Britain is one of the four leading countries for armamnet production not far behind the US, and ahead of China and France. Surprisingly, these countries constitute the four countries on the UN security council. Hmmmm...
Anyway, Britain's MoD is having problems with a proposed ban on cluster bombs. These munitions are lobbed into civilian areas where they stay until someone picks them up or plays with them and they explode. They aren't aimed at killing personnel, but in maiming horribly enough to soak up resources and manpower. Take some evil thinking that, to get old fashioned there for a minute. Some get in the MoD is quoted as saying, "In briefings to journalists, the MoD stressed the conference was not aimed at a total ban, as some governments and humanitarian groups have urged, but at eliminating only those that cause unacceptable civilian casualties."
So there is a threshold of acceptability. One can imagine some foie gras stuffed old bastard in some cosy MoD office smoking a cigar and sipping a brandy whilst he debates with his overeducated Eton chums whether half or three quarters of a leg being blown off a seven year old girl is acceptable or not. Or whether the shrapnel should only cut one inch into flesh and not go all the way through to the bone and maybe the pig trials could be redone. In this 'war on terror' - who are the fucking terrorists again?
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