Donald Trump manages to be more sensible on Syria than Hilary

[abaris]

Well, the fact is we don't really have the power to effect many of the changes we'd like to see; or effecting those changes would cost more in lives, money and prestige than we're willing to expend. I think the latter is the case regarding Syria.

You can't effect change in a country or region that isn't susceptible to your kind of change, your ideas and your culture. Trying to do that is almost sure to backfire. If the particular people aren't on board with that. And they aren't. The people at large are trying to survive at the moment while different factions with different goals are having it out for the last five years.

I know, none of you are doing that, but I had this discussion for the last 15 years. Some people - not you or anyone on this board - have presented Germany and Japan as successful examples. Which is as far removed from the current situation as it can be. Both Germany and Japan already were highly industrialised countries of the first world. And they already had experiences with democracy. The countries of the Middle East don't have any of that. They aren't even countries in the sense of the word, since their territories are arbitrary and have not grown in any natural way.

What's more, there are people living together that have next to nothing in common. Different religious believes, different cultures, and, what's often overlooked, deeply tribal structures with more or less powerful clans calling the shots. It is that way with Iraq, it is that way with Lybia and it is that way with Syria.