Whatever else you do today, watch this - Thank You Lawrence

[malaise]

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45755883/ns/msnbc-the_last_word/vp/52979025

Finally the real discussion has begun

[Jasana]

1. Excellent report. Thanks for the link.

I too urge you all to listen to this. Stupid basic cable only offers my Grandma Fox news so I don't ever get to see anything on MSNBC unless it online.

[malaise]

4. Send it to family and friends

[Jasana]

7. Will do. Have already started. Again, thanks for the link. nt.

[handmade34]

2. K&R n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Eloquent essay by Lawrence.

The red line is blurry and arbitrary and micro thin, isn't it?

[malaise]

5. That's the truth

The red line is blurry and arbitrary and micro thin

[alfie]

6. Incredible

Absolutely must watch. Wise I got MSNBC

[Scuba]

8. The red line ...

[malaise]

9. That simple

[In_The_Wind]

19. I agree

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[tomg]

21. Clear and to the point. nt

[cate94]

10. War is not civilized.

K & R for the truth, even though it is difficult to watch and hard to hear.

[Hydra]

41. "War is the breakdown of civilization"

This is why I am against war in all forms. If we are civilized(and that's an open question...), we will find ways to solve problems without suspending civilization to do it.

[The Wizard]

11. unclean hands (NT)

[beerandjesus]

12. Good stuff--as this sort of thing goes, anyway.

Thanks for the link!

[malaise]

14. You're welcome

The truth must be known

[mtasselin]

13. watched

I watched it last night on the "The Last Word" and it is more informing today.

[drynberg]

15. Napalm=Very Bad USA invention and weapon of choice in WWII & Vietnam

How about Agent Orange, the chemical dropped by the thousands of tons on Vietnam to kill all vegetation, which has caused horrible genetic consequences that are still haunting the Vietnamese People. This AO was of course a chemical used in warfare, but we don't even mention this when discussing the "morally obscene" (alleged) use of CW in a civil war of a sovereign nation...Gee that leaves the USA in a totally hypocritical place...and then we consider aiding in arming Iraq (Saddam) with Sarin to use on Iranians in the 1980s. Or the USA defending the Israelis use of White Phosphorus recently, a chemical that burns through the skin into the body to the core with no way of stopping the damage and terrible pain. So, who is morally obscene?

[A Simple Game]

23. Not to mention what agent orange did to our own troops.

Then there is depleted uranium.

I think we could make a list that would make the Syrians look like amateurs.

[cilla4progress]

26. 'zactly

What would Pres. Obama's response be to this truth?

Do they all get itchy trigger fingers when they ascend to the Presidency?

You know, he has Samantha Power as our delegate to the UN. She cut her teeth in Kosovo. We may be hearing echoes from there. I wish I recalled history from that time. How did it go? What was our strategy? What worked, didn't work, there?

[KittyWampus]

27. Obama signed the Protocol his first full day in office. Did you even listen to this whole thing?

The United States signed it almost three decades after the General Assembly adopted it, on January 21, 2009: President Barack Obama’s first full day in office. America’s ratification, however, is subject to a diplomatic reservation that says it can disregard the treaty at its discretion if doing so would save civilian lives.

Read more: http://nation.time.com/2013/04/11/napalm-a-true-american-tale/#ixzz2eb0xkcyD

[cilla4progress]

28. I'm sorry?

1) Yes, I listened to the "whole thing." Is your tone necessary?
2) I don't get your point in reponse to my post. Might you take the time to clarify?

Thanks!

[malaise]

30. But the point is that the US did not sign the protocol for 29 years and Obama

signed it on his first day in office. So as much as I am against any bombing of Syria he at least has political capital on the subject in a way that not one president in the previous 29 years had - OK - that's the point.

[cilla4progress]

31. Thanks.

I don't know about political capital, so much as credibility..potentially.

I also don't know how much a difference it makes if someone is liquidated by chemicals or by explosives, in the big picture.

[malaise]

34. Credibility is probably the better word

I agree

[cilla4progress]

38. Thanks again.

I'm sorry. I'm a bit out of sorts about this whole deal.

It's confusing to me. I know there is a strategy here that we are unaware of. On the surface I see two "doves" (a Vietnam era term), Obama and Kerry, behaving uncharacteristically hawklike, which concerns me deeply. At the same time, I despise what Assad (and the rebels, apparently?) are doing. But fail to see what makes their vile act stand out.

An eye for an eye? Still? Really?

[malaise]

39. Couldn't say it better

[WCLinolVir]

16. +1000

[Sienna86]

17. Lest we forget.....

Saw this last night.

[bullwinkle428]

18. When I saw the title and the DUer posting it, I knew IMMEDIATELY what this

was referring to!

I have my problems with Lawrence from time to time, but he was completely spot-on with last night's commentary. We've done all kinds of really bad shit in our own history regarding chemical weapons, so we need to take a long hard look at ourselves when it comes to pointing fingers at other countries.

[malaise]

20. He was spot on last night

Lawrence is fearless

[hue]

22. K&R!!

[BlueJazz]

24. Powerful and insightful

[markpkessinger]

25. K&R

[gvstn]

29. Thanks. I knew our history with chem weapons was bad. But didn't know it was this bad or recent.

Sometimes Lawrence gets it right. He is still a bit preachy but definitely worth it this time.

[SunSeeker]

32. Love me some Lawrence. nt

[MoonRiver]

33. Finally got to watch it - wow!

Really puts things into perspective. For instance, what exactly is a "good" way to die in war? Well, I think I'd take sarin over napalm if I had to choose. Better yet, let's just not do war.

[malaise]

35. That simple

No more war

[whatchamacallit]

36. This is truth

but truth does not compute to bots. <sigh>

[snagglepuss]

37. Wow. Unbelievably brilliant. This is a MUST SEE.

[whatchamacallit]

40. Kick for

the dupes of war rhetoric. This is why the moral speeches are bullshit.

[Hydra]

42. Tha was amazing

I can't believe it was allowed on the MSM. Kudos!