by Sandy » Fri Apr 07, 2017 10:28 am
This kind of attack is more for the benefit of our collective conscience as a nation, and for those who have the decision-making authority, including the President. Perhaps there's a little bit of political pressure there, too. Does it leave an impression, send a message, or make a difference to Assad? Probably not.
I wouldn't dismiss the political motivation. With Republicans on congressional intelligence committees openly discussing how bad things are looking for the buffoon administration in the investigation into Russian hacking, a nice, nighttime tomahawk attack, with missile trails heading into the sky over the eastern Mediterranean does have a distracting effect. I remember when the Republicans howled and hollered about Clinton doing exactly the same thing to targets in Afghanistan during the Lewinski investigation, even labelling them "Monica Missiles." And it's just a bit inconsistent to weep over the dead children and suffering Syrians in the videos but be doing everything in your power to prevent them from seeking safety and refuge in your own country.
President Obama was perhaps the first President in US history to exhibit any kind of understanding or grasp of the fact that US involvement in the Middle East always produces unintended, unanticipated consequences that don't turn out as intended. And even he didn't always act as if he completely understood. Bush's own advisors, and the senior officials from his Dad's administration warned him about going into Iraq, essentially without justification on a false pretext, and taking out Saddam Hussein. The direct, end result of the creation of that vacuum of power was the rise of ISIS. The complications in Syria are magnified by the long term presence and interference of Russia. Taking out Assad would create a whole host of unpredictable consequences, and it would confirm the impression that the US is an aggressor bent on regime change to control the world. That isn't who we are, or at least, not who we say we are. And it's pretty frightening that while this is happening, we are stuck with a completely incompetent, inept, stupid, and insane President with an advisory staff of nuts, kooks and crooks.