# Thanks Pres. Bush for the opportunity to restore wetlands and marshes in Mesopotamia **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 18, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-pres-bush-for-the-opportunity-to-restore-wetlands-and-marshes-in-mesopotamia/169559 "2003-04-18T15:19:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-pres-bush-for-the-opportunity-to-restore-wetlands-and-marshes-in-mesopotamia/169559/81 "2012-05-21T21:26:11Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > I know you used the term “lay” there, but thinking that the US is [already responsible](http://www.uscbl.org/about-landmines/landmine-facts/) with their [smart munitions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Atomic_Demolition_Munition)… > > As for the Kyoto thing, do you have a cite? > > It’s entirely consistent for the Bush administration to claim something negative is beneficial and the converse. See [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f9R9MtkpqM) for more. I don’t know what your cites are supposed to show - one is a generic piece on old land mines, and the other is an article about an atomic land mine that we clearly aren’t using. The US has not laid any dumb mines for a long time and doesn’t do it anymore. They do have mines that can be buried to secure things, but they’re remotely controlled and automatically detonate or deactivate in the event that they lose communication with their controller. Regarding atomic mines - do you think we’re still laying those? The point of the treaty is to get rid of mines that can lay dormant for years and cause unintended injuries - but it isn’t written in a way that would only ban those munitions. The US already doesn’t use the sort of mines that ban was intended to outlaw, hence no point in the US signing the treaty when they would suffer the consequences of overly broadly written language that didn’t apply to the original intent of the contract. As far as Kyoto - it specifically permits developing nations to throw as much carbon in the atmosphere as they want, while at the same time restricting the carbon emissions of first world countries. That in effect raises the cost of production in first world countries and further incentivizes moving away manufacturing from the first world to the third world - where their inferior pollution controls means more pollution. Besides which, none of the countries really intend to abide by the Kyoto treaty - it was a nice gesture, and they’ll make some token carbon reductions, but they weren’t going to seriously aim at hitting it. Whereas in the US, the constitution gives treaties a very serious, very powerful meaning and we’d be forced to abide by it, making us less competitive against even other first world countries. ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-pres-bush-for-the-opportunity-to-restore-wetlands-and-marshes-in-mesopotamia/169559/82 "2012-05-21T21:37:08Z")
> [@december](#): > > Before the war I heard no pro-war person advocate it because it would lead to improved riparian ecological systems. Nor did I hear anyone oppose the war because an important museum would be looted. Still, should we not cheer unexpected good consequences, just as we complain about unexected bad consequences? Forget the lies to get us there. Forget that Cheney lined Halliburtons pocket (which helped his stock) on the backs and lives of our soldiers. We should have never went into Iraq. Wetlands being restored or not. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-pres-bush-for-the-opportunity-to-restore-wetlands-and-marshes-in-mesopotamia/169559/83 "2012-05-22T09:53:42Z")
> [@dngnb8](#): > > Forget the lies to get us there. Forget that Cheney lined Halliburtons pocket (which helped his stock) on the backs and lives of our soldiers. I will not forget. You, however, seem to have forgotten to mention a rather important group, besides your soldiers, that have been thouroughly fucked. Not to mention the geo-political consequences. I will not forget how few of the American people saw through the PRETTY FUCKING OBVIOUS lying that was going on, and actively supported this war. (and **December** was one of those shills that spouted the propaganda, no love lost for him.) A lot of the rest of the world has not forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-pres-bush-for-the-opportunity-to-restore-wetlands-and-marshes-in-mesopotamia/169559/84 "2012-05-22T16:16:50Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > I will not forget. > You, however, seem to have forgotten to mention a rather important group, besides your soldiers, that have been thouroughly fucked. > > Not to mention the geo-political consequences. > > I will not forget how few of the American people saw through the PRETTY FUCKING OBVIOUS lying that was going on, and actively supported this war. > > (and **December** was one of those shills that spouted the propaganda, no love lost for him.) > > A lot of the rest of the world has not forgotten. Im new here, so youre beef with a poster is meaningless to me. ---
**Author:** ![truthbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@truthbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthbot)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-pres-bush-for-the-opportunity-to-restore-wetlands-and-marshes-in-mesopotamia/169559/85 "2012-05-22T17:44:51Z")
I agree that we shouldn’t have engaged in Iraq. Wrong, wrong and wrong. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-pres-bush-for-the-opportunity-to-restore-wetlands-and-marshes-in-mesopotamia/169559/86 "2012-05-23T01:50:36Z")
> [@december](#): > > _ **Before the war I heard no pro-war person advocate it because it would lead to improved riparian ecological systems. Nor did I hear anyone oppose the war because an important museum would be looted. Still, should we not cheer unexpected good consequences, just as we complain about unexected bad consequences?** _ > [@dngnb8](#): > > \*\*\*Forget the lies to get us there. Forget that Cheney lined Halliburtons pocket (which helped his stock) on the backs and lives of our soldiers. > > We should have never went into Iraq. Wetlands being restored or not.\*\*\* > [@Latro](#): > > I will not forget. > You, however, seem to have forgotten to mention a rather important group, besides your soldiers, that have been thouroughly fucked. > > Not to mention the geo-political consequences. > > I will not forget how few of the American people saw through the PRETTY FUCKING OBVIOUS lying that was going on, and actively supported this war. > > (and **December** was one of those shills that spouted the propaganda, no love lost for him.) > > A lot of the rest of the world has not forgotten. > [@dngnb8](#): > > Im new here, so youre beef with a poster is meaningless to me. Forget any beef **Latro** may have had with **december**. Why are **you** answering a nine-year old question from a now-banned poster as though the poster is still here to see the answer? But yes, you’re right that we shouldn’t have gone into Iraq. ETA: P.S. Is your apostrophe key missing? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-pres-bush-for-the-opportunity-to-restore-wetlands-and-marshes-in-mesopotamia/169559.md?page=4)