Thank god the new bombs are envirinmental friendly. I wonder why no one talks about them (state secrets ?). /s
(At least the idea was discussed years ago - whether it is implemented in current land mines, I've no idea.)
While mines are still an abomination, ensuring they are laid down with an expiry date is still progress. Of sorts. I am in the rather awkward position of hoping for development in the anti-personnel mine business - I've no illusions such an effective weapon will ever be obsolete, so the best we can hope for (sigh) is that they will at least not cause collateral casualties for decades after the conflict which caused them to be deployed in the first place.
Sometimes a cow blows up or worse. The sad thing is that they get more, not less, dangerous over time. The reason is that they drift inside the terrain over the decades and they can get even in areas that were thought to be clear.
In fact putting a landmine is my pet example for something that is easy to do and terribly difficult to undo.
Shame on those working in them, as this is solving the wrong problem. The Ottawa Treaty is signed by most the worlds countries, with the usual suspects have avoided doing so.
Your attitude is pragmatic, and likely the best that could be achieved.
TOBY Whoa... What happened to the nuance of diplomacy?
TABITHA Oh, sorry, the shoes are shined.
TOBY No we-we're there now, you-you can't go back.
TABITHA Sorry.
TOBY Right.
TABITHA 142 countries have signed it, 84 have ratified, 12 destroyed there entire stock.
TOBY Yes.
TABITHA You know who hasn't signed it? Us and Cuba.
TOBY You know who initiated it? Us. And the nations of the world rallied around it in yet another impressive display of American leadership.
TABITHA And then?
TOBY We bolted.
TABITHA Right.
TOBY And the reason we did is because we love anti-personnel land mines. We love 'em. And we think the government should be in the business of selling them, like the Post Office. In fact, the Post Office is the sales venue we've been considering.
TABITHA Toby. I-I got a...
TOBY It's Korea. Tabitha. There are 900,000 North Korean soldiers in the DMZ, and the only thing stopping them from walking into South Korea are 37,000 US troops, and about a million land mines along the border. We have said over and over that we would be thrilled to sign this treaty if we could have an exemption for South Korea and we have been rebuffed. Rebuffed... I say.
From The West Wing, Season 3 – Episode 16 – “The U.S. Poet Laureate”.