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RE: Notes on the Conflict in Syria in Light of Current Events
Pacifism is not the response to this action. Every nation in the world should be appalled and Assad should be tried for his crimes and brought to justice and anyone else responsible for these illegal gas attacks.
I am appalled by the crime of the gas attack. I am not persuaded Assad is the thug to blame for it, and I am appalled at the cruise missile strike debacle too. Don't fall for the politician's fallacy: "Something must be done, and we are doing something, so therefore we are doing what must be done."
Don't confuse skepticism for pacifism. I am a non-aggressionist, not a pacifist, but that requires a far higher degree of certainty before action to avoid compounding one crime by committing another.
Let's set aside my anarchistic opposition to all governmental aggression though, and I'll put on my minarchist dunce cap for a moment. A missile strike against a sovereign nation is an act of war. Trump committed an act of war without Congressional approval. The UN was created specifically to address matters such as this gas attack, and no investigation has been made by any official channels. The US intel community is notorious for going off half-cocked in an effort to in the blame on someone. This strike is inexcusable.
EDIT
How timely. @badquakerdotcom just re-posted a series of podcasts on the history of US wars, describing how every single one was sold to the public through lies and propaganda to excuse governmental aggression.
I never defended the missile attack, in fact I think it was a rather lame response. I think there needs to be a public trial and if Assad is found guilty he must be hung along with any of his generals who gave the order. If it wasn't Assad who was it Isis doesn't have those weapons if they did we'd all be in deep shit.
I'm not sure it was Sarin. If it was a different gas, such as chlorine or Phosgene, availability is less of an issue. There have also been reports that this was fallout from an earlier strike against a weapons depot causing the accidental release of gasses from stored chemicals - perhaps weaponized, perhaps not.
If there needs to be a trial, isn't that the alleged purpose of the UN? It's not 'MURKA's job to be judge, jury, and executioner regardless of precedent.