Collateral Damage

16″ x 20″ oil on panel. SOLD

A few years ago, I learned of the term ‘collateral damage’. The official military definition is: “unintentional or incidental damage affecting facilities, equipment, or personnel, occurring as a result of military actions directed against targeted enemy forces or facilities. Such damage can occur to friendly, neutral, and EVEN enemy forces”.

Euphemisms such as this de-humanize the personal and emotional attachment of the drone and missile operators, insulating them from the moral implications of annihilating civilians and destroying communities.