In recent days, the question has arisen as to why we are concerned about Syria's use of chemical weapons.  After all, in the Syrian conflict, tens of thousands of people have been killed by what are called "conventional weapons."  Conventional weapons include bullets and bombs and the like.  By comparison, only a very small fraction of the deaths in Syria has been caused by chemical warfare.  Chemical weapons include poison gases such as chlorine and sarin. The argument goes, death is death, whether by bullets or gas.  Why should we punish one but not the other? At first, that argument makes sense, but as with so many other seemingly simple things, the reality is more complex.  Why is it that poison gas is deemed to be so much worse than bullets – so much so, in fact, that international law has banned chemical weapons for nearly the past hundred years? The very survival of nations was in play...(Read Full Article)