Pavlov's Stepson

Thus the Obama administration, using the same 9/11 pretext as George Bush for its unending “war on terror,” has turned targeted assassinations into an art—sending pilotless drones to kill, from afar, anyone it deems a “terrorist.” And according to most reports, drone attacks are set to further escalate in the near future.
Let’s think about what this means for a moment: the US government can decide that someone (be it its own citizen or a foreigner) is an enemy without having to provide any proof, can find that person anywhere in the world, and can dispatch a drone to incinerate that person—no questions asked. No trial, no way for the intended target to surrender, and no need to prove it was the right target. As Commander-in-Chief, Barack Obama uses “kill lists” drawn up by the CIA and military officials to give the final orders in each of these attacks.