Dear God, Get Us the Fuck Out of Syria

No, that really is my prayer. Otherwise I end up saying shit like, "there's no difference between Dems and Reps." Andrew Bacevich has been busy lately. With neo-cons on the Right and Obama doing his best imitation that's all to the best.

First, the United States undoubtedly possesses the wherewithal to topple the regime of Bashar Assad. On this score, the hawks are surely right. Whether acting alone, with allies, or through proxies, Washington over the past decade or so has demonstrated an impressive capacity to overthrow governments. Skeptical? Consider the fate of various evil-doers on whom we trained our gun-sights in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya.

Second, once Washington has removed Assad as it did Saddam Hussein, the likelihood of the United States being able to put things right — creating a “new” Syria that is stable, humane, and grateful for American assistance — is approximately nil. Here the evidence supports the doves. Skeptical? Again, consider the course of events in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya once the evil-doers departed the scene.

It's all too good to pick and choose from. If you've stumbled in here from wherever, go and read it. If Barack Obama comes by: leave it to the Russians! If they're stupid enough to get involved: let them have it. 

Charles Pierce on the same subject, being equally vulgar. 

​I am getting ominous 1965 flashbacks again. Robert McNamara and Creighton Abrams are starting to appear in my mind's eye, pointing down a long, dark tunnel at the lights of an oncoming train.​