Here is the link to the interview I’m referring to on this essay. CBS 60 Minutes.

It makes you wonder: Are we getting better at taking care of each other? Then you see someone like Palmer Luckey, super smart and making tons of money, talking about how his tech will prevent future wars. But is it about making the world safer, or just making a buck? It feels like we're being sold a dream that hides a harsh reality: chasing profits, even if it's dressed up as saving the world, can make things worse and drag us down morally. And honestly, the idea (as Palmer would insinuate) that America is somehow the beacon of morality for the whole world has proven to be a joke!

Luckey's big on things like robot weapons. He says they'll keep soldiers safe and make wars more efficient, and notice his complete belief in American Exceptionalism. But think about it: if killing becomes something done by robots, doesn't that make it easier to forget the human cost? War becomes a video game, and we lose our ability to feel empathy. If no one has to pull the trigger, no one feels responsible. That makes it easier to start fights and harder to find peace.

And let's be honest, this idea of a "clean" war with robots is a total fantasy. Machines mess up. They're programmed by people, and people have biases. Mmm…could drones be programmed to mow down black and brown people? Sick right? But is it past what we could envision from some evil genius? You decide. So, what happens when a robot makes a mistake and kills innocent people? Who's to blame? The programmer? The general? The robot itself? Nobody wants to take responsibility. That's a huge problem. It makes violence less personal and more dangerous.

A lot of this talk is wrapped up in the idea that America needs to be the best, the strongest, the most technologically advanced. But has that ever really worked? Every time someone builds a better weapon, everyone else tries to build something even better. It's an arms race that never ends. And frankly, instead of building these war machines, how about we use that money to actually help people? We could be feeding the hungry, making the world a more equal place, and making sure no child anywhere goes to bed hungry. Those are the things that make the world a better place.

Then there's the money thing. Luckey gets to do all this because he's made a fortune. He’s a private person being the arbiter of warfare, which is scary. The pursuit of profit should have limits, especially when we're talking about building weapons. Just because you can make money off of death doesn't mean you should. It shows how messed up things can get when making money becomes more important than doing what's right.

So, what's the answer? Building better robots? Absolutely not! We need to focus on what matters: taking care of each other, fixing the problems that lead to conflict, and not letting technology or money blind us to what's right. The real way to be strong isn't by having the best weapons, it's by fighting for peace, justice, and showing compassion to everyone. Let's put our money where our mouth is and invest in a future where everyone has enough to eat, a safe place to live, and a chance to thrive. That's real progress, not the pipe dream some merchant of war is selling us!