US Begins Bombing in Syria

[Sandy]

Reported by MSNBC about an hour ago.

[KeithE]

When will we ever learn.

[Dave Roberts]

We are so wrapped up in the Middle East that we can't see the forest for the trees. I fear this may be analogous to our Desert Storm strategy to bomb Baghdad. The boots on the ground in Iraq came 12 years later. Are we setting up the next generation to enter another futile war? Haven't there been enough?

[ET]

So, what is your thinking here? While I don't have any faith in Obama being able to handle this situation with ISIL, do we just pull back and ignore that part of the world? Let the powers rise and fall as they may?

The questions that come to mind are plenty.........

Do we just ask them to leave us alone? Do we abandon Israel and let Fate take its course? Ask for a group hug and sing "give peace a chance"?

Such folks like ISIL will hate us no matter what we do. After all, there's no a lot of diplomatic options between "convert or die". What concessions are you willing to give them? Are you willing to accept annihilation of the Jewish state? Why should one believe that there is some chance of successful diplomacy with a group of folks who believe the advancement of their cause lies in decapitating civilians for propaganda purposes?

You've got a section of the world inhabited by some fanatics enamored with the imagined glories of their civilization from a thousand years ago and trying to relive it and try as they might, they are complete and utter failures compared to state of Israel that has arisen over the last 50 years. That's gotta stick in their craw.

Do we leave the impotent and morally clueless United Nations to deal with such issues? The Europeans?

The easy part is to condemn such actions and shout "war is not the answer". OK, so how to you plan to deal with such folks? Appeasement and concessions?

Not sure exactly what options are reasonable in dealing with such folks outside of some rather harsh expressions of our distaste for their behavior

[KeithE]

[Tim Bonney]

[Tim Bonney]

[KeithE]

[Tim Bonney]

Right now Keith we are hip deep in the problems we've already created. If we just pull out ISIS will totally over run Iraq and who knows what else.

I am no fan at all with this largely GW Bush created problem. But after you screw up someone's country you really can't just then decide to walk away and leave them at the mercy of groups like ISIS who are indiscrimately killing combatants and non-combatants alike.

I agree we shouldn't have been there to begin with. But now don't we have some responsibility to protect the government we helped and insisted on creating?

[KeithE]

[Tim Bonney]

You may be right as to the outcome Keith. But remember that Christians differ on the need to some times use military force. I personally subscribe to Just War theory though I'd rather be a pacifist. However I see real life circumstances that don't allow the most powerful nation in the world to stand by, particularly when we are part of the reason the problem exists.

[Sandy]

[ET]

[Sandy]

[Dave Roberts]

ET, we threw billions upon billions into rebuilding Iraq and more money, time, and even American lives into training the Iraqi army only to have the Iraq government sell "generalships" to the highest bidder. We provided planes and other weapons that were either not maintained or sold to others who wanted them. My problem now is that I don't see the situation as likely to improve. No matter how bad Saddam was, and he indeed was, his philosophy of government by instilling fear in his enemies seems to be the only one that works in much of that region, alas.

I have too much historical memory of how we spent billions in our resources, and over 40,000 of my generation gave their lives to fight in Vietnam. The problem was that we didn't change the outcome at all or understand the culture that produced the war. We just plowed into it. We plowed into Iraq, and now the US is trying to prevent the collapse of a country that we didn't understand or manage to pacify. We just removed Saddam and left them in worse shape. Unfortunately, another 10 years of boots on the ground would not have resolved the problem of an unstable country.

Democratic traditions do not exist in the Middle East outside of Israel which brought it from the US and Europe. Autocratic and religiously sanctioned rulers are the tradition. They are not heirs to the Greek or Roman models of government. When the Greeks and Romans ruled this area, it was only by force of arms. Democratic institutions were for the folks at home, not the conquered lands. I don't see a likelihood of representative government in that region.

[Jon Estes]

At least we are only using air strikes and from our President are going to destroy ISIL / ISIS completely without ever going to war.

I guess the President knows ISIS / ISIL is at war with us and anyone who stands with us.

I guess one cannot lose a war if they are not in one.

You gotta love that thinking.

jle

[Sandy]

[Sandy]

[KeithE]