Seems my primer on chemical weaponry this week provoked a larger than usual response. The comments were all deleted before being published as I didn’t feel like responding individually.
That’s why I pay the rent here – I get to control the comments. They ranged from one rant that appeared to be narcotics fueled (seriously, it was like reading directly from the journal of somebody on heroin) to another that questioned my ability to write about orphans in Haiti if I wasn’t going to go to war over children in Syria.
The ones in between were not so bad. But I elected to use this forum to clear up a few things.
First, it’s a good idea to read a whole blog post before commenting. The comments this week indicated a lack of reading for comprehension. I didn’t say children aren’t valuable. I did not advocate genocide. I did not… the list goes on.
What I should have pointed out is that with over 100,000 dead in that civil war in the last five years it’s rather silly to rush into a military entanglement just because somebody used chemical weapons. Remember, chemical weapons have been around since at least 900 B.C. Not exactly an orbit shaking event that somebody used them. After all, nobody seemed too upset when Saddam used them on the Kurds, the Syrians used them on – you get the point. Heck, even Italy used them on Ethiopia. But I digress. Artillery and truck bombs don’t count? Rifle fire and grenades are moot? As Greg Gutfeld pointed out, machetes don’t count? As the post pointed out, anyone could have used chemical weapons in this spot and it’s least likely of all that Assad was the culprit. He may be a lousy eye doctor, but I don’t think he’s stupid.
I will throw this out there: If Barack Obama can give me a tersely worded five sentence explanation of what we would accomplish with limited air strikes in this mess I might change my mind. But the nebulous nonsense out of Washington is too much. There is no real gain here, only loss.
For those of you in the comments who were advocating our involvement I have a question? Have any of you ever done contingency planning for air strikes? Have any of you studied chemical weapons? Have any of you trained to use chemical weapons? Have any of you sat for hours wearing a gas mask with your clothing all buttoned up to avoid contamination? Have any of you “Set Circle William” and shut off all the air to your compartment to avoid nerve gas?
Yeah, thought not. I have. All of the above. And the one really nasty thing about the kind of strikes that President Obama (Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize) is proposing is that the poor schmucks downwind will die. Chemical weapons tend to linger in the air for a ways. Syria has had plenty of warning to move these in close to the cities. Strike a chemical depot and kill all the civilians for a few miles downwind.
Doesn’t sound so great anymore does it?
That’s the point, Ladies and Gentlemen. If you really give this some thought either we’re backing Iran or we’re backing Al Qaeda. Not much of a choice. Stay out.
Joe Says: Again, reading for comprehension is crucial.
Danny Says: Are you saying that your followers are not reading your blog? Joe, don’t be so silly. Of course we are reading. And between the lines.
Joe Says: I’m a lazy blogger with no content and no interaction with my commenters. Danny, this was the first time EVER that I’d deleted all the comments.
Danny Says: Maybe yes, maybe no. Just the mere fact that you deleted comments from readers this time is whimpy. If you don’t want to solicit comments, don’t write about controversial topics. As Jack Nicholson once said, “You cant handle the truth.”
Joe Says: Kind of like when your basement floods with sewage – you get a dumpster and clean everything out. That one jar of peanut butter that escaped damage isn’t worth saving.
Danny Says: Oh yes it is worth saving. That one jar of peanut butter could be some nice nourishment for those dying children.
I’ll mail that shovel over, keep digging!
Danny, need to loose that grip on the starving child meme. It’s run it’s course.
So it’s a let’s him and him fight, we’ll get the picnic basket and chairs out to watch . . . just as the Unionists did during our Civil War . . .
Joe Says: Seems my primer on chemical weaponry this week provoked a larger than usual response. The comments were all deleted before being published as I didn’t feel like responding individually.
Danny Says: Get out of the blog business. The key to keeping readers engaged is the interaction you have with your audience. You are lazy!
Joe Says: That’s why I pay the rent here – I get to control the comments.
Danny Says: What a silly comment. And what a biased blog. Turn off. Big turn off. Why spend time reading your silly blog if people can not comment?
Joe Says: They ranged from one rant that appeared to be narcotics fueled (seriously, it was like reading directly from the journal of somebody on heroin) to another that questioned my ability to write about orphans in Haiti if I wasn’t going to go to war over children in Syria.
Danny Says: Children are children no matter where they live! How would you like it if someone gassed your kids? Your family? Shame on you!
So, this is what some of the comments are like. Again, reading for comprehension is crucial. I’m a lazy blogger with no content and no interaction with my commenters. Danny, this was the first time EVER that I’d deleted all the comments. Kind of like when your basement floods with sewage – you get a dumpster and clean everything out. That one jar of peanut butter that escaped damage isn’t worth saving.
Oh, I checked on one other thing – we can’t do it all. It’s not a case of all or nothing in life. We do have to pick and choose our battles. I’m saying this battle isn’t ours. Neither side loves us, we don’t gain from our actions in any event.
Last I looked, the only side of this one that tried to hurt my family was the side the rebels are allied with in Syria. They work with people who have attacked my country in the last 10 years. They got gassed. I’m not overly excited about weighing in on this – especially since there’s no good option here. As one commenter said, let’s grab lawn chairs and picnic baskets and watch.
BTB this does not mean advocating gassing children and dogs I know. It does mean that 300 million can’t police 7 billion. Sorry. Perchance the Russians should weigh in – they provided the gas in the first place.