U.S. war machine exports cluster bombs. What could go wrong?
To the editor: How are neoconservatives like Jonah Goldberg nonetheless recommending conflict coverage for this nation after all of the failed American wars? (“Sure, cluster munitions are terrible. No, that doesn’t imply we shouldn’t give them to Ukraine,” Opinion, July 11)
Goldberg reminds us of some “well-known” rejoinder of William F. Buckley’s, suggesting that Russia is the nation pushing an outdated girl in entrance of an oncoming bus, whereas the U.S. is the one pushing her to get her out of the best way of the bus.
No, the U.S. doesn’t push outdated girls in entrance of automobiles. The U.S. incinerates civilian ladies, males and youngsters with atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, burns them at My Lai and kills by strafing all that strikes with napalm in Vietnam and by bombing wedding ceremony events in Afghanistan. It declares “mission achieved” after bombing Iraq into rubble.
So, what might go flawed with introducing American peace-making cluster bombs into Ukraine?
The reality is the U.S. has an out-of-control conflict machine, and coverage makers nonetheless give no thought as to how nuclear-armed Russia will reply. It is going to reply with nukes, because it has indicated.
We’re all on this bridge to nowhere, with solely loss of life and destruction on the opposite facet.
Andrew Liberman, Santa Monica
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To the editor: Goldberg makes a compelling case about why giving Ukraine cluster munitions is morally defensible. Nevertheless, there’s a rather more sensible motive why utilizing U.S. made cluster munitions with low “dud” charges needs to be acceptable.
The Russians have constructed lots of of miles of layered defenses and laid much more mines over these 1000’s of sq. miles than is often contemplated by Russian army doctrine.
When the conflict is over, the Ukrainians and its companions must spend years clearing these areas of Russian mines on this swath of no-man’s land. What’s the distinction in the event that they must clear a number of duds together with lots of of 1000’s of Russian mines?
What’s extra harmful? One million Russian mines or a number of hundred cluster munition duds?
Mark Henderson, Sacramento
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To the editor: Goldberg can cite all of the statistical comparisons he desires in championing his declare of U.S. cluster bombs being preferable to these of Russia because of the respective failure charges when deployed.
However, when in comparison with the overwhelming majority of the remainder of the world, it’s this nation’s continued manufacturing and use of cluster munitions that’s the complete morality “dud.” Irrespective of how correctly they work.
Ted Rosenblatt, Pacific Palisades
