Norms, standards and metrics

By G. Rendell. The top story of the hour, obviously, is Obama's initiative to do something (bomb?  debilitate?  degrade?  invade, but only with trainers and logisticians?  invade with combat forces?) to the nation of Syria. The ostensible reason is to punish the current Syrian regime for its deviation from "international norms". That phrase, which has been uttered by every administration official, every military-industrial-complex-funded member of Congress, and almost every apologist in the corporate media, is telling.  Not "international law".  Not any particular international treaty.  "International norms." Read more...