December 01, 2005

The Fallacy of Calling "WP" a "Chemical Weapon"

The reality of war is such that it is hell. So, picking a particular weapon--which is no worse (and in fact much less worse and much less indiscriminate) than many others--and then trying to prove that it is 'bad' simply because one doesn't like the sound of the word 'chemical' seems like a kind of semantic sophism not worthy of discourse.

Bill, from INDC Journal, takes apart the White Phosphorous argument:

A. White Phosphorous rounds have a chemical action with the potential to cause really super nasty, icky-sounding wounds.

B. This legal round that has a chemical action with the potential to cause really nasty, icky-sounding wounds can be subsequently exagerrated and spun by partisan ideologues as a "chemical weapon," with the intent of drawing an ironic moral equivalence between the United States and Saddam Hussein's regime.

Indeed, the WP argument is beginning to sound a lot like the "Hitler was a vegetarian and so is Ralph Nadar" argument. Think about it.

Right-on Bill. I believe all those IM chats with Jeff Goldstein are beginning to pay off.

Posted by: Rusty at 03:11 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 But Hitler was a vegetarian, as well as a hypocondriac, a would-be artist, a mama's boy who grew up without a father, a socialist, and he blamed the JOOOOOOOS for his failure to get into art school. In short, he was a liberal.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 01, 2005 04:33 PM (0yYS2)

2 I like strudel, which makes me just like Hitler... I think.

Posted by: Doug Purdie at December 01, 2005 05:19 PM (00DOn)

3 Doug, You think, therefore you are. So, you are a liberal, eh?

Posted by: jesusland joe at December 01, 2005 05:25 PM (rUyw4)

4 I seem to recall Idi Amin claiming the Israelis defeated his forces at Entebbe only because they were using nuclear hand grenades. Interesting thing about WP - when it is used it is highly distinct - ya can't miss it - lots of rapidly billowing white smoke with little sparkly lights going off with a sizzlin' sound. No flame, not much of any bang or explosion either. Given the claims its kinda odd there's sooooooo little photo or video footage available of it actually being used. Oh, left! After photo shots are soooo passe! (and dubvious too - got a great Mil First Aid TM with lots of graphic pictures of what wounds look like, what causes them, how to treat etc. - too graphic for rusty's board). Used WP myself for Demo, Lum and fortified bunkers. Military's a bitch for indiscrimate wasteful use. It's more of a bean-counter type thing. Think I'm kidding - get into a fire-fight - burn off a few hundred rounds - you better make some attempt to recover those empty magazines! Do you know how much they cost apiece!

Posted by: hondo at December 01, 2005 06:55 PM (Jvmry)

5 If only the leftards knew how inadrequate WP is as a weapon, they'd STFU, but they're too stupid to do a little research and find out that HE is far preferable, but noooooo...

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 01, 2005 11:12 PM (0yYS2)

6 Gunpowder? A chemical weapon?

Posted by: REMF at December 01, 2005 11:13 PM (aLiCo)

7 Agent Jones on WP: There is WP we know and there is WP we don't know. That is the WP we know, as in known WP. There is the WP we know we don't know and that is known unknown WP. Finally, Agent Brown sings that there is WP we don't know we don't know, known as the unknown unknown WP. Agent Smith says that someone famous once said that about another weapon.

Posted by: Agent Smith at December 02, 2005 08:08 AM (fLJDr)

8 Agent Smith Mort Sahl was a satirist and an ultra-liberal and was quite funny and good at it. Al Franken is a satirist and an ultra-liberal and not funny at all - he's actually quite bad at it. You wish to be a satirist (as opposed to a commedian - there is a difference) - and follow in the footsteps of lil' Al. Well - those are tiny shoes to fill, and you are doing an adequate job of it.

Posted by: hondo at December 02, 2005 11:15 AM (Jvmry)

9 Agent Smith says that Hondo is reincarnated from an ancient Chinese concubine who had bound feet and hated it.

Posted by: Agent Smith at December 03, 2005 09:56 PM (VDGim)

10 I've posted conservative and legal responses to the false accusations of US military use of unlawful chemical weapons on civilians in Fallujah.

Posted by: No Oil for Pacifists at December 05, 2005 12:38 AM (L/N2x)

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