Dropping the Big One

The decision tonight of the British government, thankfully, not to intervene in Syria (for now) has been criticised on the basis of appeasement, something that reminds the British of all the things that are cowardly, and on the reverse British and right and true; sort of lion hearted if it wasn't such an unfortunate and inappropriate historical analogy. It is quite amazing how many of our MP's come out as  closet Captain Mainwarings. We might wish to remember that you generally appease rampant states, as Nazi Germany was. Syria is not a rampant state, at least not to my knowledge, but a threatened one.
What's more we have little idea as to who is exactly threatening it and by all accounts neither do the threateners themselves. It could be you defend Syria or any faction in Egypt on simply the notion that you believe people have the right to buy designer sunglasses, or right to ban them, I have no idea. It is not clear, it has not been explained, perhaps it is not explainable. However, because I have no idea, it would seem ridiculous to go wading in as if into a bunch of naughty kids playing with fireworks, because maybe they will go off in my face. It seems strange logic to 'punish' more people by killing them just as they have killed others knowing that the problem will escalate. It's one thing wading in to countries when you think they've got WMD but its another when you know they have them and will use them.
If a dog bares its teeth, it may mean business, and I already know of people leaving Tel Aviv for Geneva. We don't seem to be seeing the dog, we seem to be seeing the naughty children.