Our uncivilised nation
Posted by Melissa on | June 1, 2007
It seems that the threat to Australia security is so great that we have decided to wage war on children. Our parliament recently approved the purchase of cluster bombs for use by our armed forces “in combat against enemy armoured vehicles”.
Do they forget (do they know) that cluster bombs that don’t detonate on impact sit around until some unsuspecting child is attracted to their bright colours, mistaking them for toys and losing a foot or a limb or worse whilst investigating? Have they heard that the UN’s outgoing Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs has described them as “medieval weapons for the uncivilised”?
But don’t worry, we are only going to use the safe ones - the ones that ’self-neutralise’ when dropped if they do not hit a target - that are designed to “minimise the potential impact on civilian populations.”
It is not an original idea, but one I can’t resist suggesting. Why don’t we remove that threat to civilians by no longer waging war on anyone?
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3 Responses to “Our uncivilised nation”
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June 1st, 2007 @ 10:03 am
“It is not an original idea, but one I can’t resist suggesting. Why don’t we remove that threat to civilians but no longer waging war on anyone?”
Hear Hear!
It will be hard. Humans are destructive pack animals that desire control and power.
June 1st, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
I am not sure why cluster bombs are needed to protect us from terrorism.
Surely if they are going to “take out” a bunch of terrorists they would use more strategic and accurate weapons that cluster bombs.
I find the politics of my country harder and harder to understand each day.
June 3rd, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
Be apalled but not surprised