Posts

Writey McWordish

Trump attacks Syria, but did he shoot himself in the foot?

/0 Comments/in /by

US President Donald Trump launched an airstrike of 50 missiles against an airfield in Syria. The strike was a response to the horrifying chemical attacks this week. The attack seemed like an appropriate and proportionate military response to the horrible violence. But what will come of it?

While the impact of this is yet unclear on a global scale, one thing is clear: this strike is getting Trump trouble at home. The missile strike is an act of war. Since the US was previously not at war with Syria, Trump needed congress to approve. But they didn’t. And he didn’t ask.

According to the United States constitution, Congress has the power to declare war. So, not very surprisingly, Senator Rand Paul took to Twitter to point out that Trump was amiss.

We’ll be very curious to see how this pans out. Ignoring Congress by ruling via executive orders got Obama accused of dictatorial leadership. How will Congress respond to a President actually ignoring the Constitution before going to war?

Writey McWordish

Update: At least 100 killed by chemical attack in Syrian Idlib

/0 Comments/in /by

The chemical attack that struck Idlib, Syria yesterday is reported to have now killed at least 100 people. Reports of the use of sarin gas have now come from multiple sources. Medical responders have seen the effects of Assad attacks using the toxic chlorine gas. Sarin is one of the most dangerous nerve agents.

There are also reports of 400 injured by the sarin gas-attack. Sarin gas attacks the communication between nerves and permanently damages nerve functions. This may lead survivors to become permanently paralyzed. Victims die of asphyxia as they lose bodily control of their muscles, including the ones allowing them to breathe. Because of the air-bound and destructive nature of sarin, it is considered a WMD and outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993.

The UN Security Council will now hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the dire situation and no doubt the source of this brutal attack.

Writey McWordish

Gas attack. Syriasly?

/0 Comments/in /by

Syria. Not quite at the top of our list of places to visit on a holiday. On the contrary. And somehow, people managed to just make it worse. And by people, we mean inhuman pieces of excrement that can go straight to whatever crappy version of a possible afterlife they believe in, for all we care.

It´s 58 dead and counting, according to Human Rights monitoring in the region. 11 of them are children. And there have been several reports of chemical attacks last week. How is this still possible? War sucks and is in general senseless violence, but we get the cognitive disconnect that allows one human to kill another because they believe each other to be enemies. Well, sort of. But what monster simply starts random release of poisonous gas that will indiscriminately target people and let them suffer a slow and painful death?

That has nothing to do with believing in right or wrong. It’s downright monstrous. Humanity, you are a disappointment.