RE: Bombing Syria is stupid, this is just gonna be like Iraq war
April 13, 2018 at 8:52 am
(This post was last modified: April 13, 2018 at 9:13 am by The Grand Nudger.)
We don;t -have- to save a country by bombing the shit out of it. We used to be pretty good at this little thing called peacekeeping. I understand people's aversion to lazy airstrikes and drone hits..but that can be decoupled from defending people against gas attacks (regardless of who's doing it) and an aversion to the one isn;t exactly a credible objection to the other.
More a sign of societal exhaustion, well warranted....feeding inhumane apathy. As someone mentioned earlier..who'se stupid enough to want this job, other than us? No one, but the world is better for having a well meaning idiot in the guise of the US of A. That;s how we built and maintained our prestige...stabilizing the globe for better and for worse (but mostly better). If we can;t continue in that role we won;t be able to sustain our own state in the manner that we've long grown accustomed (and in the manner that the world has come to rely on).
It was a century ago that we decided chemical weapons had no place in this world. Maintaining, at least...the pretense that we still think so and that were still willing (if not quite as capable) at upholding that norm isn't just important for the future of syria..it's important for our own. Particularly when the only thing holding us back is the spectre of a nation that no longer exists, and..more accurately..today, is no better than a middle sized us state. If an actor like that can dictate geo-political policy then the world as we know it has already ground to a halt. There will be another tinpot dictator with the backing a two bit state ready to gas the next group of dissidents, and the next..so on and so forth until some other nation (china) raises to the occasion and assumes our previous role (china).
Personally, I find it abhorrent that the west is now parroting the propaganda and disinformation that these fucked up states are selling for no reason other than their own vested interest in seeing us and our allies do nothing. We're doing their work for them..and they're getting a hell of a return on a very small investment. The point of preventing further gas attacks is not to instill democracy..it's to prevent gas attacks. Sure, we may ultimately end up supporting one of two terrible regimes..but supporting the non-gassing regime is objectively better that supporting the gassing regime through inactivity and social malaise. Yes, it could be expensive to us..but is the wealthiest country in the world bitching about the cost of preventing children from being gassed?
Fuck....me..........
TLDR version- There's a reason that hostile states have targetted our influence rather than our assets or economy..and the reason is simple. Our influence long ago outgrew the ability of our assets or gdp, and that influence has been the thing that's supported us while barring other states from fully pursuing their own interests. It;s alot easier to destroy influence, and alot more difficult to repair it once it's been diminished.
That's syria in a nutshell.
More a sign of societal exhaustion, well warranted....feeding inhumane apathy. As someone mentioned earlier..who'se stupid enough to want this job, other than us? No one, but the world is better for having a well meaning idiot in the guise of the US of A. That;s how we built and maintained our prestige...stabilizing the globe for better and for worse (but mostly better). If we can;t continue in that role we won;t be able to sustain our own state in the manner that we've long grown accustomed (and in the manner that the world has come to rely on).
It was a century ago that we decided chemical weapons had no place in this world. Maintaining, at least...the pretense that we still think so and that were still willing (if not quite as capable) at upholding that norm isn't just important for the future of syria..it's important for our own. Particularly when the only thing holding us back is the spectre of a nation that no longer exists, and..more accurately..today, is no better than a middle sized us state. If an actor like that can dictate geo-political policy then the world as we know it has already ground to a halt. There will be another tinpot dictator with the backing a two bit state ready to gas the next group of dissidents, and the next..so on and so forth until some other nation (china) raises to the occasion and assumes our previous role (china).
Personally, I find it abhorrent that the west is now parroting the propaganda and disinformation that these fucked up states are selling for no reason other than their own vested interest in seeing us and our allies do nothing. We're doing their work for them..and they're getting a hell of a return on a very small investment. The point of preventing further gas attacks is not to instill democracy..it's to prevent gas attacks. Sure, we may ultimately end up supporting one of two terrible regimes..but supporting the non-gassing regime is objectively better that supporting the gassing regime through inactivity and social malaise. Yes, it could be expensive to us..but is the wealthiest country in the world bitching about the cost of preventing children from being gassed?
Fuck....me..........
TLDR version- There's a reason that hostile states have targetted our influence rather than our assets or economy..and the reason is simple. Our influence long ago outgrew the ability of our assets or gdp, and that influence has been the thing that's supported us while barring other states from fully pursuing their own interests. It;s alot easier to destroy influence, and alot more difficult to repair it once it's been diminished.
That's syria in a nutshell.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
