The French have leaked a report detailing the scale of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. If accurate, the stockpile is huge and capable of wide-spread dispersion. The arsenal itself is not surprising, given the long-term hostilities between Syria and Israel, but one cannot forget that these weapons are, in fact, illegal. We should all wait for the UN report on the attack for more specific details of the alleged atrocity. The UN has asked for an expedited report and it remains to be seen whether the report changes the Russian position on the matter.
As is the case with most crises, there is a larger issue that remains in the background. In the Syrian situation, the larger issue is the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Just as the use of chemical weapons is illegal, Iranian possession of a nuclear bomb would be illegal as long as Iran remains a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Thus, the willingness of the US to enforce international norms on illegal activity is under intense scrutiny by many observers. Perhaps the country most invested in this US role is Israel. If the Israelis believe that the US will not prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, then the Israelis will likely take steps to ensure that outcome on their own.
Tomorrow is Labor Day in the US (unlike the rest of the world which usually celebrates the role of labor on 1 May). The state of labor in the US, however, is not very good. The share of the GDP claimed by labor continues to go down, and the share that goes to capital keeps increasing.
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