An Anemic Response

The world has given lip service to so-called "red-lines" in Syria, but in the event, has failed to act. If a child says he is going to punch the schoolyard bully back if he continues to torment, but then, does not follow through, the bully is emboldened. In the same way, Iran and North Korea watch the West pledge never to permit the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and then do absolutely nothing when poison gas is used. This reluctance by America and our allies to keep the commitments that our leaders publicly enunciated, makes world war far more likely, just as appeasing Adolf Hitler made World War II inevitable.