Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKerry’s Chem Speech: Old-School Empire: It’s not about chemicals, or death tolls, or even Syria.
Kerrys Chem Speech: Old-School EmpireBy Gary Brecher
.......................
There are three factors that determine how much artificial world outrage a massacre sets off. First, the obvious one: Who committed it? Second: What technology did they use to commit it? Third: Who were the victims?
.........................
...................One constant for war news across my whole life is that nobody minds what you do as long as you do it from a fighter jet. Its amazing. This isnt as random as it might seem. Those jets are very, very expensivenot just to buy but to maintain, because theyre as fragile as racehorses. So only the big boys, the powers we consider legit, can use them. Thats absolution in advance for anything they do, above all because opinion leaders who spin the news know those jets will never be used against them.
.........................
.....................
Why would the West get so upset, so suddenly, about this chemical attack on the same people whove been dying in big batches for more than two years? Well, you have to stand back and realize its the same bad old world it always was. You know all those fairy tales where the husband, the legitimate ruler of the house, tells his wife she can go anywhere in the palace except that one room? So she goes into the room and he finds out and her head ends up on the mantelpiece or attached to a silverfish. The point is to teach the boys and girlsespecially the girlslistening around the fireside that the man is the boss, and he can make any ridiculous rule he wants.
Thats pretty much what happened here. Youve got a minority-sect regime faced with a very real existential crisis, facing a much bigger sect and running out of troops. This minority sect is nothing but trouble, and friends with other troublemakers, Iran and Russia and Hezbollah, but the other sect, the Sunni, is a way more serious global threat. So you balance your irritation at the little sect against the guilty pleasure of seeing the other sect, the really threatening one, get bloodied, as Michael Rubin puts it. But you also draw a line around one room in the house of horrors, the chemical room, and tell your Alawite bitch she cant go in there, or therell be Hell to pay. And you know she will, of course, just like the guy in the fairy tale knows that as soon as hes out of the house his wife will start picking the lock on the forbidden room.
And at that point you storm back in like Gods vengeance in a John Kerry disguise (which admittedly is about the unlikeliest disguise Gods vengeance could ever take) and announce that the Alawites are expelled from Purgatory, down into plain old Hell. The point is so much simpler than anyone will face. Its not about chemicals, or death tolls, or even Syria. Its about reminding two factions in an enemy tribe that youre still in charge, and you control their death rates even when they think its them killing each other.
the rest:
(oh, dear, i feel flames...)
https://www.nsfwcorp.com/scribble/5707/79f1c70f9b125665da4dd87078175fb22f810d1f/
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/08/john-kerry-syria-chemical-attacks-moral-obscenity/68732/
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
1 replies, 789 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (4)
ReplyReply to this post
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Kerry’s Chem Speech: Old-School Empire: It’s not about chemicals, or death tolls, or even Syria. (Original Post)
kpete
Aug 2013
OP
Autumn
(44,744 posts)1. That's an interesting thought provoking article. I don't have any flames but here's an