Metaphysicist (08-28-2013)
I did watch the video and you could argue that any country is a possible trigger. You believe that all of these video's prove something. It is again just other peoples opinion. You know where I stand. I believe the government is just a puppet for the wealthy of the world. They are not going to distrub the status quo that much. They are making money hand over fist.
Natural Immunity Croc
You're right. But Syria and Iran are disturbing the status quo by threatening to to not trade oil in US dollars. We aren't going to have that, so we will go fight them (just like all of our wars). This one is a big deal though because China and Russia have made it clear that they will get involved if we strike.
Our economy won't be able to sustain and global war and the oil supply being choked off
I'm not saying that I don't believe a war is going to happen. I am just saying that I don't want it if its just the US. If this is a global effort with ACTUAL dedication from other countries then I wouldn't hate it as much. What we can't have is another US only invasion and occupation. That would be disastrous. The other western powers of the world can't just rely on America to fix all of their issues. Its ridiculous already. I wish that people weren't dying by the thousands in Syria but that is not our problem.
Natural Immunity Croc
Great discussion.
(1) I agree with Krgrecw that this is a clusterf*ck and it is pretty much any way you look at it. When Al Queda is fighting Hezbollah, you get into all this "enemy of my enemy is my friend" dynamic and it's extremely difficult to build a consistent foreign policy based on that.
(2) Winston Churchill supposedly bragged that he "created the Middle East with the stroke of a pen" or something to that effect. Thanks England. America has had imperial traits since the mid-19th century (perhaps even earlier given the words of the War Hawks prior to and during the War of 1812), but it looks like we took our Masters' level courses from the British. zito is right. When the CIA overthrew Mossadegh and replaced him with the Shah, the US pretty much lost any legitimacy in dealing with Iran. What I get a kick out of more than anything else when modern political problems are discussed, Americans tend (often with great validity) to invoke a 220-year-old document and at the same time forget what other earth-shattering events have happened in other countries since that time.
(3) I have been disappointed with Obama regarding the Middle East, but I frankly don't know what he could have done differently. Straddling the fence and trying to be consistent are often mutually exclusive and it has resulted in dithering that has created a being that is neither fish nor fowl. I wish we would just stay out of the whole mess, but power abhors a vacuum and with Russia seemingly wanting to assume the role of a major player here, I suppose the brain wizards at State and NSA believe that something (anything) must be done. Paging Otto von Bismarck.
57Brave (08-28-2013), bravesnumberone (08-28-2013), Julio3000 (08-28-2013)
57Brave (08-28-2013)
Of course there is no proof. But isn't it at least a little odd that it was reported 8 months ago that they would, and then the events unfolded? No of course not!!!
But there is certainly no proof that Assad did it, and a country who didn't have an underlying agenda would probably exhaust all efforts to prove that he did before starting another war, wouldn't you think?
I just don't understand why we're in such a hurry to begin another war. Obama the presidential candidate said in 2007 there's no excuse for not getting congressional approval prior to war. Yet now President Obama is doing the exact same thing as Bush did in the lead up to Iraq. Why???
I agree but you didn't say it like it was potential evidence. You said it as if it were a fact. And thats fine, you are obviously allowed to believe whatever you want.
I think it looks highly suspect as well. I could see reasons why Assad would and wouldn't do it. I think everything that goes on is way above anything that we can understand or anyone from inforwars can understand. We will never know the truth. Some will believe what they want.
Natural Immunity Croc