IPO Vote: Biological and Chemical weapons ban.

[Khem]

but then there are weapons such as tear gas, which is a chemical weapon that is designed so that no actual harm needs to come to its targets. we should not have an outright ban.

[Cantr]

Yes, but a ban on lethal chemical weapons that leave residue would be appropriate.

[Delfos]

I understand the persistence issue, so we should clear the classes of chemical weapons, and those persistent in wherever must be outlawed.

Classes of chemical weapon agents

[Pachamama]

Well I think the definitions here are perfectly clear. The ban should be for Schedule 1 weapons then, as many of the other chemicals have industrial uses and prohibiting them may ruin a nations industry. However all nations should look into possibility's to replace Schedule 2 and 3 chemicals with less dangerous substances if economically and technically feasible.
Maybe we could work that into the treaty?

[Cantr]

This is about military uses and the argument is that chemical warfare is legitimate warfare, as humane as lead and shrapnel.  I agree with this point in the case of non-persistent agents that are not designed to be crippling (fatal is acceptable, but crippling is just cruel).

[Delfos]

I can agree with that ^ . Does anyone else?

[Xyrael]

The Illuminate is inclined to note that should unresistricted warfare be waged against her, she reserves the right to respond in kind. Eye for an eye, let this be a warning. Any chemical attack against citizens of the Illuminate will be responded in a 5:1 official casualty goal, meaning that the Illuminate will not tolerate the inhumane harm of her citizenry without vengeance.

Noting this, the Illuminate will never initiate unrestricted warfare with chemical, biological, nuclear, or other weapons deemed inhumane by international consensus.

[Delfos]

The Illuminate seem to be walking the other way. You walk for self-insurance, retaliation, war. We want peace-insurance, diplomacy, world-peace. Inhumane weapons must not be an item of a nation that desires to be part of world-peace.

[Xyrael]

The Road to Peace can be acheived through several paths, and ignorance is not the safest. You can not blindly believe that people will not attack you because you are a champion of peace! The goal of this organization is peace, which blatantly admits that peace does not exist. The possession of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons do not equivocate to their use. The Illuminate may possess these weapons, but in a manner of deterence, not in a manner of aggression. As such, are the Illuminates weapons the cause of the downfall of peace? If it was that simple, if the Illuminate simply dismantled her weapons, would world peace instantly be achieved? No, therefore perhaps the true problem lies elsewhere.

[Pachamama]

"Maybe the Illuminate can enlighten us to were those problems lie and guide us towards a possible solution.
Show us a path we should walk."
Talman Yar knew that it was the utter lack of cynicism in his voice that made him a good diplomat.
 

[Delfos]

You are right, world-peace doesn't exist, cannot be achieved by a singular action like your nation dismantling it's weaponry. That's why this organization was created, so we can all share our responsibility to create world-peace, and arming yourself or start an arms-race isn't going to achieve world peace at all. Your problem only solves short-annoyances, what about the world-peace goal? Do you think it will be achieved if we are all armed to the teeth with massive destruction weapons? What about terrorism? As far as we know, and we do know our large share about terrorism, arming ourselves to the teeth will only make it worse, you will more likely deny any right or freedom to struggling groups and they will be forced to use force against your population.
Look, I'm not saying we should demilitarize, or give freedoms to terrorists, no. I'm saying, we can't show the bad example by arming ourselves to the teeth to insure our own peace, we need to share the problem with every nation that wants peace. If you don't, I don't see the reason why a nation would like to participate on an organization with the goal of world-peace.

[Union]

If Xyrael justifies it's right to such weapons, does it also support this same right to other nations?

[Xyrael]

Delegate of Pachamama, the problem is not weapons and systems of defense, it is resources. You do not start a war because they have better guns, where is the sanity in that? Nor do nuclear powers go to war because they are invincible machines, for what is left to conquer but dust through their use. Resources are what is needed to achieve peace, for there are haves and there are have nots. Should the needs of the world be fulfilled through the adequate distribution of water, food, housing, education, perhaps this world would not be so instable. But everywhere people are lacking. Within the American continent they vie against each other for routes to trade, the DSA is beset on all sides by economic enemies, and you wonder why they are so quick to go to war! It is not madness, it is the struggle to survive. In poorer regions, broken governments exist because people need. They need education, they need food, they need responsible governance. Their priority is not to ensure their enemy does not have anthrax, their priority is to ensure they have food, water, and anything else they need to prosper.

Our challenge is not to deliver us from weapons of destruction, it is to think outside the box. How do we accomplish world-wide equal distribution of resources without infringing upon national sovereignty and the profits of capitalism?

[Delfos]

Our challenge is not to deliver us from weapons of destruction, it is to think outside the box. How do we accomplish world-wide equal distribution of resources without infringing upon national sovereignty and the profits of capitalism?

Quite a challenge there, but we don't. And as far I'm concerned, you represent the sovereignty of Xyrael in this organization, and you are free to have choices, you and your nation. One of the choices is to convince us of a new path to follow, you can make a project for the 15th of November Administration or to try to repeal this ban and convince us it is the best path.

[Xyrael]

The Illuminate has changed her vote to AGAINST. The Illuminate feels this topic is worth another look, but until a document detailing the full extent of the demand is set forth the Illuminate no longer feels that it should support a vague solution to a hot topic.