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The key question, always, is about the short-term and long-term strategies. What is the end game? If military force is to be used, America simply must have a strategy that has some chance of improving the situation in the ME, for the sake of the innocent people there and for the sake of world peace in general. If that strategy can't be made clear, somehow demonstrating a result better than just more war and more victims that generates still more war and more victims -- and still more enemies -- then we should simply not engage militarily.
At a minimum, that argument should be made clearly to Congress, and if the use of military might makes sense in terms of achieving a worthy goal, then Congress should approve the use of that force just like we did the day after Pearl Harbor when we declared war on Japan. If not approved by Congress or if not even put to a vote in Congress, why not? THIS IS THE QUESTION?
When Obama attempted that better approach, going to Congress for the same reasons, Trump was against. A strong majority of Republicans in Congress were against. Why?
BECAUSE THERE IS NO REAL END GAME STRATEGY THAT MAKES ANY SENSE!
For this reason, we should ALL be against committing more American lives and resources to these acts of war/violence that only makes matters worse rather than better, makes us Americans all the more their enemy in addition to all their own home-grown enemies. You simply cannot bring about a healthy change where there is no base on which to build an economy and/or government that serves the people.
There is no strategy that will improve things in the middle east; I don't think one exists.
Clinton used to respond by sending missiles when embassies were attacked, and that didn't work. The jihadists just raised the ante by sponsoring 9/11/01. And everything else has been counter productive, as far as I can see.
The MOAB was a good idea and hopefully that sort of thing will continue. Same with the attack on the Syrian airbase. Measured response; no follow up invasion.
The WORST thing that could happen is to leave the middle east and give no support and no response to atrocities and bombings.
In other words the War on Terror has no end. On the other hand the War on Terror may be preventing WW3 by sapping so much energy and money from world superpowers that we have neither time nor money to build up the really huge military that would be required to fight WW3.
Silver Lining, I guess.
There is no strategy that will improve things in the middle east; I don't think one exists.
Clinton used to respond by sending missiles when embassies were attacked, and that didn't work. The jihadists just raised the ante by sponsoring 9/11/01. And everything else has been counter productive, as far as I can see.
The MOAB was a good idea and hopefully that sort of thing will continue. Same with the attack on the Syrian airbase. Measured response; no follow up invasion.
The WORST thing that could happen is to leave the middle east and give no support and no response to atrocities and bombings.
In other words the War on Terror has no end. On the other hand the War on Terror may be preventing WW3 by sapping so much energy and money from world superpowers that we have neither time nor money to build up the really huge military that would be required to fight WW3.
Silver Lining, I guess.
Well said. This is not about finding a solution to anything. It's about perpetual low level conflict and making money.
you just can't keep those old armaments around forever, not only do they grow stale but the longer you keep them in storage, the greater likelihood that you might drop one, or bump two of them together when they get rotated. You can bet some of those nukes are getting really unstable after more than 70 years.
There is no strategy that will improve things in the middle east; I don't think one exists.
Clinton used to respond by sending missiles when embassies were attacked, and that didn't work. The jihadists just raised the ante by sponsoring 9/11/01. And everything else has been counter productive, as far as I can see.
The MOAB was a good idea and hopefully that sort of thing will continue. Same with the attack on the Syrian airbase. Measured response; no follow up invasion.
The WORST thing that could happen is to leave the middle east and give no support and no response to atrocities and bombings.
In other words the War on Terror has no end. On the other hand the War on Terror may be preventing WW3 by sapping so much energy and money from world superpowers that we have neither time nor money to build up the really huge military that would be required to fight WW3.
Silver Lining, I guess.
There is no strategy that will improve things in the middle east; I don't think one exists.
Clinton used to respond by sending missiles when embassies were attacked, and that didn't work. The jihadists just raised the ante by sponsoring 9/11/01. And everything else has been counter productive, as far as I can see.
The MOAB was a good idea and hopefully that sort of thing will continue. Same with the attack on the Syrian airbase. Measured response; no follow up invasion.
The WORST thing that could happen is to leave the middle east and give no support and no response to atrocities and bombings.
In other words the War on Terror has no end. On the other hand the War on Terror may be preventing WW3 by sapping so much energy and money from world superpowers that we have neither time nor money to build up the really huge military that would be required to fight WW3.
Silver Lining, I guess.
Hard to disagree, but I have to admit I wonder whether it is not mostly emotion that causes us to act one way in the case of gassing but not the same when it comes to other serious "atrocities and bombings" going on all the time. What of all the people losing limbs, getting blinded, losing children all the time by way of more conventional ways to kill people...? Are they more acceptable ways?
Also a concern for me is that world events of more profound significance and consequence are becoming the whim of this man or that in position of power rather than "we the people" as better reflected by Congress. Why is it, I keep asking myself, that Congress (and Trump) wouldn't approve retaliation against Assad the last time he gassed some 1,200 people, and why not Congressional approval now, if so egregious?
Something's not right here, and I don't just mean American foreign policy in the ME past and present...
you just can't keep those old armaments around forever, not only do they grow stale but the longer you keep them in storage, the greater likelihood that you might drop one, or bump two of them together when they get rotated. You can bet some of those nukes are getting really unstable after more than 70 years.
i doubt we have any nukes nearly that old I am no expert but my understanding is that the material gets recycled into newer more modern weapons.
did a super quick check. one older doc shows weapons about 28 years max, assuming no changes that would be 38 today.
But it appears there have been a series of programs upgrading recycling and modernising.
Step out of ME affairs let them handle their own issue's. Work with nations like Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to keep peace in the ME. Defend Israel if ever attacked by another nation. Stop utilizing resources from the ME outside of nations such as Saudis Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey.
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