Cluster(Bomb) Fuck
UPDATE:
THE FACTS IN THIS POST ABOUT AUSTRALIA’S SUPPOSED “CLUSTER BOMBS”, including those presented by GetUp, APPEAR TO BE QUITE INCORRECT. According to a report in The Age, the SMArt 155 munitions are anti-tank shells. “Each round contains only two sub-munitions [not hundreds], has independent, reliable and redundant self-destruction mechanisms, and a self-neutralisation mechanism, and as such cannot reasonably be categorised as risking unacceptable harm to civilians.” (wE do wonder, however, what “acceptable harm to civilians†might constitute.)
We are leaving the post up as a warning to ourselves, and perhaps others, of the dangers of going off and maligning others without checking our facts first. To do so is to lose the credibility and the impact of maligning people when we have good cause.
This urgent news just in from GetUp:
As one of the very last acts of the Howard Government, Brendan Nelson bought $14 million worth of cluster bombs – weapons that contain mini-bombs, some of which remain unexploded on the ground for years awaiting innocent civilians. It’s the first time Australia has bought such a weapon, and one we would hope the new Government would categorically reject.
But right now, as the international community meets in Dublin to ban them, the new Australian Government is going out of its way to frustrate the process. They’re calling for their ‘SMART 155′ bomb to be excluded, and for rogue nations who persist in using cluster bombs to be permitted to do so.
This is simply astonishing and appalling.
Today Kevin Rudd got all worked up about some photographs at an art show. “I think they’re revolting…Kids deserve to have the innocence of their childhood protected. I have a VERY_DEEP_VIEW of this, and…you know…for god’s sake, let’s just allow kids to be kids!”
The merits of the photographs are debatable but the obscenity of cluster bombs is unquestionable, with their devastating effect on children, in particular, even long after the conflict is over. If Mr Rudd truly cares about children, the innocence of children and “kids being allowed to be kids”, how could he possibly support the use of such weapons? If he continues to do so, he is quite inarguably outed as a liar. The hypocrisy is simple, straightforward and transparent.
As GetUp say, aren’t we supposed to be the good guys? Are we really as awful, ruthless and inhumane as the Russians, Israelis, Americans, Egyptians, Iranians, even Iraqis; Algeria, Morocco, Oman, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and many more. Is this really the cluster club we want to be a member of?
Has power, after all, corrupted the Rudd government? Already?
You can add your name to the GetUp petition here.
If you want to know more about cluster munitions and their explosive gift to innocent children and adults years after the quarrel is forgotten and the adversaries have kissed and made up, BFF, watch the first story in this video with Dan Rather:
Technorati Tags: cluster bomb, cluster munitions, GetUp, Dublin, treaty, cluster ban treaty, cluster fuck, Rudd, Nelson, Labor, Liberal, coalition, Australian Government, mini-bombs, Australia, government, Dublin, SMART 155, Russia, Israel, America, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Oman, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, google video, Dan Rather, values, morals, ethics, immorality
Posted: May 23rd, 2008 under Australian Politics, Australian Values, Iraq, US Politics, Video, politics and government.
Comments: 4
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Comments
Comment from Dave Bath
Time: 24 May, 2008, 7:51 am
Actually, the Rudd government stance is identical with the stance they took as part of the majority report to the Cluster Bombs (Prohibition) Bill 2006 that the Dems tried to introduce.
One of the reasons is that regardless of the treaty, the US will still use cluster munitions, and the love of all things US and military didn’t change with the change in government. As noted in the committee final report, prohibition of the use of cluster bombs by the ADF would make it difficult to go along with the next US military misadventure.
Comment from roger migently
Time: 24 May, 2008, 8:39 am
Why do I have that sinking feeling?
Comment from derrida derider
Time: 26 May, 2008, 11:44 am
I agree that ALL cluster bombs (and antipersonnel mines, for that matter) should be banned in order to set an example. But, gee, its a tad dishonest not to mention the defence being put forward by the Yanks and the ADF.
These new model cluster bombs are designed not to go off after the first day or so or when they’re handled, so they can be used for their original purpose (shutting down airfields) while being pretty useless for the sort of atrocities we saw the IDF perpetrate in Lebanon. Whether they’re as foolproof at this as advertised is another matter, but my point is that the bombers will rightly argue that you can’t judge their degree of horror using the old models as examples.
Comment from roger migently
Time: 26 May, 2008, 2:08 pm
Not dishonest, I think, but ignorant.
I discover that SMArt 155 is an anti-tank weapon. “Each round contains only two sub-munitions, has independent, reliable and redundant self-destruction mechanisms, and a self-neutralisation mechanism, and as such cannot reasonably be categorised as risking unacceptable harm to civilians.” One might wonder what “acceptable harm to civilians” might constitute, but it does seem that the weapon is not what is generally considered a cluster bomb.
And now if you will excuse me, I have to go and apologise to a lot of people…..
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