General Discussion

malthaussen

(18,525 posts)

52. WWI is an especially glaring example of the futility of war...

Thu Sep 5, 2013, 12:43 PM

Sep 2013

... and the impotence (or complicity?) of our leaders to evade it. Our "little" wars of today may kill fewer people -- on "our" side, anyway, as if humanity could really be divided up into "sides," -- but it seems we have yet to find a way to halt the fruitless Will to Stupidity.

And since the leaders rarely suffer -- poor Kaiser Wilhelm, he was exiled to Holland -- they have no incentive to try to halt it.

-- Mal

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A significant achievement of the human race: It succeeded in banning chemical weapons. [View all] blm Sep 2013 OP

If we weren't totally selective about who we hold accountable for using them... NuclearDem Sep 2013 #1

Who has gotten away with using them recently? N.T. Donald Ian Rankin Sep 2013 #2

The United States Octafish Sep 2013 #3

Are you sure you're not confusing your international laws? Donald Ian Rankin Sep 2013 #18

Depends on how recent we're talking. NuclearDem Sep 2013 #4

The US still hasn't gotten rid of its own stockpile of VX gas. eom leveymg Sep 2013 #51

Veteran's Day Poppy Octafish Sep 2013 #5

I will not tell you it's not equally enforced. nadinbrzezinski Sep 2013 #6

So it is best to give up on it altogether? blm Sep 2013 #8

Well, given Syria is not a signatory nadinbrzezinski Sep 2013 #11

nadin...do you really think I don't know the gory details of Iraq/Iran blm Sep 2013 #20

Why this then? polly7 Sep 2013 #22

That report appears to be incredibly skewed. blm Sep 2013 #31

Of course it does. I'll just take your word for it ... polly7 Sep 2013 #32

I told you how it appears to me. blm Sep 2013 #39

BushInc is a subsidiary of PNAC inc nadinbrzezinski Sep 2013 #28

I didn't say that, nadin. I am well aware of the historic details here blm Sep 2013 #35

I am sorry, this is not just about WMDs nadinbrzezinski Sep 2013 #38

You can't change the FACTS, nadin. You did learn of greater crimes blm Sep 2013 #41

You are right, we can't change the facts nadinbrzezinski Sep 2013 #59

I never said that it was ONLY about chemical attacks. You claimed that. blm Sep 2013 #69

I will put it to you this way nadinbrzezinski Sep 2013 #77

I have never trusted Obama implicitly and have noted his weaknesses blm Sep 2013 #81

Now if this was not so tragic nadinbrzezinski Sep 2013 #87

Let me know when the human race whatchamacallit Sep 2013 #7

So it is best to give up on the bans we DO have altogether? blm Sep 2013 #10

No, it's best to enforce them judiciously and not to use them as an excuse commit other atrocities. whatchamacallit Sep 2013 #12

well said. cali Sep 2013 #15

Explain: 'enforce them judiciously' blm Sep 2013 #17

Well, our "enforcement" in this case whatchamacallit Sep 2013 #23

That's key. and would go back to the ban. Your OP Precisely Sep 2013 #26

When did it become an 'excuse to commit atrocities' blm Sep 2013 #43

That all sounds good Precisely Sep 2013 #46

Why do you assume its faith and not reason? Ever read the BCCI Report? blm Sep 2013 #50

I'm sorry. I meant it affirmatively. Precisely Sep 2013 #65

The treaty does not empower the US to act in retaliation, in fact is specifically leaves Bluenorthwest Sep 2013 #33

From all of your posts on the subject TM99 Sep 2013 #9

I take very seriously the entirety of the circumstances involved. blm Sep 2013 #14

This is not about one man Precisely Sep 2013 #34

Then I am sorry but you are TM99 Sep 2013 #37

I didn't say that - you want to believe I did. blm Sep 2013 #53

You can't even realize that your rebuttal TM99 Sep 2013 #61

I will continue to repeat what I know because so many are repeating lies blm Sep 2013 #72

You are more than welcome to wash, rinse and repeat daily. TM99 Sep 2013 #80

I already proved numerous times that is not true. blm Sep 2013 #85

Yes Precisely Sep 2013 #29

should all arms control KT2000 Sep 2013 #36

Straw man, and you know it. TM99 Sep 2013 #40

not a straw man KT2000 Sep 2013 #42

Of course, it is worthwhile to agree to ban certain weapons. TM99 Sep 2013 #44

my first choice KT2000 Sep 2013 #47

Do you even acknowledge that diplomatic solutions were TRIED for blm Sep 2013 #57

This message was self-deleted by its author KT2000 Sep 2013 #60

Just answered in another reply. TM99 Sep 2013 #62

You assume Kerry is to blame and Assad's mental state post-ArabSpring is intact. blm Sep 2013 #67

Seriously, TM99 Sep 2013 #68

That's horsepoo - I developed my own views of Syria through research blm Sep 2013 #70

How do you know to what degree of research I have done on Syria? TM99 Sep 2013 #71

Instead some people here want the US to join the indifference blm Sep 2013 #56

The biggest straw man argument now is that this is just like Iraq. blm Sep 2013 #55

A simple question that I know you will avoid is this, TM99 Sep 2013 #64

No. But, I am not going to pretend there isn't more just because blm Sep 2013 #73

Your powers of projection are astounding. TM99 Sep 2013 #76

I already said No. The ? was NOT avoided. blm Sep 2013 #82

It hasn't been kept in place anymore than the conventions against genocide have cali Sep 2013 #13

Why do you need to pretend I claimed that Owen's poem was the first? blm Sep 2013 #16

not pretending anything, dear. cali Sep 2013 #25

That's the 'impression' you wanted to give yourself. I gave you no cause. blm Sep 2013 #48

Lysistrata! Precisely Sep 2013 #30

It did? WilliamPitt Sep 2013 #19

Take Britain to court. But, why pretend Geneva ban isn't worth saving? blm Sep 2013 #21

Which court? WilliamPitt Sep 2013 #24

I'm not defending Britain. They deserve to be exposed at The Hague. blm Sep 2013 #45

Christ, that was a hundred years ago... malthaussen Sep 2013 #27

I know -- next year will mark a century since the Great War. No more living persons anneboleyn Sep 2013 #49

WWI is an especially glaring example of the futility of war... malthaussen Sep 2013 #52

Why is bombing Syria the only - Hell Hath No Fury Sep 2013 #54

If it really was about just wanting to attack Syria we'd have done blm Sep 2013 #58

Everyone agrees that chem weapons should not be used LittleBlue Sep 2013 #63

Pro-accountability doesn't have to be pro-war. blm Sep 2013 #66

Obviously, the world doesn't care as much as you claim. reformist2 Sep 2013 #74

The world did THEN. Now more people want to join the ranks blm Sep 2013 #75

So how are you going to secure those chemical weapons, blm? Union Scribe Sep 2013 #78

That's the Pentagon's job. blm Sep 2013 #83

Stop cramming words in my mouth and answer Union Scribe Sep 2013 #84

I can't do the Pentagon's job of planning surgical strikes and blm Sep 2013 #86

Tell that to the people of Vietnam . . . markpkessinger Sep 2013 #79