Just what is it about politicians? They just cannot seem to learn from even the most recent past. Nor can they stand back and take a long, cold, hard look at where they’re going.
The US and the UK are about to get themselves embroiled in Syria. Why?
Oh someone has used some (internationally banned) chemical weapons.
Yes, OK that is reprehensible (to put it politely). But it doesn’t excuse blatant aggression by other people.
Look guys. Just stop and think!
1. Within the last few years the US and UK have meddled in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya that I can think of quickly. None of them with any real justification (and in the case of Iraq based on a known wrong set of beliefs). Result? Long-term involvement in two of them and no real useful result in the third. All it has done is waste the lives of our military personnel and waste a load of money that frankly we don’t have.
2. What is happening in Syria is civil war — just as in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Egypt. War, by definition, produces atrocities. That is no reason for us to go adding to them.
3. So you want to get involved in Syria on the side of the rebels against Assad? You do realise, don’t you, that those rebels are the very people you were fighting against in Afghanistan and Iraq: al-Qa’ida and the Taliban? OK we know you’re two-faced (you’re politicians, after all) but really!
Now no-one is pretending that the use of chemical weapons is acceptable. But this is NOT an excuse for the US and UK to go around continuing to be bullies. Especially as we know that short sharp interventions never are. Remember Iraq?
No, this is a matter for the UN. Their inspectors need to be allowed to complete their work, report, have their report considered. The if the international community (in the guise of the UN) is still unhappy it is for the UN to take action. Unilateral action by the US and/or the UK is just not acceptable.
David Cameron … If you continue down this path of action, you will become as reviled by everyone as was Tony Bliar, who rightly earned the epithet Tony B Liar. Up with such actions we, the people, will not put! Such actions will definitely lose you the next election (if you’ve not lost it already). Is that really what you want?
Barack Obama … The same applies to you.
When even your (ex-)military chiefs are saying this is misguided, maybe that should be telling you something.
Gawdelpus!