I hear you. It's a lot harder to sit here in the US and make judgements about another part of the world. It's worse to have to say yes I think we should bomb the crap out of a country for killing its own citizens. (that is what I would called fucked up philosophy) Somehow I would like the US to find a different means of doing things. But as many of us (who bother) know diplomacy and economic sanctions seldom accomplish much more than hurting the populace you are trying to help.
In a perfect world, Our (the US) word should be enough. Our bombs only fall on the guilty and sending in soldiers only happens for all the right reasons. This is not nor ever will be a perfect world.
I am Half South African. When I left RSA in the 80's, I believed that I was escaping a draft that would put me in front of my fellow countrymen and be ordered to kill/hurt them. (It was a largely misinformed yet noble concern). I was convinced at the time that South Africa's problems could not be resolved without much bloodshed and outright civil war. The problem there was so much more complex then the world ever knew about (I could go on but it would take all day just to give you the picture of what it was about and like living there)
Two reasons I mention South Africa. One is that the US and much of the world had incorrect information about what was happening let alone why or how to fix it.
two, I was wrong about it as well and I was living in the middle of it. To this day, I can remember what it was like listening to the gunfire and violence in the townships which were a lot closer to the white residences than they were said to be. In the end, SA resolved the issues and much of their problems on their own. All sides agreed to end the violence and come to a resolution that for the most part saved more lives than it lost. It was nothing short of a miracle to me (hiding out in the US waiting for the end to come).
My point is we have little to no idea what is actually happening in Syria nor the means to do much more than cause more damage. Any intervention will probably not improve the situation and most of our (US) forms of intervention put Soldiers lives in peril.
Still to do something is better than to do nothing (Serbia/Rwanda)
I still want to believe that humanity (any humanity) can and will succeed over the old rules that so much of us still cling to. Anything can be resolved, it just will take someone finding a better way and then the rest of us supporting that person's resolve.
Otherwise we will carpet bomb Syria. And just like Bagdad and much of Vietnam, it will kill thousands of people without accomplishing much. If we have any positive results they will be minimal and our media/politicians will do their best to make them outshine the destruction and havok they caused.
One last thing. I am going to refer to Robert Heinlein's book Starship Troopers (which has had a larger impact than most people know or at least are willing to admit- please forget the ridiculous movie) In the book, amongst other speculations and theories, Heinlein states the only effective way to solve a problem/crisis is through direct localized action where the targets you need to reach are the only targets you hit and punish/destroy. If you want to make a point or get your point across than you must be very specific in doing so. In english and the ridiculous movie that would be illustrated when Sgt Zim impales the Pvt Levy's hand to the wall with a combat knife during a "discussion" over the use of nuclear weapons- "to get the point across. Heinlein believed this was the point to having a mobile infantry (which is what the Military at large agreed on and put into place). If we could actually do that. Then I would be all for a specific attack in which we removed the problem in Syria (i.e. remove Assad and his cronies).
It was a poignant book which I reread every now and again to remind myself that there are ways that violence can be used effectively and also to remind myself that it is both a good thing and bad thing that more people do not read much.
and that is life (at least this afternoon) according to Mike.
In a perfect world, Our (the US) word should be enough. Our bombs only fall on the guilty and sending in soldiers only happens for all the right reasons. This is not nor ever will be a perfect world.
I am Half South African. When I left RSA in the 80's, I believed that I was escaping a draft that would put me in front of my fellow countrymen and be ordered to kill/hurt them. (It was a largely misinformed yet noble concern). I was convinced at the time that South Africa's problems could not be resolved without much bloodshed and outright civil war. The problem there was so much more complex then the world ever knew about (I could go on but it would take all day just to give you the picture of what it was about and like living there)
Two reasons I mention South Africa. One is that the US and much of the world had incorrect information about what was happening let alone why or how to fix it.
two, I was wrong about it as well and I was living in the middle of it. To this day, I can remember what it was like listening to the gunfire and violence in the townships which were a lot closer to the white residences than they were said to be. In the end, SA resolved the issues and much of their problems on their own. All sides agreed to end the violence and come to a resolution that for the most part saved more lives than it lost. It was nothing short of a miracle to me (hiding out in the US waiting for the end to come).
My point is we have little to no idea what is actually happening in Syria nor the means to do much more than cause more damage. Any intervention will probably not improve the situation and most of our (US) forms of intervention put Soldiers lives in peril.
Still to do something is better than to do nothing (Serbia/Rwanda)
I still want to believe that humanity (any humanity) can and will succeed over the old rules that so much of us still cling to. Anything can be resolved, it just will take someone finding a better way and then the rest of us supporting that person's resolve.
Otherwise we will carpet bomb Syria. And just like Bagdad and much of Vietnam, it will kill thousands of people without accomplishing much. If we have any positive results they will be minimal and our media/politicians will do their best to make them outshine the destruction and havok they caused.
It was a poignant book which I reread every now and again to remind myself that there are ways that violence can be used effectively and also to remind myself that it is both a good thing and bad thing that more people do not read much.
and that is life (at least this afternoon) according to Mike.
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