Why all people think that Assad and ISIS are the only choices?

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Not all people, OP. I personally think Assad regime is just as bad as ISIS. Hell, the civil war started in Syria because of Assad murdering his own people.

Had the FSA received adequate support way before ISIS and the others emerged, we'd have a different Syria now.

If you had to put up with those misfits funded and armed by the West to overthrow your government you would kill them too.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

I don't see that as an American, I should have any say in who governs Syria, so long as that government doesn't attack us or allow us to be attacked from its soil.

The main reason for the war in Syria is that the US and the European countries are trying to steal Syria.  So they are funding and arming dummies to do their dirty work.  I'm really surprised that Assad hasn't taken any retaliatory actions.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Russia's concern with Assad disappears the moment we promise the Cossacks the fucking warm water port they've been pining for going on 300 years. Tell Putin that Al Ladhiqiyah is instantaneously Russian.

Honestly, how hard to you think it would be to convince a majority of Americans (not me and you, a majority of Americans) that invading the ME again is the right move? I think it would be surprisingly easy regardless of political affiliation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INy4gaUrCL4

The economics of American owned energy companies has changed. Most are heavily invested in shale and other non-traditional extraction methods, which have a pinch point of $80/barrel. American oil companies would welcome any instability that would push oil over this pinch point. Not only that, but we out-produce KSA by almost 2 million barrels a day. The average citizen may bitch about consequences, but I guarantee that American oil companies won't bitch about the price per barrel going up if their closest competitor was suddenly to face production problems.

1) I don't think we have the power to deliver on such a promise.

2) As for convincing Americans to invade the Middle East again, I think you'll always have some who are in favor of bombing the shit out of brown people no matter the reason, but I also think that the misadventures of the last decade-plus have had an impact.

3) It's a fair point you make about the oil companies, but as I said, it's not just the oil companies, but also companies that rely on cheap energy. And if KSA loses national integrity -- and it will if the government is overthrown -- $100/bbl will be the starting point for the prices to come, and I wouldn't be surprised to see $200/bbl in such an event, in today's dollars. The broccoli we eat? The fertilizer needs oil. The plastic it's wrapped in? Ditto. The truck which takes it to the store? Yep. And so on. If you supported such a move as President, you'd best do it in your second term, if you want one. And spread the arm-twisting liberally, because no one in Congress is going to want to jeopardize their seat for it.

The main reason for the war in Syria is that the US and the European countries are trying to steal Syria.  So they are funding and arming dummies to do their dirty work.

Of course. Thanks for the input.

[Ramy]

Look, there's a video showing Syrian soldiers torturing protesters after a rally. It was uploaded in April 2011, when the FSA still didn't exist (it was created in July 2011). I don't know if I'm allowed to post it here due to its graphic contents, so I'll just copy the last part of the YouTube's URL: watch?v=8hOqI_ZmF-Y

There are hundreds of videos like these. This is to say that the creation of the Free Syrian Army was just a consequence of the brutal crackdown on protesters carried on by Assad.

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As for the Russian-American issue, I don't see why it's said that the war has started just because USA wanted to create an american puppet in Syria. It's clear to my eyes that both Russia and USA have puppets (Iran - Saudi Arabia, Syria - Jordan, etc...), and that America is not the only imperialist power in game. Both USA and Russia want to control Syria, and that's why both of their air forces are in Syria. But we should not confuse their imperialist aims with the facts that happened in Syria prior to any Russian or American intervention.

[GrandizerII]

Not all people, OP. I personally think Assad regime is just as bad as ISIS. Hell, the civil war started in Syria because of Assad murdering his own people.

Had the FSA received adequate support way before ISIS and the others emerged, we'd have a different Syria now.

If you had to put up with those misfits funded and armed by the West to overthrow your government you would kill them too.

No I wouldn't. Because I'd be sensible enough to not confuse one group with another. And because I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

[Minimalist]

These people need to settle their own problems.

Funny, you sound like a Rand Paul foreign policy adviser. I suppose it's a good thing that the French didn't think the same in 1778.

Don't kid yourself.  The French had their own agenda in 1778.  It happened to coincide with ours.

What's our agenda in Syria?

[Silver]

From what I understand, ISIS is such a small problem that the U.S. will not become involved.

But, then, look at how late the U.S. was in entering WWII

So maybe the U.S. wants another world war?

[Minimalist]

We weren't going to enter WWII at all.... until the Japanese got crazy.

Even then what they did was get a whole shitload of Americans pissed at Japan and no one gave a rat's ass about Europe.  Luckily for FDR, Hitler had a brain cramp and solved the problem for him.