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This is not a time for joy
by Steve WhiteThis is not a time for joy. We debate this week the use of chemical weapons in Syria by the regime of Bashir 'Pencilneck' Assad, and the proper response of the world to such use. The US government yesterday declassified a report that suggests very strongly that Assad and his henchmen have used these weapons on the Syrian people, and more than once. Our intelligence experts now have 'high confidence' that this has happened. This indeed has crossed a red line. That red line was declared, and rightly so, because the use of chemical and biological weapons is qualitatively different than that of the usual carnage of civil war and national war. One is just as dead from Sarin as from a bullet, but the use of nerve gas demonstrates a profound depravity and indifference to the final cost on humanity. The use of chemical weapons against civilians is abhorrent. It was correctly cited as one of the several reasons why we went after Saddam Hussein. His removal was in part a consequence of his willingness to murder his own people wholesale with chemical weapons. I do not want my grandchildren living in a world where the use of these weapons by genocidal thugs against innocent people is common-place. That means there must be real consequences when they are used. The leaders of Great Britain and France, Mr. Cameron and Mr. Hollande, understand this; that is why they have voiced the desire to deal militarily with Bashir Assad. Unfortunately, neither has been able to communicate these stark facts and the need to respond with more than a sternly worded note to their people. The predictable result is that the British and French people aren't willing to go forward in an operation that will spill blood and cost treasure. Likewise, Secretary of State John Kerry understands this; that is why he stood at a podium yesterday like a district attorney reading an indictment. Mr. Kerry wants to do "something". His instincts are right; his strategy and planning are lacking. Yes, there must be real consequences for gassing one's people. But in doing so there must be a strategy that is deep, tested and supported by the large majority of our country. It must be applied by leaders who have been consistent and who understand that strategy, and who employ advisors who nurture and refine that plan. It must be supported by our people and not used by one political party as a piñata. George W. Bush was (mostly) straight-up in why he thought we had to go after Saddam in 2003, and look at the opposition he had. Is it any surprise that Barack Obama, having been demonstrated to the satisfaction of many to be feckless and dissembling on national security issues such as Benghazi, Iran, the NSA and Afghanistan, now has no credibility at home when he says (correctly) that Syria must be punished for crossing a red line in the use of chemical weapons? That if we don't punish Syria then other genocidal thugs will conclude that it is similarly safe for them to trample that red line? Senator and candidate Obama loudly proclaimed that President Bush could not take our country to war without the consent of Congress. He now schemes to take us to war -- again -- without the consent of Congress. Senator and candidate Obama told us that if only we had a different foreign policy, the Arabic world would reach out to us. It has instead shunned us. Senator and candidate Obama told us that our problems in the world were caused in large part by the foreign policy we had had for the past fifty years. President Obama certainly changed that foreign policy, so that now our friends mistrust us and our antagonists are emboldened. When our country (and 40 others) attacked Iraq in 2003, progressive Democrats complained vociferously that we had no overall strategy, no plan for the peace, and no exit plan. You'd think that in 2013 the Obama administration would be smart enough to learn from that, and present to us a coherent strategy and some sort of exit plan, as best as can be envisaged today. President Obama has not done that -- either he doesn't trust the American people to understand these issues, or he doesn't believe that he needs approval of the American people, or -- worst of all -- he doesn't have a strategy and a plan. None of this inspires confidence. Confidence is exactly what we need right now; confidence that our leaders are honorable to an American code, confidence that smart people are being allowed to do their jobs and have the vision to understand the fundamental gravity of these issues, and confidence that people will be held accountable for the actions they take, right or wrong. President Obama doesn't inspire confidence; therefore we have none. No one should take joy in this. Our friends and enemies alike will see the lack of resolution and backbone here in the U.S., in Britain and in France and so on, and act accordingly. War is coming. But do not think that President Obama will act "on behalf of the global community". President Obama either will not act at all because he can't convince us to have confidence in him, or else he will act despite that and his acts will be seen as being done for himself. That's the worst part of this. Posted by: Steve White 2013-08-31 |
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