Syria

[coracle]

Looks like thankfully our Nobel Peace Prize Winner might be able to legitimately claim he tried his hardest but everybody let him down and we can keep our noses out of somebody else's business

[Pam]

Petition started by Rep. Alan Grayson:

http://dontattacksyria.com/?source=082913Email

[Zacha341]

It's a very complex situation - with alot of shape shifting relative to so called allies, allegiances and outcomes as to who we will really be 'helping' in the end if we get into this and for sure Russia is not going to stand by twiddling their thumbs...

And yes many felt many felt they had no option but to vote for Barack Obama and then some went the independent route instead of the two options given.

http://stormcloudsgathering.com/leak...ments-download

Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, and Iran. Theres a whole lot of money to be made over there.

Obama is a farce, I voted for him and truly believed things might change with him and I feel like a fool now but what other option did I have anyway?
There is no doubt in my mind that we will be in Syria soon.

[Zacha341]

Yeah McCain is starting to sound wacky - even the repubs are complaining. HE thinks we can just go in mop the floor in a day and problem solved. Who is being a 'tool' for - I want to know?

A just released Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that only 9% of Americans want the US to take military action in Syria. Meanwhile, President Obama is trying to form some sort of international coalition in case he decides to take any action. The real whacko bird is McCain who seems to be the most hawkish Senator regarding Syria.

[JBMcB]

Obama went running his mouth about "red lines" and last straws. Now, if he doesn't do something, he's going to look like a fool. The citizenry is sick of wars in the middle east, and Obama is going to forge ahead and spend billions of dollars to blow up one group of people who have committed war crimes and hate the US, to help out another group of people who have committed war crimes and hate the US.

Obama's foreign policy is looking more and more like G.W. Bush, second edition.

[Papasito]

Who cares if his pride is hurt?
I'd rather see him do something Presidential and follow the lead of the UK. Let the UN procedure run it's course. If we act now, we will be a rogue nation acting against the UN, against Russia, China and the UK. This is a BAD position for the US to be in. We are no longer a "superpower" country with a thriving economy and a solid manufacturing base. We are a depressed country on shaky footing, and we need to face the reality that the world doesn't quake in it's boots every time we saber rattle.

.....with that being said, if the UN does the investigation, and there is internationally validated proof that Syria did what the Obama Administration says it did, and we get international support for the effort, it's a different story.
Though I do still think the UN should have nations with a closer proximity to Syria handle it COMPLETELY. Action from the United States is not required.


One more point I'd like to make:
If the GOP wants Obama to go before Congress for approval before attacking Syria, their point has been made. They are beating it into the ground now for political points on social media and in the news. If Obama bypasses Congress, we all know the GOP asked him not to. So get over it. Stop playing politics in a situation this serious.

'Nuff said.

McCain is starting to sound wacky

McCain ran his campaign against Obama saying Obama was not ready to lead. Well, even though he was right, I am HAPPY McCain didn't win. We don't need a trigger happy neo-con at the helm of the country.

Can we PLEASE get a viable 3rd option to vote for?

[Papasito]

WHO EXACTLY used the Chemical Weapons?

"Khan al-Assal has been a major front in the fight for the city. In March, chemical weapons were allegedly used in the village, killing more 31 people. The Syrian government and the rebels blame each other for the attack, and both have demanded an international investigation."
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-...s-in-damascus/


NOW....
Who has more to gain with the use of Bio weapons?
Is it Asaad who has the upper hand in the civil war?
Or is it the Muslim Brotherhood / Al Queda, who know that staging such an attack would bring in much needed air support courtesy of the USA?



LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, OBAMA!!!

[rb336]

What will Russia, China and Iran do if the us cruise missiles Syria? After the Russians made all that bluster about it, and moved ships into the region, if they don't attack the US, they will lose credibility. If WE don't attack, Russia will claim that WE backed down from THEM. Further, I half expect Iran to make a run at Turkey

[Zacha341]

Excellent points...

