Confederate Flag vs ISIS flag...
- Thread starter Mongo
- Start date
I think we can be proud of how southerners have reacted to the tragedy in Charleston. We will do what is necessary to ensure comity. I take an exceedingly dim view of outside intervention though. The theatrics from people like Ms. Newsome, for example, appear to be driven by ego and not a desire to repair the situation. Indeed, if her stunt did anything - it was to create pain and unnecessary conflict.
As for ISIS, it appears the public would sooner fight a war of words with dead men than actually act against one of the great evils of our time. The administration should take some of the blame though. The president has purposefully avoided the subject, war fatigue I suppose, and his administration has chosen to back some exceptionally dubious characters in the Syrian rebellion. When the 'good guys' are eating the flesh of their enemies, you should probably reevaluate the 'good' bit.
As for ISIS, it appears the public would sooner fight a war of words with dead men than actually act against one of the great evils of our time. The administration should take some of the blame though. The president has purposefully avoided the subject, war fatigue I suppose, and his administration has chosen to back some exceptionally dubious characters in the Syrian rebellion. When the 'good guys' are eating the flesh of their enemies, you should probably reevaluate the 'good' bit.
My question is where is the Catholic Church in all this? Isis has declared a holy war on the Christian religion. The Catholic church is worth billions yet the give nothing to defend they're faith? Why are they not raising an army to defeat these heathens who worship a false idol, murder Christians and threatan the very fabric of Christianity?
Who exactly should we support against ISIS? Moderate Sunnis (point those out), the Shia? Perhaps the Kurds-more than we already do-but they lack capacity to solve this issue and strengthening them causes regional issues that would be problematic if they had the power to unify.
In the end what nobody really focuses on is ISIS is a bigger problem for Sunni and Shia regimes in the region than it is for the U.S. It is not an existential threat to the U.S. and thus what we do or don't do should segue from that. If you want to be truly dark about it, you have ISIS killing Hizbollah and Iranian proxies and vice versa; how is this bad for us?
The rhetoric about ISIS is easy to bite on, but the substance behind the threat is another discussion entirely.
In the end what nobody really focuses on is ISIS is a bigger problem for Sunni and Shia regimes in the region than it is for the U.S. It is not an existential threat to the U.S. and thus what we do or don't do should segue from that. If you want to be truly dark about it, you have ISIS killing Hizbollah and Iranian proxies and vice versa; how is this bad for us?
The rhetoric about ISIS is easy to bite on, but the substance behind the threat is another discussion entirely.
They grew out of that nonsense hundreds of years ago.
If they did raise an army, however, it would be one big, well-equipped fucking army.
Cheers,
Kennith
I'd be cautious, they've never been able to work together. The PUK and the KDP fought a civil war in the 90s for example. The emergence of a Kurdish state will provoke anxiety in Iran, and Turkey. Look at the press from Ankara right now. Erdogan wants to occupy the north to prevent the Kurds from linking up their cantons. It also would also protect ISIS, which hell might actually be the driver.
I dont see any possible way the US can have a lasting positive influence on the region. This is tribal warfare shit that has been going on for 1000s of years.
Our own Generals have said the Iraqis dont have the will to fight.
How many times does the US have to fail miserably in the middle east before we realize we should stay out
Iraqis have little interest in dying for a non-sectarian and unified state. They do appear willing to die for their tribe, or their faith though.
No one said we need it. There is a lot of profit to be made off oil, even if you don't use it yourself.
I frequently fantasize about a world were after 9/11 we used all the Man hours, money, and american ingenuity to build up our own country at a war time pace.
Think about it. How many windmills could we have built instead of tanks and humvees?
What kind of alternative energy could our engineers have designed instead of the weaponry?
15 years after 9/11 are we any better off than when we started? No
Could we have used 9/11 as an opportunity to more stable and less hated by the world? yes