Syria

[Captain Kirk]

Politicians - they main reason I don't care if I die. Finally won't have them infesting my head.

[readerc54]

I don't foresee history repeating itself in that respect when current history is being made by a man who said, "We should have kept the oil."

History continually finds ways to repeat itself.

I don't know what the USA had to gain from it either.

The question is perhaps better directed to the children who were gassed to death or had their lungs permanently damaged by the sarin.

But here's something we most assuredly accomplished. See the guys standing strong around Assad. What do think is going through their heads at the moment? Let's close ranks with the boss? More likely they trying to figure out how to keep their jobs. Taking out the tall guy may just be their ticket.

[Gaybutton]

The question is perhaps better directed to the children who were gassed to death or had their lungs permanently damaged by the sarin.

I'm not unsympathetic to that, but so far nobody has explained to me, as terrible as that was, why it is the responsibility of the USA to be the only country to do anything about it. I'll narrow it down further. Why is dealing with it the responsibility of the USA at all?

[readerc54]

It's not so much a responsibility as it is an opportunity.

Please permit me to return to the analogy about coming upon the accident victims. The passerby doesn't have a responsibility to go to their aid but he does have the opportunity. It's a voluntary decision that most people will let pass. Fortunately for the victims, others will not.

Most people who do jump into action will tell you that if they spent much time thinking about it they wouldn't have acted. Fear would have overtaken them.

[Gaybutton]

It's not so much a responsibility as it is an opportunity.

I understand what you're saying, but I'm still not satisfied. An opportunity to accomplish what? The USA just spent 90 million dollars to commit an act of war, without declaration, against a sovereign nation that had done nothing to the USA and was no threat to the USA or any allies of the USA.

While I believe Assad and his regime is absolutely evil and committed a terrible totally unjustifiable atrocity, and it wasn't the first time, that is beside the point I am trying to make. I would like to see Assad's regime toppled. I would like to see him, and anyone who stands with him, captured, tried for murder, terrorism, and crimes against humanity, and punished in a manner similar to the Nuremberg trials, whether it was an opportunity, responsibility, or whatever you care to call it, I don't understand why it was the USA.

[readerc54]

Fully understand that this is an exercise but it's fun. So, let's go another round.

About the $90m the US expended. It was over in half-an-hour and had a far greater effect than the hundreds of billions the previous administration spent with nothing to show for it. Cheap at twice the price.

Side benefit: enemies--real and potential--got a demo of what they're up against.

Well, back to the crossword, GB. It's fun but we're no competition to Winner Boys. The promise of sex beats a Tomahawk every time.

Here, take the test:

[Captain Kirk]

The US intervention has got nothing to do with Syrian children being hurt or killed. If Putin's lot weren't in Syria then the US wouldn't be either. This is all about East/West politics. It's zealots playing with people's lives and NONE of them could give a toss how many people end up dead. The US claiming to be the world's policemen is a joke - a very bad, very sad joke.

[readerc54]

I get it, Captain, it's the Russians, no the British, no the French, no the Chinese who are the world's policemen.

You, scurried away in Pattaya, have a better solution. So let's have it. Criticism is cheap, solutions not so much.

[Between Lives]

The Russians Chinese and Iranians have no stomach for a fight with the USA. Their equipment is hopelessly inadequate, outdated ,behind technologically and scarce and the US knows it (despite all the russian/chinese propoganda videos for their own home audiences)., Hence the US attack.

It wouldn`t even surprise me if the USA & Russia have done a deal to enable regime change in Syria and Russia have a get out route (as in afghanistan) as its costing them a lot of money.

[Gaybutton]

The promise of sex beats a Tomahawk every time.

Works for me . . .

You, scurried away in Pattaya, have a better solution. So let's have it.

Yes. My solution is don't commit acts of war to solve problems that are not your problems in the first place.

I do agree, however, that the real message Trump sent out was, "If you want a war with me, you're gonna get one." That may cause some evil dictators to sit up and take notice. I can see that as a good thing, but I can also see that as a scary thing.

The US claiming to be the world's policemen is a joke - a very bad, very sad joke.

I agree. The trouble with that joke is I don't see the part where I'm supposed to be laughing.