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There may have been a bygone era when the pen was mightier than the sword. But that was then. Now, President North Star---the most peaceful Earthling of 2009*---evidently believes that the cruise missile is more powerful than a menacing diplomatic cable to a pipsqueak tyrant in the Middle East.
If it were possible to fly a few Tomahawks up the fundament of Bashar Hafez al-Assad and his senior staff in order to "send the message" that he needs to die, then war hawks and doves would at least have an issue to debate. But it seems more likely that the people who will be dying in the inevitable "surgical strike" on Syria had no meaningful role in the acquisition or use of banned chemical weapons last week. And, to me at least, it seems just as likely that Mr. Assad will go about his business using whatever materiel suits his purpose.
If President North Star would like to send someone a message, my suggestion would be to marshal his eloquence and aim it at Russia and China. Those are the actors who thwart the (potentially) constructive involvement of the only authority that has any business intervening with force against Assad's government, namely the UN. Why not spend a week or two letting the world know who provides Assad with his munitions and cover? Why won't President North Star use his pulpit to take the world to church on this crisis?
(Answer: because it might disrupt some corporate cash flows).
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* Unimportant observation: looking back at the text of the post I linked to above, I'll take a puny victory lap about the main point, but cringe at how naively I framed it. Yuck!
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Welcome back. Have a nice trip?
ReplyDeleteSince these world affairs, no matter how serious and violent their outcomes, all seem to revolve around the juvenile male ego, why not address it just that way. Flood the world (via internet, or pamphlet drops in the 3rd world) with "photos" of Assad and Putin in women's underwear, engaging in naughty business. Ridiculing them as international clowns to a world that doesn't understand photoshop should be much cheaper than one missile and more effective than one missive. And strike some real fear into whoever is running China.
A few days ago I saw a photoshop of Putin in girlie underwear as part of a story about how the guy who made it is now in hiding and fears for his safety. But I think the general idea is sound in principle. Widespread audiovisual mockery-type slander of global elites might be considered a PSYOPS tactic with the tables turned with respect to who is usually the target of PSYOPS (that is, everybody else).
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