A Conversation for Ask h2g2

ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 1

Icy North

The Forth Bridge has just received World Heritage Site status. Now, I think it's a remarkable and iconic structure, and it deserves preserving in some way, but is a list of what is now over 1,000 sites worldwide the way to do it?

If you want to know where your local WHS's are, then find them on this Unesco map:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 2

Xanatic

I'm sure Islamic State will help solve that problem, just give them time.


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 3

bobstafford

There is a possibility that the USA and others will show us just how much damage fanatical religious radicals ash can cause smiley - peacesign its only one little button and the radiation will soon disperse


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 4

Xanatic

A netron bomb could kill them while leaving most of the structures intact.


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 5

bobstafford

There other alternatives but they are very indiscriminate smiley - erm


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 6

Icy North

Nice to see a question actually stay on topic for a change.

Hey, how about jamming Syrian TV with endless loops of Citizen Khan?


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 7

bobstafford

Biological Weapons


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 8

bobstafford

Someone will find it very temptingsmiley - erm


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 9

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

"There is a possibility that the USA and others will show us just how much damage fanatical religious radicals ash can cause smiley - peacesign its only one little button and the radiation will soon disperse" [Bob Stafford]

smiley - sadface

cry, the beloved country.


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 10

bobstafford

smiley - sadface

cry, the beloved country.

They have the weapons you think they wont be tempted?


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 11

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Of course they'll be tempted. smiley - sadface It's human nature, which has every nationality.


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 12

ITIWBS

Official policy with the USA is to not make first use of unconventional weapons/weapons of mass destruction, the finale for WW II notwithstanding.

As a matter of fact, that change of policy originated with President Truman, who ordered the use of nuclear weapons in Japan.

Ending WW II quickly and decisively was one thing.

Escalating to Cold War to a nuclear exchange quite another.




To be sure, the Cold War is over and that can potentially make changes in policy.

This not something currently seriously contemplated.

Not least, the victims of such an attack would almost certainly innocents, de facto hostages to their own regime.




Historically, deployment of chemical and biological weapons usually does more damage to the force making the use of those weapons and biological weapons expecially tend not to stay confined to their intended target.


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 13

bobstafford

It is rumored that there programmable(to racial type) bio weapons in existence.


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 14

ITIWBS

A sci-fi concept originating in Robert A. Heinlein's novel, "Sixth Column".

Even there, there was a passage where application of the effect miscarried.

The Nazis might use weapons of the character, if they existed.

Very few other powers in the world would.


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 15

bobstafford

Very few other powers in the world would? That might well depend upon the type of enemy and their motivation


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 16

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

I feel kind of sad that none of the historical sites relating to the American revolution in Massachusetts are included. I'm kind of a fan of books about the key figures in that struggle.

I'm not much of a fan of American political leaders since about 1964. So we didn't incinerate the world when we had the capacity? I attribute that to luck to at least a probably of 50%. smiley - sadface

I wasn't a great fan of Margaret Thatcher or Vladimir Putin. I kind of liked Gorbachev and Gandhi. Golda Meir seemed okay, though I know little about her. I haven't liked *any* of Iran's leaders in a very long time. Anwar Sadat seems to have been a bright spot in Egyptian politics, for what that got him [a bullet].

I know virtually nothing about any of Canada's or Mexico's leaders. I've heard of Pancho Villa, but only because of a cartoon character named Pancho vanilla. Sancho Panza is my kind of guy, but he never rose higher than Don Quixote's sidekick. smiley - winkeye


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 17

Phoenician Trader

Auschwitz a world heritage site. So sites of mass human destruction to further notional nationalistic aims does qualify for UNESCO status.

It is all steps along the way to how I learned to stop worrying and come to love the bomb.

smiley - lighthouse


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 18

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Yahoo!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snTaSJk0n_Y


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 19

Gnomon - time to move on

The Germans have a policy of not forgetting the past, to prevent them making the same mistakes again. All German children must visit a concentration camp as part of their schooling.

Making Auschwitz a world heritage site offers this policy to the world. There is still a lot of racism in the world and the world would benefit from remembering its logical conclusion.


ARe There too many World Heritage Sites?

Post 20

quotes

In that case, maybe we should give the ISIS HQs World Heritage status.

Then they might blow them up.


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