The Nice Guy At the World's Largest Weapons Expo

pigrabbitbear writes "It was the second day of the Special Operation Forces Exhibition in Amman, Jordan, and the temperature outside the convention center was around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with a typical chance of rain of zero. Drones of various sizes hovered in the hot blue desert sky. Inside, Ed Atchley had set up a booth for his company, Aspen Water Inc., right next to a 30mm chain gun designed to sink things like helicopters and Somali pirate ships. Atchley had traveled from his headquarters in Richardson, Texas, to the largest weapons trade show in the world, mainly because he makes 'the army's smallest, lightest, least expensive, high output, reverse osmosis water purifier,' he says, and people in the Middle East – including soldiers – get very thirsty."

Which was more important...

[matunos]

...the stillsuit or the lasgun?

Re:Which was more important...

[optimism]

Neither. The spice (aka oil aka energy).

Re:Still a bad guy

[StevenMaurer]

Now, whether you agree with a US soldier's rationale for killing a 12yo boy or an Al-Qaeda follower planting an IED that kills whoever detonates it is a different story, but they all have a definite rationale.

I think what drives more U.S. Soldiers to commit suicide than are actually killed in combat, is that it's often the case that the Al-Qaeda follower planting an IED is a 12 year old boy

Re:Judo

[PopeRatzo]

We've offered to assist in the setup nuclear power plants to North Korea in exchange for discontinuing their weapons development program.

and

Besides, I think fresh water is a better diplomat than a Predator drone.

Of course it is, but the people at that weapons show are in the war business. They're not looking for "diplomacy" or "development" or "peace".

Their business is killing, and as the famous Stoic philosopher Lt. Aldo "The Apache" Raine said, "brother, business is a-boomin'."

Re:Advertising strategy

[SethJohnson]

Yes, I'm sure Slashdot's readership is a highly sought-after market for $70,000 water purifiers.

This is an ugly example of Slashdot's owners whoring the site for SEO purposes. It ain't about trying to sell water purifiers to anonymous cowards. It's about boosting this company in Google rankings when buyers are searching for water purification systems.

Seth

Re:Still a bad guy

[ATMAvatar]

When you see the US espouse itself as a pinnacle of freedom and justice occupy another country for 11 years, taking resources and torturing prisoners, it should be unsurprising that a lot of people cry foul. The US military is hardly the worst in the world, but it is the most visible, and it is hardly a bunch of white knights riding in on horses and serving up happiness, rainbows, and puppies.