Syria?

In light of reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria's civil war, President Obama is contemplating our becoming involved in that conflict.

what eye thynk:   Anyone who follows this blog knows that I seldom, if ever, write about foreign affairs.  In no way am I an isolationist, it's just that national stories interest me more. But I have to say something about Syria.

Trying to come to a conclusion on the do we or don't we question has awakened my inner Gemini...both sides are arguing and they're both right--or wrong.

The only yardstick I have is our recent experience in the Middle East. There is Iraq where we lost over 4000 American lives and where today they have regressed to once again killing their own in the name of tribal and religious dominance. 

Then there is Egypt where last year we saw the end of a tyrant who controlled his country with the aid of the military and where we hailed the beginning of a new democratic government--which turned out to be more Islamist than democratic--and where today, that new democratic-in-name-only government has been replaced by, you guessed it, the military.  

And there is Afghanistan where President Karzai continues to send mixed signals--one day he wants us out now, one day he wants us to stay because he needs help with Pakistan or Al Qaeda.  The next he accuses us of working with the Taliban.   And every day he has his hand out for monetary assistance.

And now we have Syria where a civil war has continued longer than anyone could have imagined and where it seems that President Bashar Hafez al-Assad is using chemical weapons against civilian targets.  Anti-government fighters are asking for our help and decrying that we have delayed so long.  Our usual allies are hesitant to get caught up in another conflict.  Is our information accurate or is it another case of Bush/Cheney-ism?

Looking at what has happened in other Middle East countries where we have tried to intervene, the choice to step in or not is not an easy one.  If we step in now, we're heroes--until next month, or next year when we once again become a target of sectarian hatred because we didn't do enough or because we did too much.

But we can't ignore information that indicates over 1000 civilians are dead because of government sanctioned chemical weapons. This is not our war; but do we dare wait any longer?  If we had heeded warning signs in Germany earlier, how many Jewish lives could we have saved?

I don't have an answer.  I don't think anyone does.  But I hope for an American policy of no boots on the ground.  And if we do choose to get involved, make it quick, make it decisive and get out of there.  Do not become embroiled in trying to re-make their country into a mini-U.S.A.  Their's is a tribal culture we do not understand just as they cannot comprehend our Western style Democracy. And no more American lives should be wasted trying to change either view.