Mongolia counts carcasses after harsh winter(exceptionally cold winter)

AP ^ | 06/01/10 | CHARLES HUTZLER

[TigerLikesRooster]

Mongolia counts carcasses after harsh winter

By CHARLES HUTZLER, Associated Press Writer 2 hrs 48 mins ago

UYANGA, Mongolia – Before he can fully tend to his dwindling herd, Demberel has to bury the dead cows, goats and sheep in earth barely thawed from Mongolia's worst winter in decades.

Fetid and fly-ridden, the carcasses lie stacked by the hundreds around a burial pit dug by Demberel and a dozen fellow herders. A truck brings dozens more carcasses. Others lie in piles or strewn in nearby valleys, potential health hazards for animals and humans alike.

"We're bitter and sad that we've lost all our animals. There's no income for us," said Demberel, a 50-year-old herder and trained veterinarian, straight-backed and with a pockmarked face. "Gathering and loading these carcasses is difficult. They're rotting and they stink."

More than 8.2 million animals, nearly a fifth of all livestock in Mongolia, have died in a winter of snow, cold and gales so severe Mongolians have a special term for it — "dzud." A sense of loss and the stench of decay hang over one broad valley after another across the vast range lands.

[Paladin2]

The world needs to convert to a horse based transportation system.

[TSgt]

what is really odd is that 800 some years ago, Mongolia was among the most powerful empires the world has ever seen. now it is barely a third world country.

In less than a hundred years someone will be saying that about the United States.

[ChurtleDawg]

why not ox-based?

[Paladin2]

"why not ox-based?"

Well, we do believe that in a modern economy, time is of the essence.

Where water transport for low value, bulk items is unavailable, ox carts are likely fine.

[Rebelbase]

“what is really odd is that 800 some years ago, Mongolia was among the most powerful empires the world has ever seen.”

Based on a kick-ass military.

[VOA]

bump

[VOA]

“
Mongolia counts carcasses after harsh winter(exceptionally cold winter)
“

Time to hand out a Nobel Prize to the likely sole climate scientist of
the 1970s that predicted global cooling...and didn’t go over to
the Global Warming Grant-Funding Scheme.

[VOA]

“
what is really odd is that 800 some years ago, Mongolia was among the
most powerful empires the world has ever seen.
“

Some years back, Greece (well, the city-states) were busy breaking
ground on mathematics, logic, rhetoric and perfoming some @$$-kicking of
a better part of the known world led by a young Alexander.

Cultures come and go.
As historian AJP Taylor said (in so many words): Cultures aren’t
murdered; they commit suicide.

I fear the USA is well-launched on that phase.

[ohioman]

You are correct. It is odd that many Mongolians still live the same as they did during Genghis Khan's time - nomads living in yurts.

And this comes from the country that gave birth to (for my money) the #1 conqueror in World History - the Great Genghis Khan. He had the #1 Land Empire in World History; promoted and selected people based upon merit (i.e. his Greatest General Subedai did not come from and royal bloodlines); divided his Army into units divisible by 10 and instituted a Blitzkrieg using mounted calvary; never lost a battle; and left such a solid foundation that his sons Ogede and Monke increased the size of the empire after the death. I wish there were more written about this man or good movies about him. I have seen the Russian movie called “Mongol” which covered his rise to power. However, I have yet to see the second movie. I also believe that folks in the West too often think of him as a savage, when in reality the guy was absolutely brilliant, ruthless, and pragmatic. He did this only with an army of @100,000 men. A good friend of mine who use to teach at the War College tells me that it is often overlooked by the general public as to how much modern militaries still study the exploits of the Mongolians. For a Land Empire, there is no equal.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks hennie pennie.

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[bigheadfred]

It has been suggested these people need to raise a barn. Last time I was in Mongolia there wasn’t a tree in sight. It may be possible to construct some form of utile structure out of cow patties. Don’t know if it could rightly be called a barn. A stink maybe. So, if you ain’t doing anything, you wanna go to Mongolia with me and raise a stink?