Imminent mistakes in Syria

[kandrathe]

'Fix' it? Is that the same fix for Humpty Dumpty's break?

I'm just reflecting that profiteers, like Haliburton and friends, made more money during the nation building phases, than they ever would during the "breaking it" phase. It's not the "fix it" you and I would consider reparation. And, to cut to the chase, the real long term goal here was to return the dependable and manageable OIL proceeds into the hands of certain powerful people, and not into the war machine of Saddam, and his Axis of Evil allies.

It will not make the US more safe, it will not make the US appear 'stronger', it will not make your e-peen longer and thicker.

Like Jon Stewart's take on it... Operation "just the tip"

For me the justification of direct US force is;
1) they are a serious threat with our backs up against the wall e.g. intending to lob poison gas missiles onto neighbors
2) or they are attacking us directly
... and then, if we decide to use "WAR" then we use it all. Do it right, and untie the hands of our warmongers. We let them totally crush the bad guys, and that sends a very clear message to bad guys.

Everything else is acting like a 7th grade bully. Bullies use or threaten to use force as coercion or to establish a Lord of the Fly's like pecking order. No one respects the bully, and they may do as he says until the bully's back is turned.

Hey US, use your words. Our obstacle in diplomacy is Russia, so let's build up the heat on Russia. Is Syria worth the economic damage to Russia? Is Syria worth it to them to return to Cold War isolation, deprivation and conflicts?

In the grey area would be arming, or supplying the "good guys" moderates to tip the balance of power such that the eventual victors are more like us, and less like Assad, or Hezbollah. Although, there are no guarantees. What seems to be happening now is that while the moderates are killing themselves on the front lines, the extremists are in the liberated territories with the "nation building" and butter (supplied by Iran) as "humanitarian aid". In Northern Syria, if they want to get food, or fuel, they need to deal with the Iranian backed extremists. This is the equation we need to change.