What If There Are No Good Ideas?

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Comments

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

250,000 ground troop plus no worrying about borders between Syria and Iraq, we maybe could end ISIL. Then we'll be left with two failed states, Iraq AND Syria, and double the power vacuums and we would own the Syrian refugees.

Up for it? Because we are at war in Iraq officially (http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/01/us-iraq-security-usa-idUSKBN0GW2PH20140901).

Bah, been so since 1991.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

But it's a trap - lose either way - right?
It's just as dark to turn inward at this point, no?

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Its a magnificent clusterfuckzilla and all the kings horses and all the kings men wont put Iraq together again...

The geniuses who wanted to bomb Assad still love their FSA? Arm the Moderate rebels!

I'd rather not let ISIL dictate our actions through terror, I've learned that much. Never let your enemy choose when you wield your sword.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Do you think there is any validity to criticism, if some action had been taken in Syria years ago (just on humanitarian reasons, never mind the political ones), things wouldn't be this bad (and it's pretty bad right now).

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

It requires a _very_ optimistic reading of the possible results of getting more militarily involved in Syria than we did. We armed what became ISIL to some extent when we armed "the moderate" Syrian rebels and again when Iraqi Army gave their cousins cousins the American weapons in mint condition (unfired).

Hindsight being 20/20 at best, I wonder who we would support? FSA against Assad? And with what? American boots, airstrikes, weapons? If we had joined FSA and toppled Assad (assuming the FSA would even trust us) what would change? Now there would be two destroyed states with power vacuums and Russia, Saudis, Iran, Israel and USA would all by vying for proxy power. Not much different with Assad around I suppose.

The nearest point of redemption that I can gather is not invading Iraq. The Sunni/Shia split isolated Sunni mujaheddin and some choose ISIL. Al-Baghdadi = from Baghdad.

This mad ideology goes way back right? (Read the translation via Closed Captions)







We may as well put two new stars on the flag and be in it for the long haul.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

The nearest point of redemption that I can gather is not invading Iraq.

That's the bunny.

After that, everything is down to us. And this is the mess we have to help clear up...which means boots on the ground, I fear, and a UN response.

But I really do think Bliar and Bush need to be tried in an international court.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Hey, don't forget John Howard, I think he should be there for a few different charges from his time in office.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/node/138895

This man disagrees with me. He thinks it is doable. He wont be living there in his retirement tho and he's pretty myopic about how loved american airstrikes were and will be.

Here is an example of someone who would fight for his secular syrian army:

http://orontes.jimdo.com/2013/10/28/we-won-t-accept-anything-but-wahhabism-in-syria/

He's since joined ISIL.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Analysis: http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/isis-and-al-qaeda-similarities-and-differences

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I wasn't for it at the time, being like most Americans rather shell-shocked from the Iraq war. As Yes Justice points out, in hindsight, it's tempting to wonder if it might have made things better than what they are, but I imagine that he is right in supposing that is a dream. I know our neo-con friends like to blame all of this mess on Obama: if he had helped 'Syrian moderates' early on and kept troops In Iraq, everything would be wonderful. I definitely don't buy that. More likely, Dubya was wrong to force his invasion of Iraq, and this has opened Pandora's box.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

I think that you have to assume that any action in Syria would have gone as well as Iraq.

In short, action in Syria would have made this worse. ISIS wouldn't have had to deal with Assad for one thing.

[mylaptopisevil.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of when Conservative pundits/politicians/randoms give their strategy in response to the Presidents "no strategy".

They amount to, "Clearly you defeat ISIS! You kill them! That's the strategy!"

Kinda makes clear how we get into meandering wars to begin with.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I imagine another administration might have been more politic and come up with a better line, so that we are only talking about appearances, but that's it.

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

Which administration would that be?

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

He seems so bored and smug. We know he is empty,
but do you see how he is always putting out the vibe
that he is on top of everything - and we just cannot know.

He fucked up on Osama, but it so doesn't matter -
he sells his shit.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

It also shows they don't know what strategy means.