According to the transcript of remarks made by Barack Obama at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia and released by the White House website, Mr. Obama used the word 'norms' or 'international norms,' eighteen times in his speech. Sociology terms like folkways, mores, and norms are taught in freshmen sociology courses throughout academia and are considered fundamental. The idea is that all conventional or traditional beliefs and behaviors are the basis from which all nascent laws or societal changes are viewed from or modified. Mr. Obama's almost excessive use of the term 'norms' leaves an acrid odor in the air when considering that on at least three fundamental levels the use of this noun, even if it is only used to reflect the informal understanding of what society perceives as normal, is ridiculous and obscene. 1. If the Geneva protocol of 1925 is the norm Obama is citing, it must be noted that the protocol for the prohibition and use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other...(Read Full Post)