So…
We have Syria to discuss.
It’s another ‘revolution’, however, this time the military seems to be squashing the rebels and doing it a little more brutally than Egypt, Libya and other middle east nations that went through this and have came out triumphant.
A nation looking for someone to step up and help them overturn another regime. The USA is once again locked into balancing a decision to be the world police or turning a blind eye and then in a couple years realizing that we could have stepped in and stopped some of the savagery. It’s a difficult decision. Should we get in another conflict? The Senate Armed Services Committee and whatever committee that probably has Carl Levin (Sir Smug) on it has has been grilling Leon Panetta on all the possibilities of doing nothing vs. doing something. The members of the committee are upset because they feel that like in Libya the President didn’t seek approval of Congress. They believe before we get international approval for a coalition of nations, Panetta and the other higher ups need to seek approval from the Congress. It’s another issue of following the Constitution.
It appears that everyone is against putting ground forces in Syria, which is a good thing. John McCain was adamant about leading the cause to help the Syrians. Saying something to the effect that America needs to lead. And assistance without putting troops on the ground, but going ahead with the backing of other nations with an aerial assault on the Syrian government. McCain and Panetta had a heated discussion over the fact that a large “excuse” or reason that we are sitting on our hands instead of stopping the mass murder of Syrian civilians is because the air defense of Syria is more advanced than Libya’s. McCain has a point in saying that America spends a trillion dollars on Defense every year and we’re worried about not being able to take out their air defense.
The decision is very difficult. America was once a nation that stayed away from international conflict, very much isolationist. However, since WWII we have felt the need to send in the troops wherever someone needs help. Which is a good thing. Sadly, there will always be casualties when following that procedure.
No matter the decision, America is going to piss off someone. Becoming involved in another ‘war’ or not doing enough for the human race, innocents dying by orders of a mad man. Could we have done more in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo? Yes. How about Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan?
Yes, Rwanda: approximately 800,000 lives lost in genocide. The USA actually came up with a five point plan/reasoning as to why they didn’t go into Rwanda, according to a National Security Archive
1. The U.S. lobbied the U.N. for a total withdrawal of U.N. (UNAMIR) forces in Rwanda in April 1994.
2. Secretary of State Warren Christopher did not authorize officials to use the term “genocide” until May 21, and even then, U.S. officials waited another three weeks before using the term in public.
3. Bureaucratic infighting slowed the U.S. response to the genocide in general.
4. The U.S. refused to jam extremist radio broadcasts inciting the killing, citing costs and concern with international law.
5. U.S. officials knew exactly who was leading the genocide, and actually spoke with those leaders to urge an end to the violence but did not follow up with concrete action
Supposedly, like his inability to understand the terms of sexual relations: Bill Clinton was not completely aware of the severity of the situation in Rwanda. It is claimed that he didn’t know until it had become a big story in the news. How is that for the Commander in Chief being briefed on important day to day important news around the world?
Somalia, non-stop violence to this day, famine, war and the refusal to allow diplomatic aid for the dying Somalians. From famine alone the number of dead is estimated into the anywhere from the ten to thirty thousand. There was some news focused on Somalia this summer, but it seemed that press and photographers attention was quickly drawn away from Somalia and focused on something besides Africa.
Africa is a continent that is in dire need of assistance. Sadly, Africa doesn’t have a lot to offer as in an incentive for America to step up and do something: not a lot of valuable resources, oil wells, business deals. So, thousands of innocent children of Africa continue to die.
Sudan, in which musicians paid tributes to Darfur, sent money and kept a tally of what was going on without doing a lot to actually help people being slaughtered. The USA sure tried, that is by coming up with peace agreements, disbanding of rebels and other silly paper work, that was respected for about three months before they started killing each other again.
I honestly can’t wrap my brain around: genocide, the government seemingly absent of humanity, bombing their own citizens day after day, famine killing 30,000 children, it’s impossible for me. I think that’s what makes it so sad for me. I can read and look at the pictures and read some more, but I will never truly understand the pain, fear and hopelessness of a situation of that magnitude. It’s shocking that it still happens everyday in the world. I will never understand.
Back in America, where we act like we have it so bad, we have a few things to discuss. It doesn’t compare to what I’ve mentioned, but how about jobs and unemployment to discuss, which no one seems to care about anymore. Even if they are pretending to come up with some jobs initiative, which will be a bunch of garbage that doesn’t solve anything, unemployment rates are still around 8 or 9 percent which everyone is totally cool with.
We have the republican nominee campaign going on. Which I wish no one cared about. Or could realize that Mitt Romney is terrible and the longer Santorum still thinks he’s going to beat him: the longer we have to deal with both of them saying the EXACT same things, but becoming more and more unlikeable. Things like, “hey we should beat Obama!” The platform of, “yeah, at least we’re not Obama, look at all the bad things he’s done.”
Dear Republican nominees: “what are you going to implement when you get to Washington?”
Romney/Santorum: “We promise we won’t be Obama, and we’ll do WHATEVER is popular.”
Other people that wish they would get more attention and the next one in my mind deserves more legitimate consideration than the first two confused career politicians condemning each other of being career politicians. Where is Herman Cain when you need him? Making PIZZAS! That’s right! Holla at ya boy!
Ron Paul: How did we win the election in the year 2000? We talked about a humble foreign policy: No nation-building; don’t police the world. That’s conservative, it’s Republican, it’s pro-American – it follows the founding fathers. And, besides, it follows the Constitution.
Newt Gingrich: I didn’t make any money from Fannie Mae… Yes, I did, but that’s none of your beeswax. The real estate market is doing great for people that have the money to buy all the foreclosed property! Think about it that way. POSITIVITY IS WHAT I ALWAYS SAY… P.S. Romney is a douche.
Obama: hahahahahahaha (Raises more money, has more speeches written, throws parties, fills out his NCAA basketball tournament bracket. Buys more suites, shoots some hoops)
“Do you really want to vote for any of those clowns?”
And something blue…
