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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#182351: Apr 11th 2017 at 10:27:53 AM

The other problem is that Assad was generally a pretty hands off and chill dude before the Arab Spring. All these chemical attacks and civilian bombings were sort of unprecedented at the time for him.

Oh really when?
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#182352: Apr 11th 2017 at 10:28:39 AM

Like I said, that article's five years old. A lot can happen in five years.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#182353: Apr 11th 2017 at 10:30:05 AM

[up] That's a relief at least!

[up][up][up] IT WAS THE ELECTORS WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE...AND RUSSIANS, FUCKING RUSSIANS ESPECIALLY.

edited 11th Apr '17 10:30:43 AM by Luigisan98

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#182354: Apr 11th 2017 at 10:30:16 AM

The other problem is that Assad was generally a pretty hands off and chill dude before the Arab Spring.

Not counting The occasional crackdown on his own population. As most "Chill dudes" do I assume.

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#182355: Apr 11th 2017 at 10:30:31 AM

It's almost as bad as idea as invading Iran.

...

Almost.

New Survey coming this weekend!
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#182356: Apr 11th 2017 at 10:39:18 AM

Chill dude is a relative term among autocrats in the Middle East.

Oh really when?
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#182357: Apr 11th 2017 at 10:46:57 AM

Assad does still have his supporters, but those are mainly religious groups that would be marginalized at best if anyone else takes over from the Baathists.

If Assad goes, it will be the Russians (whether he ends up in a ditch or a nice villa is a toss up) who do it.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#182358: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:36:18 AM

Sean Spicer really just said this.

"You had someone as despicable as Hitler, who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons,"

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/328306-spicer-even-hitler-didnt-use-chemical-weapons?amp

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#182359: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:39:36 AM

He had gas chambers.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#182360: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:39:45 AM

I was just about to post that.

-facepalms-

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#182361: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:40:29 AM

Not sure if this is subtle Holocaust Denial or just Spicer being a moron like usual.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#182362: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:42:16 AM

I think he's saying that Assad is worse than Hitler. Which... is a bold statement to make.

edited 11th Apr '17 11:43:20 AM by speedyboris

Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#182363: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:42:31 AM

[up][up] I vote "both".

edited 11th Apr '17 11:42:40 AM by Reflextion

Someone did tell me life was going to be this way.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#182364: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:47:32 AM

I hate this. I hate that our country is in such a state that we must actually ponder whether or not to apply Hanlon's Razor to our leadership casually dismissing one of the most horrific crimes against humanity in history.

edited 11th Apr '17 11:47:53 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#182365: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:48:13 AM

Point of order: the gas used during the Holocaust weren't strictly chemical weapons. So this was probably just a bad turn of phrase, not denialism or anything.

I'm putting this firmly on the stupid side of Hanlon's Razor, Spicer is a mainstream conservative (for the most part) with the shittiest job in DC, he's not the type to engage in Holocaust denial.

edited 11th Apr '17 11:49:12 AM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#182366: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:48:26 AM

[up][up] Yeah it sucks that a good portion of our country is so awful or apathetic.

edited 11th Apr '17 11:48:48 AM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#182367: Apr 11th 2017 at 11:51:20 AM

However, that CNN article is wrong. The Nazis did use chemical weapons on the battlefield at least once, at the Kerch Peninsula against the Soviets.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
AngelusNox Warder of the damned from The guard of the gates of oblivion Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Warder of the damned
#182368: Apr 11th 2017 at 12:06:22 PM

Germans and the Japanese didn't use chemical weapons on the Western front, because they knew pretty well that the US and UK had stockpiles worth of the stuff and using them would result in an escalation they wouldn't gain anything from.

The Eastern and Chinese front on the other hand...

Damn, [nja]'d.

Inter arma enim silent leges
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#182369: Apr 11th 2017 at 12:08:18 PM

Also helped that the Germans were conceived that the Brits had similar nerve agents to their own (they didn't) and were terrified of Bomber Command spraying their cities with it in retaliation.

From my understand, the Germans kept chemical weapons off the battlefield, apart from a few (very hard to verify) instances on the Soviet front, while the Japanese were more liberal with the stuff, as[up] said.

edited 11th Apr '17 12:09:03 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#182370: Apr 11th 2017 at 12:10:55 PM

I almost feel like this needs an "I'm not making this up disclaimer", but Spicer also referred to concentration camps as "Holocaust Centers".

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#182371: Apr 11th 2017 at 12:11:47 PM

Again, a stupid phrase but not denialism.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#182372: Apr 11th 2017 at 12:14:03 PM

At a certain point, the stupidity and the malice coalesce into a hideous, mewling mass of "Please, please don't let this guy anywhere near government ever again".

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
justhelping Since: Dec, 2016
#182373: Apr 11th 2017 at 12:36:27 PM

I saw a story earlier today that a court ruled that voter ID laws are racist. How so? Don't you need ID to drive, ride a plane, buy a firearm, join the military, or buy alcohol, or do anything, really? How is this any different from anything else that has an age requirement?

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#182374: Apr 11th 2017 at 12:37:33 PM

Because those laws mean that only certain I Ds apply as voter I Ds. Ones that are not free or easy to get in poor areas of the country. Which are often very non-white in demographics.

Oh really when?
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#182375: Apr 11th 2017 at 12:37:39 PM

Voter I Ds are harder to get for certain demographics. Intentionally so.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

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