tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207727415505589872.post6140912973416314535..comments2023-04-01T16:21:13.078-04:00Comments on Double-crossing the Rubicon: Some Follow-ups to Yesterday's "What to do on Syria?" Blog The Familiar Strangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375291985752875063noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207727415505589872.post-91036756899423449302013-09-03T17:58:09.903-04:002013-09-03T17:58:09.903-04:00It's a fair question. I think the central issu...It's a fair question. I think the central issue is this: "When does a government's actions against its own people become so heinous that it delegitimizes their authority and invalidates modern conventions of sovereignty?"<br /><br />There are a variety of answers to that, but one of the near-universal standards is the use of chemical weapons against civilian populations (specifically the Geneva Protocol). This is not to say that using conventional weapons isn't horrific as well, but there's more room for debate.<br /><br />Syria is a signatory to the Geneva Protocol, so technically they are breaking an international law that they have agreed to adhere to.The Familiar Strangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07375291985752875063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207727415505589872.post-75519134298554877932013-09-03T17:37:05.681-04:002013-09-03T17:37:05.681-04:00Curious - bear with my oversimplification here - b...Curious - bear with my oversimplification here - but how is Syria different than say Burma (which we never even batted an eyelash at)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com