Repeatedly in the last year, president Obama announced that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be a red line for the USA. So now that this has happened, Obama has backed away from the possibility of taking any action. It made me wonder just what constitutes a "red line".
Let's start with the obvious. Most engines come with indicators that show the maximum safe speed at which they should operate. If the indicator passes the red line, the danger and the possibility of explosion are extreme; something has to be done to move the indicator back below the red line. Certainly, this is what I thought Obama meant in all his statements about Syria.
But maybe Obama meant something else. Red lines were also mentioned in the past in connection with certain poor communities being unable to get mortgage funding. Maybe all Obama meant was that if chemical weapons are used in Syria, it would make it much harder to get a mortgage in the areas where the bombs explode. The Red Line is also one of the main train lines in the Boston subway system. Maybe Obama meant that if the Syrians used chemical weapons, he would see to it that they would be banned from part of the Boston subways. There are also Red Lines in the Washington, Chicago and other subway systems. Maybe Obama meant that those who use chemical weapons in Syria will be barred from all of those subway lines. (Just the thought of such a ban would likely be frightening enough to prevent any use of chemical weapons, no?)
Maybe Obama misspoke a bit. The Red Zone is often used to describe the last yards outside the endzone on a football field. Maybe Obama just meant that if chemical weapons were being used, the war in Syria would be getting close to the end.
This is all rather complicated, but the truth, however, is very simple. Obama told the Assad regime that if it used chemical weapons, there would be serious consequences and America would take action. Now, Obama is backing away from his threats. Obama is making clear to the world that there is no need to take what he says seriously. For most Americans, this is not a surprise. No one in his right mind would take seriously most of what Obama says. Nevertheless, that is a lesson which had not yet been drilled into the consciousness of the people outside the USA. Now they too know that Obama's threats and statements mean nothing and can be ignored.
Rumor has it that in the future, Obama is going to say that if Iran continues building nuclear weapons, that country will enter a "zone of ickiness." Supposedly, Joe Biden came up with that one.
Let's start with the obvious. Most engines come with indicators that show the maximum safe speed at which they should operate. If the indicator passes the red line, the danger and the possibility of explosion are extreme; something has to be done to move the indicator back below the red line. Certainly, this is what I thought Obama meant in all his statements about Syria.
But maybe Obama meant something else. Red lines were also mentioned in the past in connection with certain poor communities being unable to get mortgage funding. Maybe all Obama meant was that if chemical weapons are used in Syria, it would make it much harder to get a mortgage in the areas where the bombs explode. The Red Line is also one of the main train lines in the Boston subway system. Maybe Obama meant that if the Syrians used chemical weapons, he would see to it that they would be banned from part of the Boston subways. There are also Red Lines in the Washington, Chicago and other subway systems. Maybe Obama meant that those who use chemical weapons in Syria will be barred from all of those subway lines. (Just the thought of such a ban would likely be frightening enough to prevent any use of chemical weapons, no?)
Maybe Obama misspoke a bit. The Red Zone is often used to describe the last yards outside the endzone on a football field. Maybe Obama just meant that if chemical weapons were being used, the war in Syria would be getting close to the end.
This is all rather complicated, but the truth, however, is very simple. Obama told the Assad regime that if it used chemical weapons, there would be serious consequences and America would take action. Now, Obama is backing away from his threats. Obama is making clear to the world that there is no need to take what he says seriously. For most Americans, this is not a surprise. No one in his right mind would take seriously most of what Obama says. Nevertheless, that is a lesson which had not yet been drilled into the consciousness of the people outside the USA. Now they too know that Obama's threats and statements mean nothing and can be ignored.
Rumor has it that in the future, Obama is going to say that if Iran continues building nuclear weapons, that country will enter a "zone of ickiness." Supposedly, Joe Biden came up with that one.
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