"Under this scientific and moral pressure, the Canadian government conceded publicly that the use of these weapons in Vietnam was, in their view, a contravention of the Geneva Protocol"
- John Charles Polanyi
About this Quote
This quote by John Charles Polanyi is describing the Canadian federal government's stance on using chemical weapons in the Vietnam War. The quote suggests that the Canadian federal government was under pressure from both clinical and ethical sources to take a stance on the use of chemical weapons in Vietnam. This pressure ultimately led the Canadian government to publicly yield that the use of these weapons was a violation of the Geneva Protocol. This quote highlights the importance of both scientific and moral pressure in influencing federal government choices. It likewise serves as a pointer of the requirement for governments to take a position on issues of worldwide value, such as making use of chemical weapons in war.
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