h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Magrat,


We stand in danger of becoming intelligence groupies.

I'll tell the jokes

True story

A Darwin man told yesterday how his left arm was amputated after being bitten nine times by a deadly snake. Gordon Lyons said he was bitten by the snake, considered to be one of the most venomous, after he picked it up from the side of the road. He admitted that he was drunk at the time.

He said: "I remember the guys at the Mandarah Pub wanted something to put in their fish tank But I made the stupid mistake of grabbing it with my left hand because I was holding a beer in my right hand ... Its fangs were so big that it ripped my hand open. I tore it off me and put it in a plastic bag and threw it in the back of the car. For some stupid reason, I stuck my hand back in the bag, and it bit me another eight times." Mr Lyons said he began vomiting and suffering diarrhoea about three seconds later. He said: "My mate was tying to keep me awake by whacking me in the head and pouring beer on me."

lol I don't doubt that story for a second! (no good can come of New Zealanders actually having proof our stupidity)

oh hang on, we're bigger than you.

*waits for the inevitable US comparisons*

Magrat, I'd hate to see the Aussies take all the flak so here's a New Zealand one to even things up a bit

Figures just released in Pharmac's {NZ Government agency] annual review have revealed that spending on anti-psychotic drugs is almost five times higher than it was two years ago. Pharmac general manager Wayne McKee says that almost 10,000 New Zealanders are being treated by newer anti-psychotic drugs, which is almost 25 percent more people than the Ministry of Health was aiming for with its mental health initiatives. "It's extremely pleasing," he said.

To return to the question of warfare ... you can't really be suggesting that the maiming and killing of non-combatants for decades after landmines are put down is justified cos "They're an excellent tool for area denial", and "They're very useful for mechanical ambushes". Sure some soldiers would be killed without them, but aren't they the combatants?

AND given that landmines kill combatants and non-combatants indiscrimantly ... does that not make the people that use them terrorists?

I also don't think Costa Rica has much of an army.

Cheers
Bran.

Yes, let's return to the forgone conclusion of warfare.

To-day's question from a seven year old. "Mum, who is this Aussie bin liner".

Anyone care to field that one?

I heard Jack "Stoner's Dad" Straw describe Osama Bin Laden as OBN this morning.

Does that mean OBN is now an organisation, a valid target for a full-scale war, or is this just a way to justify the mass advance of force to a representative of terrorism - without any rational means by which to eliminate terrorism across the world?

Bush Snr said "We are losing the War on Drugs". Meaning that there was a war was being fought, and people on drugs were winning. How can a War against an activity ever be won?

Wars are generally won when the losing side surrenders. OBN handing himself over is hardly likely to destroy the mindset of terrorists everywhere else, is it?

The goal of warfare is to kill the enemy and force him to surrender. What happenes after the war is up to the politicians. No military commander could lead his troops if he was to sacrifice them for something that doesn't lead to the end of the war.

It's not terrorism to leave mines behind. Terrorism requires criminal intent to harm someone with the hope of influence the behavior of a third party.

Not terrorism to leave mines behind? How about criminal negligence?

"Eleven Indian paramilitary police and their driver were killed in a series of landmine blasts triggered by Maoist insurgents in the new eastern state of Jharkhand, police said yesterday."

Land mines work just as effectively for the baddies as the goodies according to the above bit of news.

In light of this "breakthough piece of information" perhaps the Americans should have another look at their unilateral decision to continue making and deploying mines.

I'm not holding my breath.

Its' probably best for your health, Loony! Blue isn't your color!

NM

Land-mines are dangerous to both sides. Without (or even with) the relevant maps casualties occur to both soldiers and civilians alike. If their use is to be continued, some form of cheap transponder should be introduced, so that they can be found after combat has ended. I know that that means the opposition could find them if they had suitable detection equipment, but wave-bands could be chosen randomly. OK, so the opposition could scan through all frequencies until they hit the right one, point taken, but some form of strong encryption could be used along side so that when the correct (preset) wavelength had been established, a password would have to be entered before the mines tell you where they are.

Disjointed sleep
depravation can't
recall Haiku rules.

Frogbit.

That'd be better than what we have now. They're trying to put self destruct mechanisms in them, and that just makes the things more dangerous to approach.

Self destruct sounds like a plausible idea.

It would make them more complex than they are(as well as more than they need to be)but it could help out in the removal effort....

...of course if the enemy found the right frequency, they would be rendered useless to the soldiers who needed them.

Isn't this referred to as "Catch 22"?

NM

I guess, unless there is a radical rethink of the seriously-flawed American election campaign-funding system, the Yankee munitions industry will keep on manufacturing mines.

Incidently, in the current fracas, I thought the Allies were supposed to be advancing into Afghanistan, not retreating. Maybe I'm missing something obvious. Here's a question. Why would advancing troops need/want to lay landmines?

Don't worry, Loony. I have NO idea where mines have anything to do with this currant "fracus"

I'd dearly love to know how the subject was injected.

Whats' next, the US intent will make dolphins run into nets and finalise the destruction of the Amazon rain forest? I'm sure it will have something to do with acid rain.

I'm just glad to see this thread winding down......as they all are.

At least I THINK I'm happy to see it.

NM
""

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

(From ECCLESIASTES Chapter 3 verses 1 to 8, Holy Bible (King James Version))

Question: What time is it now ..?

Reply to earlier post: "It's not terrorism to leave mines behind. Terrorism requires criminal intent to harm someone with the hope of influence the behavior of a third party". And war does not do this? Hmmm.

Who decides what is war and what is terrorism? Mandela was fighting for democracy and human rights in South Africa, but was labelled a terrorist by the government. Was this a fair label?

I suspect that you see the world, Two-Bit, in a much more black and white way than I do. I guess we will have to agree to differ, as I doubt we shall convince one another.

What this all has to do with the thread ... we are talking about the possible consequences of the terrorist attack on the U.S. I would think that discussing warfare and how this is carried out should be of relevance.

Best wishes to all.
Bran.