New Jersey’s Failed Drone Bill

By Zachary Israel Responding to the burgeoning interest in the use of drones from public, commercial and private entities, U.S. state legislatures are working to develop a regulatory regime for drones.  Though the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still has until September 30, 2015 to establish comprehensive rules for the use …

White House Debating American Target

By Dan Gettinger On February 10, the Associated Press reported that the Obama administration is considering targeting an American citizen with a drone. According to unnamed government sources, the target, whose identity remains a mystery, is a member of al-Qaeda and is “actively planning attacks against Americans overseas.” In a …

Abstracted Culpability: George Brant’s ‘Grounded’

By Joey Sims This article contains spoilers. In the ongoing debate around America’s drone warfare campaign, much of the focus is naturally placed on President Obama and the highest levels of his national security infrastructure. But George Brant’s new play Grounded, which is currently making its New York debut, offers …

The Ultimate Way of Seeing: Aerial Photography in WWI

By Dan Gettinger On the morning of September 3, 1914, an aerial observer by the name of Lieutenant Watteau assigned to the Paris garrison rushed to the Deuxième Bureau, the French military intelligence agency, with urgent news. In the four weeks since the outbreak of World War I, German armies …

ScanEagle: A Small Drone Making a Big Impact

By Dan Gettinger, @GettDan On December 26, 2013, the day after bombs killed 37 people in Baghdad, the New York Times reported that the United States was secretly selling drones and missiles to the Iraqi government in order to aid the fight against a resurgent al Qaeda. By all accounts, the …

Bard Students Meet Adam Rothstein

Adam Rothstein is an interdisciplinary artist and freelance writer. This past June, he co-curated Murmuration, a month-long online festival of drone art and culture. Adam has become an influential voice in the efforts to consider the drone from cultural and artistic perspectives. Rothstein recently visited Bard College to meet with …