Obama went running his mouth about "red lines" and last straws. Now, if he doesn't do something, he's going to look like a fool. The citizenry is sick of wars in the middle east, and Obama is going to forge ahead and spend billions of dollars to blow up one group of people who have committed war crimes and hate the US, to help out another group of people who have committed war crimes and hate the US.

Obama's foreign policy is looking more and more like G.W. Bush, second edition.

[coracle]

"Houdini" Obama comes up with a possible way of escape from self imposed Red Lines and Last Straws, in only nine days without needing collaboration from his International Partners [[maybe he got the idea from the Brits). He now knows there is definitely a need to line up the fall guys before his shit hits the fan. I guess his "Kerry makes the Case" Cartoon didn't work.
When nobody supports you you need anybody; even those you usually ignore.

[rb336]

yes and no. I don't think Obama ever intended to go without congressional approval. His arguments make good moral sense in some ways - the Assad regime is beyond the pale from its history of religiocide [[not genocide, they are the same ethnicity) to the gassing of those people. Smart to focus on the children, and a good legal case for a limited strike. If he goes in with congressional approval, he can't be called out for it. If he doesn't get approval, and the US "loses prestige," well, that is on congress

[Papasito]

Interesting article on how the rest of the world now perceives us:

As the US prepares to launch an overt war on Syria [[the covert war has been raging for 30 months), the vast majority of humanity can finally see through all its decades of pretense and conceit as the world’s model of democracy and international law. And what they see is the ugly opposite. The US is a terrorist state that holds international law, democracy and human rights in utter contempt. It is ready, as it always has been, to kill countless civilians for its selfish political ambitions.

That is the conventional definition of “terrorism”.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad made a profound point recently when he said that his country has faced aggression for more than two years, but only now is the real enemy revealing itself - the US and its minions. But the US terrorist state is not just being called out over Syria. It is being revealed as the enemy to the entire world.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/321425.html

We have become a war mongering imperialist republic.
So much for being the bastion of freedom.

So much for that hope and change.

[rb336]

We have become a war mongering imperialist republic.
So much for being the bastion of freedom.

So much for that hope and change.

we have been one for quite a long time. We started the war of 1812 to add Canada, the Mexican American war, Spanish American war, etc. etc.

[coracle]

McCain is just plain awful.
If he wants war in Syria, he should personally fund it, gather up a group of his friends and go do it. Leave the rest of us alone.

Your [[great) photo, and his support of Obama's ill conceived Syrian "policy" makes me think that perhaps he's seen Dr. Strangelove recently and identifies himself with Major Kong riding the rocket to its target.

[oladub]

The Washington Post is trying to keep up with our elected representatives positions on Syria. Click the blue and red dots to find your representatives and senators listed. This was updated since the last time I looked at it. There is a guess at every senator's position and 208 of the 435 representatives. I'm guessing that some of the representatives who haven't been tallied are laying low so as not take an unpopular position or waiting to see what they will get for voting for this war.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...tand-on-syria/

semi-related-
Representative Alan Grayson [[D-FL) is taking part of the lead among Democrats opposed to attacking Syria. His reasons are that the war is not our responsibility, will be both expensive and dangerous, and that no matter what we do, we will not accomplish anything useful being the world's judge, jury, and executioner.

[rb336]

here we go

[Papasito]

Click the blue and red dots to find your representatives and senators listed.

Wow, some of the most outspoken anti-war politicians during the Iraq era are suddenly warmongers blindly voting along party lines.
Why doesn't a "representative" government vote in representation of the PEOPLE? Most polls show PUBLIC SUPPORT for the war around 9-12%.

McCain and Boehner are showing us just what idiots they really are.

It's times like these that we truly see how bad our Government is.
On both sides of the aisle.

