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If the reports of Assad gassing people are true, there is simply no time to arrange a series of diplomatic debates at the UN to hash out what to do about it. If human atrocities are occuring, of course we have a moral duty to intervene, even if there's "nothing in it for us." And yes, it is insanely hypocritical of Americans taking a break from slaughtering humans to protect some humans from slaughter, and I don't have a response to that. Upon hearing about these reports, the first thing that came to mind was US reluctance to get involved after learning about Nazi atrocities.
I am so proud of New Mexico's Senator Tom Udall! We need more senators to demand credible evidence and justification. And if Kerry will not rule out" no boots on the ground" in Syria, we need more of our leaders to stand up and vote no! Thanks, Senator Udall for taking the lead on opposing war.
We have a conflicting situation.
On one hand someone needs to punish those that willingly kill or maim non military citizens including children but on the other hand congress has taken money out of social programs that help our own citizens yet they don't mind spending money for war.
People need to write and call their representatives and tell them to vote against this rash, dangerous move to war. Striking Syria could easliy cause the entire Middle East to erupt in violence, and then we'd be in a decades-long war without an exit strategy because we had no clear objectives going in.
Moreover, I hope everyone realizes that we have no dog in this fight, which is a civil war between the harsh regime of a dictator and al-Qaida rebel fighters. We should not be favoring either side. And as for the chemical weapons aspect of the conflict, the United Nations is far better prepared than we are to settle it the only way possible: through diplomacy and/or a truly international force through the auspices of the United Nations. We cannot be the world's police force.
It's a NO-WIN situation for USA to enter any Middle Eastern country in military fashion. It will only kill more innocents and young Americans, cause more hatred and terror, and ultimately, be another horror like Iraq and Afghanistan. Diplomacy and/or UN intervention is the only way. Even having United Nations presence is a danger to the peacekeepers in a mess like Syria where USA has been interfering undercover for years. Also Russia and Iran are stirring the pot to confuse and cause terror. Israel is another player in this dangerous game.
All I know is that I do not want American military intervening in Syria. We are no longer a leader in the free world, our presence is not considered by the world to be positive.
OTHER THOUGHTS ON SYRIA:Other thoughts also include that Syria is a whirlpool of world wide desire by rich power obsessed individuals to control everything to enrich themselves at all cost. The second thought on Syria is that no one has made it clear exactly how President Obama, et al, know that poison gas was used. I have few doubts of its' use but I am remembering Bush, et al and their yellow powder/mushroom cloud/weapons of mass destruction scams. Because, after all, Obama, et al, are members of that power seeking cabal.Syria just happens to be a convenient victim for the world power seekers.
chemical weapon:
something only ever considered a WMD when it's not used by, or purchased from America, Inc.
pin pricks:
remote controlled million dollar cruise missile delivered 1,000 to 3,000 pound (half-mile plus kill radius) "pin point accurate" bombs — 1 to 10 required per person precision targeted — with a limited use of only several hundred launched together considered insufficient for a progressive POTUS to earn real man respect
something an insecure in his manhood inadequate boy would order done
JSOC:
what's over there on the ground when "no boots on the ground" is advertised
advance teams of psychopaths, progressive POTUS deployed to covertly create conditions favoring fortunes to be made from the profits gained through investing in options betting on the necessity of all of America's future war crimes being humanitarian acts of liberal conscience
highly trained American terrorist teams purposefully persuading poor people to become "terrorists" to have longer lists of targets for JSOC to continue to capture, torture, and murder... in places where poor people live over rich resources
the legacy of JFK loving Democrat voters... profiles in depravity
______________________________
The APT: American Political Terms
www.chenangogreens.org
Our poor, poor weapons manufactureres are hurting...they need a pick-me-up. So we'll start a little war to help them out. Now, all you loyal americans out there should recommend future targets; after all, a war with Syria won't last forever.8-)
Probably Israel's.
Sign Dennis Kuchinich pledge. I'm ready to vote against anyone--Democrat or Republican--who votes for war.
Lip-Licker Kerry has been kissing somebody's @$$.
unfortunately the US always uses some humanitarion situation in the World to absolve the US from getting into a war. Remember Bad Saddam Husssein and he was gassing the Kurds and had weapons of mass destruction. We were the good guys going to free the Iraq people and bring democracy. Right !!!
It appears to be the same ole thing.
NO we dont need to strike Syria.
Tom, your blog is disappointing. Have you gauged the pulse of the nation on this issue? I've seen numbers approaching 95 percent AGAINST the bombing of Syria. You need a stronger message. What Obama is doing is nothing short of the action of a dictator!
The Syrian War What You're Not Being Told...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dkamZg68jpk
Any evidence we do have (as opposed to politicians saying "trust me") suggests the rebels are behind the chemical attacks. And yes, the dominant groups amongst the rebels are Islamist.
Nowhere in rebel-controlled Syria is there a secular fighting force to speak of.
Despite evidence to the contrary, Secretary of State John Kerry told a Senate hearing Tuesday that Syria’s rebel forces are increasingly dominated by secular groups.
France’s Media Admits that the Syrian “Opposition” is Al Qaida.
humanitys team: Good! Keep digging...we need to expose these war criminals before they start another World War...it may be too late!
