Chemical Warfare

Chemical weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction. In addition to chemical weapons, other weapons in the "mass destruction" category include biological weapons and radiological and nuclear weapons. Chemical concoctions of this nature, and their delivery systems, have no alternate civilian application; they are instruments of war.

The first (and most famous) example of a chemical weapon used in military combat that I could find is mustard gas, so-called because of it's smell of mustard or horseradish or garlic - not because it is made from the oil of a  plant of the mustard family (such as rapeseed.) The blistering and often fatal inhalation of mustard gas comes from sulfur. Sulfur mustard is made by treating sulfur dichloride with ethylene.

Mustard gas was first produced in mass quantities by the Germans in WWI, used mostly by the Germans in that war against the British and their allies. Mustard gas can be delivered by several means. Artillery shells were a primary method of choice in WWI. Since the chemical lingers on the ground for days and weeks, it was used as a "territory denial" agent as well as being fired directly at and over troops on battlefields. Ict should be noted that a gas mask is insufficient protection against mustard gas, even when used properly, because the gas attacks unprotected skin as well. Although chemical warfare is primarily a province of the military, it has also become a favorite of terrorists and crackpot groups (especially in subways.)

Chemical warfare also includes the nerve agents as well as the blister death methods. The category includes all poison gasses, really. Here are notable instances in history where chemical weapons (as we know them today) have been used on a large scale:

(Wikipedia)

1. In WWI by the Germans; by both sides towards the end of the war.

2. By the UK against the Red Army in 1919.

3. By Spain and France against insurgents in Morocco 1921-1927.

4. By Italy in Libya in 1930.

5. By the Soviet Union in China in 1934, and again in 1936-1937.

6. By Italy against Abyssinia (Ethiopia) 1935-1940.

7. Nazi Germany against Poland and the Soviet Union in a few instances in WWII. (And Poland against Germany in one isolated incident.)

8. By the Japanese against China 1937-1945.

9. By Egypt against North Yemen 1963-1967.

10. By Iraq against Iran 1983-1988.

11. By Iraq against the Kurds, 1988.

12. Probably by Sudan against the civil war insurgents in 1995 and 1997.

Soooo... do we bash Basher, or what?

There's more news today of the "unrest" in Syria.

More massacres of civilians by the Syrian dictator. U.N. investigators thwarted.

What should we do? What should we do?

Choices available:

1. Take military action to overthrow the present cruel regime and thereby secure the blessings of sweet liberty to the oppressed Syrian people, just as we did in Iraq.

2. Let the U.N. "handle" the situation. (Translation: let thousands of people continue to die while the U.N. bumbles and stumbles along with years of fact-finding missions, carefully worded condemnations, and, of course, scores of "resolutions.") Meanwhile, be very vocal in our condemnation of the terrible tyrant dictator, but from a distance. Try to make political points against Russia and China by framing them as uncaring supporters of ruthless dictators.

3. If an organized resistance happens to evolve, support it with limited military aid and advice.

4. Do nothing. Mind our own business. Work on our own troubles at home. Use money borrowed from China to feed our own hungry rather than giving the borrowed money to Syrian Freedom Fighters.

Oh, my. It is a poser. It is a real pickle.

The last one seems tempting, but still fraught with many pitfalls.

Are there any other options that come to mind?
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Some main points to keep in mind:

Growing Out of Control

Well, the next thing she found was a little cake: and it had the words "EAT ME" marked on it. So of course she set to work and ate it up. And THEN what do you think happened to her? No, you'll never guess! I shall have to tell you again.

She grew and she grew, and she grew. Taller than she was before! Taller than ANY child! Taller than any grown-up person! Taller, and taller, and taller! Just look at the picture, and you'll SEE how tall she got!


—Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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In the beginning, in 1788, George Washington's cabinet consisted of 4 departments: State, Treasury, War, and Attorney General. Can you history buffs name the first heads of these 4 departments? Jefferson, Hamilton, Knox, Randolph. Easy. Sadly, Jay Leno received 3 answers starting with, "Barack Obama?...??....???" Yet, while American's knowledge of their government has plummeted over the years, the size of their government has grown much faster than Alice and her cake or mushrooms or whatever it was.


In addition to the above named Executive Branch of our early government, we also had a congress, consisting of 26 Senators and 65 Representatives. I was not there, but it is a pretty good bet that their first order of business was probably to start dividing themselves up into committees. Or perhaps that only came after the issue of fringe benefits was debated.


Even with this, I am pretty sure there was yet not a House Foreign Affairs Committe, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversite. Most of you will be relieved to hear that there is one today.


Now, that is no longer quite true. You see, the House Foreign Affairs Committe, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Righs, and Oversite was apparently not able to cope with all its business, so, recently, it was broken up into two separate subcomittees: the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; and the Human Rights folks became the Subcommitte on Africa, Global Heath, and Human Rights. I'm assuming the House thought there was no longer any U.S. domestic heath or human rights problems, and that those things belonged under the heading of "Africa." On the other hand, there is already an entire Executive Branch Cabinet-level Department of Health and Human Services, or used to be, unless it has been broken up and subcommitteed out. Now, I should hasten to add, that our Department of Health and Human Services used to be a subcabinet subdepartment under the old HEW (Health, Education, and Welfare) - what folly it was back in the 1960s to ask one department to do all of that under one roof! Or under one "big tent" as the politicians are fond of saying.


Yes, our government is too big and out of control. Sadly, it seems to be the main model for the United Nations internal organization, which is what I really wanted to talk about here today before my preface again outgrew (get it? "outgrew"?) my main thesis. Talk about grossly obese, bloated, and top-heavy bureaucracies. Oh, my, god. OMG OMG. Please tune in next time. This would be funny if it weren't actually YOUR money I am talking about here. If only we could pattern (patten?) ourselves after the clean and efficient, lean and mean, government of the U.K.


My thoughts keep returning to Alice's Cake. Dear U.S. government: EAT ME!