The Oslo Process

[XtreO]

Good? Bad? What are your thoughts?

Briefly, the Oslo process' goal is to stop the use of cluster bombs, due to the very high percentage of the clustered bombs that does not detonate.

[hbarcat]

I like war.

And pizza.

[Relic]

both good and bad.
Cluster bombs are dreadful, they really are. But then again, so is war and when you need the hardware to effectively wage war, they come in handy.
War sucks, and there little hope of creating "nice" bombs to smite one's enemies.

[bassteban]

There will be wars & rumors of wars until the end of the Earth.

[XtreO]

Originally Posted by bassteban

There will be wars & rumors of wars until the end of the Earth.

Indeed it will, but limiting the casualties on innocent bystanders cannot be that bad?

[Tsal]

The Finnish MoD made a political decision to remove the relatively easily mappable and removable landmine systems, and to replace them with more expensive cluster munitions. I can't imagine how a brainfart of that magnitude could have happened in the MoD. The Army, of course, wasn't too happy about losing the mines, but they got a bunch of expensive new MLRS toys to show around, so they OK'd the deal.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by XtreO

Indeed it will, but limiting the casualties on innocent bystanders cannot be that bad?

The best wars are the ones where nobody gets killed.

And then there's reality.

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by XtreO

Indeed it will, but limiting the casualties on innocent bystanders cannot be that bad?

Of course. I'm just a bit amused by *rules* as applied to warfare, as if it's a great boxing match. I guess my post was/is not terribly relevant/pertinant/clever, just one of my favorite bits of scripture.

[Elrend]

I do not see a single good reason not to remove them.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by XtreO

Indeed it will, but limiting the casualties on innocent bystanders cannot be that bad?

Unfortunately, the ability to wage war and not harm innocent civilians is a myth. There are things that can be done that may help on a small scale, but it will never be eliminated. War is not a nice, neat and controlled business. It is organized chaos that is unpredictable, and barely controllable at times. Trying to sanitize, or clean up war is just another "feel good" measure that looks great on paper.
Even when one side truly tries to minimize this sad aspect, the other side will capitalize on it and use it to their advantage. It happens everyday.
I don't know what the solution is, all I can say is that war sucks.

[The Crusader]

Originally Posted by Relic

I don't know what the solution is

the solution is to sit down and talk like civilized people and stop killing each other over things that don't really matter.

I somehow stumbled upon Deepak Chopra, on satellite radio, the other day, and he brought up a good point about how it is our beliefs that divide us, but our values that unite us.

I often wonder how it is that the majority of people in this world are peace loving, non warmongers, yet we get controlled by the minority of people who want more and more from this world and consequences be damned.

Like stalin once said.... a single death is a tragedy. many deaths is statistic. sad but true.

sorry for the de-rail.