We knew it was coming when Trump was elected; USA vs Russia (with Syria as the unfortunate pawn in the chess game). And probable annihilation of the human species which many other species will consider well overdue. One wonders whether this has happened before. Was Mars inhabited before the fall? Did they have Samsung and instant coffee and phones and planes there, billions of years ago, before an earlier human species destroyed life as we know it on that planet? Very likely, I reckon. We've seen it all before.

Isn't the problem... much though I've always disliked what I've heard about Assad (and even worse his Dad) - a) can we be certain it was the Assad regime and not the equally unpleasant other lot? and b) really, should other countries (be they Russia or the USA or, indeed, the UK) be bombing other countries? If the answer is yes, because we don't like the way they run their country, is it OK for other countries who don't like the way we run our country to bomb us?

Highly intelligent interview by Peter Ford - a former British Ambassador to Syria; he says this is certain to make Isis fake more chemical attacks on their own (invaded) villages pretending they are by Assad in order to provoke more attacks by Mad Trump who falls for it so easily. Why is something so obviously possible (nobody says it is certain) fallen for? Answer; because we are now in superficial world.

Simon Jenkins (who always talks sense) saying similar on Victoria (so much better when the other bird is helming it) - you do not solve anything by bombing. I suppose Trump is simply following the route Cameron and others gave bombing Libya. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

Crispin Blunt - one of our Ministers - justifies the attack by saying that Trump was sure that Assad was responsible for these weapons of mass destruction. He must be getting info from that nice reliable Tony Blair.

A commentator on the news last night was saying that there had been an even more devastating chemical attack in 2013, but Trump had neither supported retaliatory action nor publicly shown any compassion. The whole thing, including the US reaction, looks like machismo and trying to show who's top dog. No doubt Putin will try to match or outdo Trump in due course, probably at the expense of innocent civilians yet again.

Saw this last night. Absolutely tragic. 'My sweethearts, I left them ok'

It will be interesting to see if Trump reverses his attitude to Syrian refugees.

Trump's change of heart on Syria

JK2006 wrote:
We knew it was coming when Trump was elected; USA vs Russia (with Syria as the unfortunate pawn in the chess game). And probable annihilation of the human species which many other species will consider well overdue.

If that's what it takes to end Eurovision, so be it.

Yes I would have thought letting Syrian refugees into the States would be a far more helpful move if he really cares about children and babies. But at least Trump has support from Fat Toad Watson. And I'm sure it won't be long before the May Woman chimes in with thoughts with family, friends and other cliches.

“When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?”

The answer I think is that they never learn because they remain unaccountable. From Christopher Hitchens polemic against Henry Kissinger:

“The US, as well as being the founding senior and host of the United Nations and of the UN declaration of human rights which enshrines the Nuremburg principles and other things is also the main moral tutor and lecturer to the rest of the world on the need to punish war criminals, bring them to a speedy justice, observe canons of human rights upon pain of punishment up to and including sanctions and bombing. No-one will dispute that this is the case. Meanwhile, one argues in private, that these canons of law now enshrined in a whole new tribunal to which the US is signatory at the Hague to make these principles even more permanent and active in operation, do not and should not apply to Americans. The conspicuous instance of the discrepancy or of the inconsistency would be the esteem granted to a man like Henry Kissinger who, if there really was equality before the law internationally would be wanted already in a number of countries for gross offences against human rights."

Now if Syria were to bomb Washington (as the place that ordered the bombs against Syria, following Trump's example of bombing the stable after the horse has bolted), would there be a minor fuss? I wonder. I suppose Trump could claim his bombs were not as nasty as those chemical weapons (so horrible - they harmed babies). After all, his nice clean bombs didn't affect any babies at all unless any were there waiting to catch a flight to a beach holiday. Also, the USA is bigger than Syria and it's really not on to bully people who are bigger than you. Of course, the US administration isn't as nasty as Assad. They only ban desperate refugees from entering sanctuary; they don't actually kill them, do they? Unless they happen to be in an air base. Oh dear it is so confusing this moral universe, isn't it? Let's get back to simplicity and just kill people.

Another stupid act and dragging the UK in of course.
Stay well alone