This was obviously a very specific exception due to the fact that Ukraine will be dealing with the long-term consequences of unexploded ordnance including cluster munitions whether we supply them or not. Pretty absurd to make this a slippery slope to supplying chemical weapons.
Attempting to weigh benefits against risks and asking for whom these benefits and risks apply is not absurd.
Adding more unexploded ordinance to existing unexploded ordinance does not reduce the number of future deaths and injuries which will result. That is, unless there are solid estimates of how many lives escalating violence will save through ending the war more quickly. I don’t see much of anything to suggest cluster bombs are more effective than other available strategies right now. We do have plenty of evidence about how awful they are and will continue to be though. UN conventions backed by the Red Cross don’t just appear for minor concerns.
Either humanitarian reasons are sufficient or they aren’t, and the message the US government is sending here is that they aren’t.
Clearly Ukraine and the US have weighed the benefits and risks and still transfered the weapons, but you’re entitled to second guess their choice while you enjoy not having to worry about Russia invading your country and dropping cluster bombs on you.
This was obviously a very specific exception due to the fact that Ukraine will be dealing with the long-term consequences of unexploded ordnance including cluster munitions whether we supply them or not. Pretty absurd to make this a slippery slope to supplying chemical weapons.
Attempting to weigh benefits against risks and asking for whom these benefits and risks apply is not absurd.
Adding more unexploded ordinance to existing unexploded ordinance does not reduce the number of future deaths and injuries which will result. That is, unless there are solid estimates of how many lives escalating violence will save through ending the war more quickly. I don’t see much of anything to suggest cluster bombs are more effective than other available strategies right now. We do have plenty of evidence about how awful they are and will continue to be though. UN conventions backed by the Red Cross don’t just appear for minor concerns.
Either humanitarian reasons are sufficient or they aren’t, and the message the US government is sending here is that they aren’t.
Clearly Ukraine and the US have weighed the benefits and risks and still transfered the weapons, but you’re entitled to second guess their choice while you enjoy not having to worry about Russia invading your country and dropping cluster bombs on you.