Credibility? What credibility? Obama has no credibility nor does our government war mongers! But, Kucinich is very correct on this...tis true! But somehow, even if Congress is swamped with even 100% of all American's email or calls, or even massive demonstrations outside the Capitol, it won't make any difference! It is going to take a lot more than that! And that is why the government ordered millions of rounds of hollow point bullets! They have probably even got their own storage of chemical weapons to use against anyone who does seriously threaten the government. Obama is merely Assad of another color (no pun intended). In the likelihood that the masses do rise up and do way more than do a worthless petition of our crooked, criminal government we very well could see the same kinds of lethal crowd control as Assad has. But, I still don't believe Assad was stupid enough to use chemical weapons against his own people especially at the very time that UN inspectors were there. I still believe that the US/Qatar/Saudi Arabia/Israel/and Britain staged this whole thing to frame Assad to justify a US invasion of that country. It was the US (etal) that murdered all those Syrian civilians...how much different would it have been from murdering all of the innocent civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, etc?
David Abbot: I gotta say...that I really do get a kick out of reading your very witty and funny Twain Reports! Just Hilarious!
The international bankers want to control the mideast and Eurasia as a whole. Actions by the government of the United States only further these billionaires' dreams of global "conquest." BERNIE SANDERS is a prominent freethinking independent and should be supported in his opposition to US intervention.
Well, it seems the UK government when put to the vote, thankfully, decided that wading into Syria is not on the cards (at least for now).
I heard a call in show on BBC radio a few days ago where one lady succinctly pointed out the obvious to all of us, i.e. the use of chemical weapons seems to be the "red line" that, once crossed, would be the point of no return for the Western world wading into Syria but that suggests all the hundreds of deaths by more conventional means are somehow "lesser deaths" than chemical ones. A life is a life however it is lost.
I really hope the US votes to hold back as the UK has done. The world now, more than ever, needs more Ghandis and Mandelas i.e. voices for peace and change by non violence, and help for the refugees.
So many people have now left Syria, if other countries also wade in and bomb it, there will be nothing of Syria left only derelict buildings and desert for the citizens to return to. Kind of makes you then wonder what the fighting was all about. The land has been there for millions of years and will be there many years after we have all finished squabbling about it.
Putin is right. It is criminal for the US to act alone before the United Nations investigations and deliberations are complete.
Also, as Thom points out, it is criminal that our legislators are capable of rushing the country into another illegal war on We the People's Credit Card, and then drag their feet when they budget social programs for their own people.
Again, there is nothing more criminal for any nation to do than to drop depleted uranium on another nation. We have no right to judge anyone else. We are the ones who need to be judged.
The United Nations must step up to the plate and do their job.
Anybody think a volunteer army is the problem to many of our societal ills?
1. Volunteer army makes it easier for Presidents to send people off to war for any reason by using the reasoning that "this is what they signed up for" or "they knew the possibility of war was real prior to signing up"
2. Since congress hasn't actually waged a war in some time, and they don't have to if the president just does it, they are somewhat safe from being voted out of office by veterans and antiwar constituents in their district. They can always look like to good guy or woman.
3. Too actually have the numbers needed to fill the ranks of our modern army with out a draft to to it, we need to make joining the army the best alternative for poor folks. Hence, stagnant wage growth, declining middle class, large gap between rich and poor.
4. So that these volunteers can't "connect the dots" to all this, we need to keep a lot of people stupid. Ergo, cut funding to schools and blame teachers and their unions.
I realize this idea may need some persuading, but it may be time to reinstitute a military draft.
Palindromedary ~ Concerning the "Revalation" of the use of depleted uranium on Iraq and Revalations. You might find this tidbit interesting.
The "whore" is defined in context as Babylon, or modern day Iraq. Certainly depleted uranium qualifies for "...eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." Certainly depleted uranium qualifies for making a land "...desolate and naked." Another instance of quite literal interpretation. Coincidence? You be the judge!
Regardless of whether or not this fulfills prophecy, the use of depleted uranium on anyone for any reason should qualify as the greatest war crime and crime against humanity in history. It literally makes a land uninhabitable and causes birth defects of perfectly innocent lives. All of our leaders should be on trial in a world court. Where is the outrage?
No wonder why our current Administration isn't even considering consulting the United Nations. The UN is the closest thing we have to a real world police. The last thing a killer would do before committing murder is to call the police.
Why isn't the United Nations doing anything? If the United States goes it alone in Syria, the United Nations becomes irrelevent.
Oh The Tanglede Web We Weave.
As much as I appreciate everyones enthusiasm and passion...If you truely want to stop this Coporate demagogue Government, with its profit before people agenda, from engaging in, in general, unecessary Military action...
movetoamend.org
Time to take back what is rightfully ours.
Abolish Corporate Personhood...NOW!!!
May I remind people that the US used chemical weapons, Agent Orange, in Vietnam. We gassed our own troops. Israel used chemical weapons ,White Phosphorus, to burn Palestinian civilians, and when the UN condemned it by passing a resolution against Israel, THE US USED IT"S UN VETO TO BLOCK THAT. What hypocrisy.