Do you guys think that the US military, or hell just people in general are too technologically dependant?

The part that I'm most curious about is the military, as I have several family members in the military(us) is way too technologically dependant, but they are all still currently in and aren't supposed to question it at this point in time, at least not with any non-military people.

Personally, I think we are, but I can't seem to find much on the topic to back me up...anyone else?

Technological advancement was always funded and in fact supported in every way by military entities throughout the world and throughout all eras.
So yes the armies were always technological depented in order to keep the advantage.

Truth is also that in our world where the technological boom is still going, everyone is depented on technology to do almost anything.

Imagine that there would be no electricity for one day. I guess then you can see the level of dependance we have achieved

Technology has become our enviroment. We have become accustomed to it and have adapted to it, or adapted it to us, probably both. Like any situation where you take the enviroment away from something or something away from the enviroment there will be hardship till they can re-adapt.

The military rely on technology because every other military has technology. So in a sense they don't 'rely' on technology because it's just a factor of what being a military organisation is all about. Take away a military's technology and you still have a military, albeit a very weakend one. A military can only be compared when facing another military, the side with greater technology will have an advantage (all other factors remaining equal). But as for the US military, they depend on technology AND their training whereas the Chinese military would probably rely on technology (although not as much as the US) and the numbers they could draft into the army on short notice (compared to the US).

Personally, I think we are, but I can't seem to find much on the topic to back me up...anyone else? Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq. What has the US military done well, and what has it done poorly--and why?

If you want, y'know, evidence and numbers and statistics, well, start by googling the DDx, Raptor, Joint Strike Fighter, Osprey, and Anti-Ballistic Missile programs. Consider how much money is poured into them. Consider their effectiveness.

Then google things like arabic translators in the army. Consider how much money is spent on that sort of area. Consider the effectiveness, as seen in ongoing operations.

www.defensetech.org (http://www.defensetech.org) is a nice place to start for, ah, rather scathing analysis of defense spending.

In particular, check out the Future Combat (http://www.defensetech.org/archives/cat_fcs_watch.html) System (http://www.defensetech.org/archives/002575.html#comments) and DDx (experimental destroyer) (http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001644.html) programs. Truly inspires confidence in our leadership.

[ October 17, 2006, 09:19: Message edited by: AMaster ]

Why exactly is being dependant on technology a bad thing?

Though I might agree on the military thing in some regards. A lot of the technology (i.e. missiles) are too indiscriminate to be used in built up areas - in such cases I think old fashioned storming of buildings and such would be a better idea.

@ Aikanaro

I'm along the same lines, how many people have died because they relied too much on 100% technology recieved intelligence, instead of a little bit of intelligent thinking and common sense. It seems like the modern military keeps using hi-tech solutions, which end up killin alot of innocents, than just sending the few ground troops in that would do the job right the first time.

It seems like the modern military keeps using hi-tech solutions, which end up killin alot of innocents, than just sending the few ground troops in that would do the job right the first time. Or, as we see currently, spending literally hundreds of billions on pie-in-the-sky programs such as the FCS and ABM system while neglected, y'know, the ongoing war.

What about Ronnies 'Star Wars' program? Is that still going?

Nah, but you can call the anti-ballistic missile programs "son of Star Wars' if you want, and won't be too far off.

We are vulnerable about technology. If electricity goes out we will be like a kitten on the street under rain. I don't see anything wrong in that because unless some great natural disaster happens we shall always have electricity and our technological devices.

This wouldn't affect some of our villagers though, there were a few villages without electricity ten years ago in my country and our people are experts at solving their problems without using technology. :D

It's a nightmare when power goes out. It's amazing what you just can't do easily without it.

And it doesn't take a great natural disaster for that to happen. A couple of years ago, the whole of the Auckland central business district was without power for over a week. It was chaos.

Technology tends to foster dependance, why plow the field by hand when you have horses, and why use horses when you can use a tractor and plow easier and quicker, why not use a really big tractor that can plow twenty feet accross in one pull. It builds on itself, and the more we use it, the more we are dependant. In my climate in the winter, I am so dependant on electrcity to heat my home that I have a generator in case the power goes out as it sometimes does when too much ice or snow builds up and takes out poles and lines.

Is this a bad thing? I don't think so. Its not like we are going to forget how to use electricity, if it breaks we know how to fix it.

I would say that the topic of this thread shows very clearly that many, many people are - or should be! - dependent on the technological assistance of a SPELLCHECKER.

We've been technologically dependent since we evolved into humans.