1698 - Russia's Peter the Great levied a tax on bearded men.
1939 - The U.S. proclaimed its neutrality in World War II. House Republican immediately began efforts to repeal that decision.
COINCIDENCE? I think NOT!
"George W. Bush did a incredible job in the presidency, defending us from freedom."
- GOP strategerist and supporter of women's rights, Rick Perry
“Good Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions.”
- GOP ethicist and moralizer, Jerry Falwell
From the Church of Ineffable Stupidity:
Location, location, location. Any real estate agent will sing that song at the drop of a sarin filled hat.
Syria, a country of 22,000,000 Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Turks, Alawite Shias and Arab Sunnis, (less 100,000 dead, and 2,000,000 refugees), has been a thorn in the side of Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, and the Mediterranean sea for decades. According to the CIA, it has been involved in a civil war since 2011.
Bashar Al Assad, AKA The Basher, has a unique vision for his country, a surprising one, given his background as a London trained eye-doctor. One has to wonder what he learned while studying and practicing medicine in England. Instead of embracing democracy, two story buses, the rule of law, silly walks, and cockney accents, Basher loves the iron fist. A former London co-worker once described him as an elder Dennis the Menace. It would seem that he has moved on from childish pranks to rather more serious mischief making.
In his 13 years as dictator, the Basher has succeeded in having Syria expelled from the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Union for the Mediterranean. (the latter may have been his own doing because of personality conflicts he had). He has created strife and disorder in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, he has threatened Israel, and he has appointed himself to be the thorn in the UN's side.
That's quite a tally, for a mild mannered, 47 year old eye doc. If nothing else, he proves that old adage about the corrupting impact of power.
Now we have the UN getting all squishy about the intel we purportedly have on the Basher. There are serious questions of who, how, why and where Sarin gas was used. Even if the Basher ordered the use of chemical weapons, why does that require the US to bomb or invade Syria? It is OK if his tank and artillery shells kill thousands, but using a gas shell is verboten? That is crazy logic.
Syria poses no threat to the US.
Syria has been at war with itself for 2.5 years.
Syria is at war with a sect of Al Qaida, Jabbat Al Nusra, ultra conservative Sunnis who hate the Basher as much as they hate us. They have been wrecking havoc and destruction and have frequently battled the 10,000 or so former Syrian military who defected and now seek to replace the Basher. More often than not, they are content in terrorizing locals, and allowing the secular defectors battle it out with Syrian military, after which they take over and impose strict Sharia law on the survivors. If Syria falls and becomes a non-functioning state, Al Nusra will have the most to gain, since they have even less regard for life than the Basher.
Syria is run by an egotistical dictator who cares not how his political enemies are removed.
Syria will be a mire of quag should we choose to invade.
Syria is going to be a regional problem for decades to come, even if we do nothing.
Syrians will unite against us if we invade.
Now, Mr. Kerry, please explain WHY you want us to invade and attack this country. Please?