to punish political dissidents. Their competency relative to established militaries is beside the point entirely. In fact, it just makes them more dangerous.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

We agree that ICE is paramilitary, and not military (not part of DoD). I say "to intimidate" the people they're after, you go further and say it's to "occupy cities" and "punish political dissidents". Well that would cover indimidation. I have not followed them closely enough to confirm they go so far as you say. I have seen their brutality, the topic of this chat, in action and this is what confirms their incompetence.