Syria: a lesson for all of Us

Recently, a United Nations spokesperson wisely cautioned the global community as follows: “when weapons speak, civilians pay the price" (https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/03/1006091). As someone who once lived through an atrocious Civil War, I instantly and reflexively recognized the authenticity and truism of that pronouncement. And, I silently wished that all currently hegemony-driven or all currently squabbling and centrifugally adrift or centrifugally-inclined/motivated political entities/national communities of the world ought to heed that warning and learn to resolve their political/geopolitical disputes through dialogue and compromise, and certainly without recourse to bullets, bombs and missiles.

Today’s tragic situation in Syria, as lucidly delineated in a news analysis published by TheAtlantic magazine (https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/04/syria-chemical-weapons/558065/), not only confers profound validity upon that wise statement from the United Nations but also eerily turns it into a prophetic pronouncement with epic secular implications.

Be that as it may, my comments should not be interpreted as an implied endorsement of either pacifism or a docile submission to oppression. Yes, I do believe that every human entity (be it an individual human being or a nation state) does have an inalienable and statutory right to self-defense and does retain a natural and statutory right to protect vital personal interests, vital national interests, and/or vital human interests. As a popular adage goes, God helps those who help themselves. Malcolm X cast an earthly spin on it in terms of his advocacy of self-defense by any means necessary. 

However, I do disapprove of war-mongering or saber rattling for the sake of it or for purposes of aggression or hegemonic aspirations. Now, read the afore-mentioned news analysis from TheAtlantic magazine.