Discussion
  • Read More
    Bill WeldonBrendan O'Connor
    3/27/16 7:18pm

    Let’s be real. The Syrian government under Assad is less of a pain in the ass to modern western civilization than Isis. Just sayin’

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      HillarysTechnicolorWardrobeBill Weldon
      3/27/16 7:20pm

      Intervening in Syria’s civil war was the stupidest thing the Obama administration did.

      It will haunt his legacy just as Iraq haunts W’s legacy.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      Stan Kroenke's HairpieceHillarysTechnicolorWardrobe
      3/27/16 7:24pm

      Nah. W completely upended Iraq’s stable if oppressive government. Obama, at best, destabilized Syria’s to a debatable degree.

      Also, Iraq’s a sexier country than Syria to the media. Loads more historical cache there.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    christcoBrendan O'Connor
    3/27/16 7:16pm

    I feel bad saying this, but the destruction of ancient ruins by ISIS bothers me at least as much as the murders they’ve committed.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Bill Weldonchristco
      3/27/16 7:19pm

      Unless it is someone you know, then it's a different story.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      christcoBill Weldon
      3/27/16 7:26pm

      Obviously. I have several thousand miles between me and them, so I have the luxury of being outraged about this without having to deal with any of the horror of it. I am acutely aware of this, which is why I feel bad saying it, but at such a remove, it’s easy to be appalled by the destruction of historical sites that can never be replaced. I am aware, also, that people are unique and cannot be replaced, but by the same token, we aren’t exactly running out of people, either.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    UngratefulDeadBrendan O'Connor
    3/27/16 7:19pm

    A win for the good guys.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Fred Garvin Male ProstituteUngratefulDead
      3/27/16 7:26pm
      GIF
      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      Fred Garvin Male ProstituteUngratefulDead
      3/27/16 7:31pm
      GIF
      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    ZukkaBrendan O'Connor
    3/27/16 7:56pm

    Awhile ago, a friend of mine posted a great debate question on Facebook:

    Would you rather that, at the end of the next four years:

    1) America’s ability to project power in foreign affairs is strongly curtailed (e.g. by the rise of China, reassertion of Russian power, substantial American demilitarization, etc.), BUT America is widely regarded as a moral leader on democracy, including by the Middle East,

    OR

    2) America’s ability to project power is at its highest ebb ever, but its status as a moral leader has declined substantially?

    And I was so surprised at how many peple said they’d go with #1, saying things like “our moral credibility is at the foundation of our power. Democracy is widespread enough in the world and as an ideal that the US doesn’t have to have a bunch of aircraft carriers floating around to enforce it, much as our military presence is good for democracy at least in the immediate vicinity of Russia and China”

    Which is all fine and good..... But at the end of the day, HOLY SHIT THE WORLD IS A FUCKING TERRIFYING PLACE. It’s been so long since the US wasn’t the most powerful country in the world, that it is very hard to fathom what such a world would be like. A world where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or Bashar al-Assad can easily exert more influence than the US is a scary world, and the ongoing conflicts have shown that.

    When I read this terrifying account of ISIS, my ideas were confirmed.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      William DiazZukka
      3/27/16 8:35pm

      Being morally sound is always the right choice, especially when considering matters of life and death.

      If you are afraid, thats on you. Being afraid of people you dont know, have never met and letting that fear consume you is a choice.

      Im guessing you werent a paratrooper.

      Have a great day!

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      espo618Zukka
      3/27/16 8:38pm

      Yes, the world isterrifying, but using that as an excuse to stick our nose everywhere is weak. But being a moral leader and a strong leader don’t need to be mutually exclusive entities and it's sad to think that we have reached a point that they seem to be. Leading the world isn't easy, but doing it by force sure as hell isn't working....

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    IkerCatsillasBrendan O'Connor
    3/27/16 7:27pm

    So I guess it looks like the truce did its job and propped up the Assad regime (who’s still the number one killer in the Syrian Civil War). Team no one.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Toddler Meat HunterIkerCatsillas
      3/27/16 7:35pm

      Just because they're winning. If the rebels were winning, then they would be the biggest killers in Syria. This whole thing is Obama's version of regime change. The CIA has been funding the jihadi rebels since 2011. It should be hard to pick a side.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      IkerCatsillasToddler Meat Hunter
      3/27/16 7:38pm

      The rebels haven’t spent literally decades killing Syrians without cause or due process.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    WestoverMorgantownBrendan O'Connor
    3/27/16 7:21pm

    Yay! Go Assad!! Oh ... wait... this shits confusing.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      UngratefulDeadWestoverMorgantown
      3/27/16 7:28pm

      Killing ISIS is great PR for Hezbollah - they get “promoted” in international coverage to just vague “Lebanese militias”.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      JAGUngratefulDead
      3/27/16 8:58pm

      Don’t forget the glorious sons giving their all in the “Shia militias,” or as we would be calling them if they were in Latin America, “Death Squads.”

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    crouching tigerBrendan O'Connor
    3/27/16 10:53pm

    Assad would just as soon we not recognize that the most effective forces fighting ISIS are Kurds.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      ArmchairSophistcrouching tiger
      3/28/16 7:50am

      This. Very few people want to acknowledge that a group who’ve historically been a stateless hill tribe are the most skilled fighters and most reasonable faction in the entire conflict.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      crouching tigerArmchairSophist
      3/28/16 10:22am

      The statelessness is key, as you point out. Kurdish autonomy destabilizes Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran to a lesser degree.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    Citizen-KangBrendan O'Connor
    3/27/16 7:20pm

    This is one of those situations where rooting for either side is problematic. As a result, I’m just going to say that I hope that there are still archaeological treasures to be saved and that I hope the people of the city find some relief from the brutality of both regimes.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      GregSamsaBrendan O'Connor
      3/27/16 7:32pm

      I hope they were driven out in a crappy car this time.

      Reply
      <
      • Read More
        BackToFrontTheTaintYearsBrendan O'Connor
        3/27/16 10:34pm

        Yea, you get that sand back.

        Reply
        <