Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Have you heard about BAE Systems, supplier to not only the British defense but also the US Army and the US Coast Guard, and their new plan to provide eco-friendly weapons?

As Orion Magazine sarcastically writes, "No longer will BAE's finely tuned apocalyptic machines of death and destruction simply kill people. In the future, BAE's weapons will kill people and protect the environment. After all, if you have to kill somebody, there's no reason it can't be done in an environmentally responsible way."

In a BBC News article, BAE's Director of Corporate Responsibility states that "no company, regardless of what they make, can now just make a product, bung it out there, and then forget about it." Instead, "we all have a duty of care to ensure that from cradle to grave products are being used appropriately and do not do lasting harm."

No lasting harm? As Orion says, "Indeed."

In addition to fuel-efficient jet planes and low-fume bombs, BAE is designing explosives that eventually turn into manure rather than landmines--and lead-free bullets. No joke.

Orion suggests they develop cluster bombs impregnated with wildflower seeds. Each blast could sow new life in the killing fields.