"A Proportional Response" is the 3rd episode of The West Wing.
An angry President Bartlet seeks vengeance after Syrian operatives blew up a jet which happened to carry his personal physician and dozens of American passengers. The Pentagon comes up with what they call a "proportional response" to the attack, which involves airstrikes on three low-level targets in Syria as well as one against the Syrian intelligence agency headquarters. President B...
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"A Proportional Response" is the 3rd episode of The West Wing.
An angry President Bartlet seeks vengeance after Syrian operatives blew up a jet which happened to carry his personal physician and dozens of American passengers. The Pentagon comes up with what they call a "proportional response" to the attack, which involves airstrikes on three low-level targets in Syria as well as one against the Syrian intelligence agency headquarters. President Bartlet wants an attack on a much more prominent target: the international airport in Damascus. The subtext of the story involves the President's unease around the Joint Chiefs of Staff because he never served in the military and worries about their respect; Leo McGarry talks to Admiral Fitzwallace who tells him the President is doing fine. A member of the Joint Chiefs informs the president that the response is disproportionate, saying, "[it's like dealing out] five thousand dollars worth of punishment for a fifty buck crime." Leo confronts the...
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