This Modern World: And Away We Go -- - Nothing Says "We Care" Like A Tomahawk Missile Strike

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17. From my perspective, if it's true that Bashar Al-Assad used nerve gas

to kill all of those people in West Ghouta, then he deserves a message that only a cruise missile can deliver. And if he didn't seem to understand the message and was to do it again, then he would deserve another message. The use of nerve gas by a state as an instrument of war should not be tolerated, for reasons that should be obvious.

This doesn't mean that I'm in favor of unilateral action by the US -- I'm not.

Nor am I concerned about such irrelevant considerations as "US credibility" or, "the appearance of weakness" or, any other such superficial concerns. The concern is over the use of nerve gas. It's neither a hypothetical nor a speculative concern. Nerve gas was used to kill roughly 1,000 or more people in a gruesome and grisly manner.

I don't support US action unless it's part of a clear and unequivocal agreement by the UN Security Council.

I'm concerned that the proof that the Syrian government was responsible is not solid enough, although I believe that likelihood that they (the Syrian government) were responsible is almost overwhelming. The incident took place while the Syrian government was in it's third day of heavy bombardment of the West Ghouta suburb.

But there is not incontrovertible proof.

And in a truly fucked-up situation, punishing Assad might make the situation worse if it resulted in al-Qaeda elements acquiring possession of part of Assad's chemical weapons stockpile.