originally posted by: gortex
You're confusing tear gas with nerve gas , they are very different.
I'm not confusing them, I'm saying chemical weapons are chemical weapons, whether they are lethal or not, they are illegal.
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I've thought about this for a while, and I came to a realization. It may be just a cultural thing. A lot of Americans hold to the idea that all men
are created equal. It's one of the principles this nation was founded on. On a personal level, I like to compete at things. Cross country, chess,
billiards, etc. In these competitiions, everyone has to follow the same rules. A grandmaster can't move his bishop like a queen simply because he's
a better player, that sort of thing. So I expect the same principle to apply to the law. You shouldn't be able to get away with murder or theft
because you are rich or a high ranking member of government. I know reality is different, but that's the way I believe things should be.
The British, on the other hand, have been indoctrinated for centuries in the belief that some people are better than others by virtue of being born
into the right families. What may be illegal for the peasent class is OK for the Royals. The peasents don't need weapons to defend themselves, but
they can have weapons to defend Queen and Country. The Government will tell you what you are allowed to say, because they are better than you. The
rules for the piviledged class are different.
I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing. One thing I've learned in my years, if a system of government works for a people, then who am I to say
they need to change? Things will change when the people really want change. Unlike the US Govenment, I don't feel the need to "regime change" any
country, no matter how bad it may look to me. For instance, it's no secret that the criminal organization Yakuza has influence in nearly half of
Japan's economy. Businesses even budget for the bribes they have to pay. But nobody is talking about regime changing Japan. If it works for them,
it works for them.
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So I can see where we may have a difference of opinion when it comes to law and government. Maybe you look at the situation and say, "Meh, tear gas
isn't so bad. It doesn't generally kill people. It's OK if the government uses it. The government knows best."
I look at the situation and say, "Tear gas is a chemical weapon. International Law prohibits its use. That is the letter of the law. It would be a
crime for me to use it, it is a crime for the government to use it."
And when it comes to governments assasinating people, let the government that has never carried out an assasination cast the first stone.
And, again, I recognize that even in my own country, people that hold that black-and-white view are a diminishing minority.