Imagine if the US was truly in a situation of fighting for their dear life against a heavyweight adversary like China or Russia... we'd be in BIG trouble with this lack of leadership and common sense.

McCain is just plain awful.

I know this sounds crazy, but after reading Sarah Palin's book and hearing her speak, she would probably make a better and more reasonable President than John McCain would have. And that's saying something.

[firstandten]

There is a bigger picture here that I think needs to be considered. Iran is looking at us to see what we will do about Syria. If we do nothing they may feel that they can develop and test nuclear weapons with impunity. As much as getting into another war is undesirable, I don't think Obama would get us into a boots on the ground war, he is more of a drone, surgical strike kind of guy. If Iran feels we are gridlocked enough on the Syria issue it may just embolden them enough to get there nuclear weapons going which would of course de-stabilize the entire region

[Ray1936]

John McCain is a classic example of a RINO. I think he's getting a little senile.

Hey, I admire his service record, but his political record sux.

[rb336]

John McCain is a classic example of a RINO. I think he's getting a little senile.

Hey, I admire his service record, but his political record sux.

he's a RINO only by the semi-psychotic standards of today's GOP

[Django]

Could this be the real reason we start a new war over there every few years, Gas and Oil Pipelines?

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/10...lly-about-oil/

[Papasito]

Right on, Ray1936.

Both Republicans said the goal of military action should be to “degrade” the capabilities of the Assad regime and “upgrade” those of the Syrian opposition, which has fought the Assad government for more than two years into a civil war.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2...he-ground?lite
Basically we will be acting as AL QUEDA'S AIR FORCE.
Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME?
WHY ARE NEW YORKERS NOT RAGING!?!?

The administration argues that Assad must be punished for firing chemical weapons into a suburb of the capital, killing more than 1,400 people, including more than 400 children.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2...he-ground?lite

400 Children?
Does Kerry, McCain or Obama NOT understand how these people work in this part of the world? 400 children is NOTHING. Asaad will put 4,000 children in EACH of the potential cruise missile targets, and after our cruise missiles hit, they will photograph the kids and say we bombed schools, and
WE WILL LOOK LIKE THE BUTCHERS.

There is no way to win this by acting alone and going rogue.

WAIT FOR THE UN TO COMPLETE THEIR INVESTIGATION AND SHOW PROOF.

[Zacha341]

We might want to start counting the DINO's on this one too.... Dems behaving strangely? Not really....

he's a RINO only by the semi-psychotic standards of today's GOP

[oladub]

We might want to start counting the DINO's on this one too.... Dems behaving strangely? Not really....

Chris Matthews says that Democrats must support the war to "Save President's Hide".

"Democratic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton said Tuesday that at the current time, the only reason she would vote in favor of an attack on Syria was out of loyalty to Barack Obama."

In 2008, Ron Paul was very unpopular within the Republican party for bucking Bush on the Iraq war. So this kind of partisanship crosses party lines. What a shame it is that people have to be killed because of party loyalties to their leaders. There is a reverse side to this though. Because of their opposition to Obama, some Republicans like McCain and Graham, who side with Obama, are becoming unpopular and former neocon flavored right wingers suddenly find themselves open to the non-interventionist peace message of Ron Paul when delivered by Rand Paul and especially Ted Cruz.

[Papasito]

Modern warfare:



Ordered by a $400,000 a year President and a $193,000 a year Congressman as they step over 3 homeless people on the front steps of the building they work in that was paid for by the hard working Taxpayers!

--------------------------

And by the way [[changing gears)....Rand Paul is not as bad as he's made out to be. He has a DIFFERENT opinion on things instead of the party line. Part of the smear against him is from the GOP itself... anyone that doesn't tow the "party line" gets smeared.

I also think the recent sabotage of Marco Rubio was done from within the party.

It used to be if you liked or hated a Candidate, if they told you where they stood and stood there, you RESPECTED THEM.
Those days are dead. These days it's whoever parrots the power.