The Early Days of a Better Nation

Posted 11:04 pm by Ken

Full Degradation of the Water Treatment System Probably Will Take At Least Another Six Months

Some time ago, I wrote:

The rulers of the world should be regarded and resisted as if they were giant lizards from another star, which as far as humanity is concerned they might as well be.

I must confess that I stole the expression from this article on the war on Yugoslavia by the eloquent capitalist-libertarian David Ramsay Steele, who said:

These brave soldiers will be maintained in self-contained biospheres, like giant lizards from another star, which given the moral status of their behavior, they might as well be.

I guess we both watched V or read Harry Turtledove.

Whatever.

What made me suddenly see the enemy this way (and realise that they see us reciprocally, as mammalian vermin) was this premeditation of murder by a decade of sanctions:

IRAQ WATER TREATMMENT VULNERABILITIES (U)

Filename:511rept.91

DTG: 221900Z JAN 91

FM: DIA WASHINGTON DC
VIA: NMIST NET
TO: CENTCOM
INFO: CENTAF
UK STRIKE COMMAND
MARCENT
18 ABC
NAVCENT
SOCCENT
7TH CORPS
ANKARA

[...]

1. IRAO DEPENDS ON IMPORTING-SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT-AND
SOME CHEMICALS TO PURIFY ITS WATER SUPPLY, MOST OF WHICH IS
HEAVILY MINERALIZED AND FREQUENTLY BRACKISH TO SALINE.
2. WITH NO DOMESTIC SOURCES OF BOTH WATER TREATMENT
REPLACEMENT PARTS AND SOME ESSENTIAL CHEMICALS, IRAO WILL
CONTINUE ATTEMPTS TO CIRCUMVENT UNITED NATIONS SANCTIONS TO
IMPORT THESE VITAL COMMODITIES.
3. FAILING TO SECURE SUPPLIES WILL RESULT IN A SHORTAGE OF
PURE DRINKING WATER FOR MUCH OF THE POPULATION. THIS COULD LEAD
TO INCREASED INCIDENCES, IF NOT EPIDEMICS, OF DISEASE AND TO
CERTAIN PURE-WATER-DEPENDENT INDUSTRIES BECOMING INCAPACITATED,
INCLUDING PETRO CHEMICALS, FERTILIZERS, PETROLEUM REFINING,
ELECTRONICS,PHARMACEUTICALS, FOOD PROCESSING, TEXTILES, CONCRETE
CONSTRUCTION,AND THERMAL POWERPLANTS.

[...]

FULL DEGRADATION OF THE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM
PROBABLY WILL TAKE AT LEAST ANOTHER 6 MONTHS.

This, in case you didn't know, is a war crime:

Protocol 1
Additional to the Geneva Conventions, 1977
PART IV: CIVILIAN POPULATION
Section 1: General Protection Against Effects of Hostilities
Chapter I: Basic Rule and Field of Application

[...]

Article 54: Protection of Objects Indispensable to the Survival of the
Civilian Population

1. Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited

2. It is prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless objects
indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as
foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops,
livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation
works, for the specific purpose of denying them for their sustenance
value to the civilian population or to the adverse Party, whatever the
motive, whether in order to starve out civilians, to cause them to move
away, or for any other motive.

I used the last two above quotes in an argument on the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.sf.fandom. The total lack of response (whether in criticism or support) resulted in my silent abandonment of this useful newsgroup in favour of blogging, which at least allows me to say what I think without getting into futile arguments with liars and fascists.

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