In "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, the timeless strategist stated that wars are successfully waged by deception and surprise. In the warfare of chess, the do nothing move is called a zugzwang. It allows the employer of such a nullity to gain a strategic advantage in subsequent moves.

The hubris of McCain in the video above, and most that tout the "world's most powerful military" meme, that the rest of the world will do "nothing" in response may very well be *surprised* should Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Russia and/or China do something militarily and economically in response to yet another military goading in Syria after repeated zugzwangs. The element of surprise by such deception would likely leave our best and brightest along with their floating and flying instruments of war alongside our domestic economy and global status at the bottom of the Mediterranean in short order. Sadly, the likes of McCain and his ilk will not shed any blood in the process. As an aside, I loved Putin's query at the recent G20 meeting as to "what should be done if evidence showed that the US-sanctioned rebels used the chemical weapons and not Assad?" Checkmate.

My initial post in this thread looked to the larger question of what would Russia and/or China do in response to any military act by the US without UN sanction. Should there be a decisive move by the supposed underdogs in this ongoing drama, it would give rise to the still larger question of what will our delusional sock puppets in DC do to save face? God help us all....