Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
OK I'm going to post this, I hope the wording is understandable and somehow relatable.
I've been using some Rakia as cold medicine. I no longer feel like I've a cold, so I can only assume it's working, as it's home made I've no idea what strength it is, I'd guess it's about 55%, you can light it, and I don't think it's 60%. Cures the throat itch.
As many hexites know I've a slightly unusual mind, I'm marred with dyslexia/dysgraphia, but I've other aspects that are rather exceptional as far as our best testing can show. The downside is sometimes I get almost crushed by where my mind runs. I see paths, weighted paths, things that can happen, things that really probably won't happen. I can solve certain problems as easily as many can say "that is blue" the path, the solution is clear. I've spent a long time in research labs, being a guinea pig as I support such ethos that we get from such research, I know that on paper I'm a special little snowflake, and we are not talking just in the top percentile with these attributes.
This whole situation weighs me down. The problem is I feel overwhelmed by a series of possibilities that are anemic to certain moral values I still wish to cling to. I can't begin to explain how bad this can feel, I can't shut off this kind of analysis, please understand I set records when being analysed by therapists when it comes to certain kinds of spacial reasoning, I was granted money for being dyslexic, and for abilities to play with cubes that are half red and half white making simple geometric forms. Reality isn't what we tell children it will be.
I can see no solutions that are workable. The only solutions, one of which will play out, involve mass death... I hate this. I understand the behaviour of these actors, I realise the history. I try to draw parallels with say the troubles but honestly no one is willing to fund a violence abatement force (rightly or wrongly in NI the army and the police did prevent violence overall if we ignore the implementation details).
I hate this so much. I have no optimism, I feel the adage of least worst solution doesn't begin to do justice, we will see the deaths of millions, regardless of any actions we take or do not take we will foster resentment. Too much of the problem stems from a cultural sense of political immutability.
Frankly in the grand scheme bombing Syria or not will have little impact, it's all grim either way, I find this thread in part to be the debate about how to shuffle the deck chairs on the titanic, wahhabism and salafism are about to have their day. I hope their god has mercy on their soles.
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
The problem, sadly, does not have a unilateral or black and white solution, so any action will have consequences, some good, some bad.
The question becomes one of which likely outcome is the best for the most people, and over the longest period of time, and that then becomes a fine judgement call, and one I'm glad I don't have to make.
Looking back, mistakes have been made in the Middle East, but we can't go back and re-model the past, and perhaps those actions created the conditions for the creation of Daesh, but maybe not.
But we are in the here and now, and Daesh and other extremists do pose a threat both in the UK, and to those who do not agree with their doctrine in the territory under their control. We could turn away and ignore it, but doing nothing may have its own consequences in years to come.
It is not a trivial problem.
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Saracen
....
Well said. But, past participations in political threads have essentially tarnished my reputation on the forum and I now avoid them with a bargepole. And, some users will also go as far as highlighting your said view on subsequent posts you make in any other threads in the future.
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TheAnimus
OK I'm going to post this, I hope the wording is understandable and somehow relatable.
Take a break my friend. Not just from this thread but from the anguish of trying to resolve the unresolvable.
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
Extremely late to the party here, but here goes.
I don't think bombing Syria is worthwhile, it neither generates value for money (lives saved/improved vs money spent), nor does it represent a long term solution to the problem is ISIS.
If we are concerned about the region, we need to organise a multi-national armed force, led by the powers than be in the region who are interested in stablising the situation and enforce the collective will of those forces on the dissenting population.
Air strikes, strike me as "well we have to do *something*, let's drop some bombs on a few targets and pat ourselves on the back"
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
The problem is, which local power has the support of the dissenting population? We can't know that without an election, or at least a thorough informal poll, but that isn't going to happen under the present government which the coalition would also like to see gone. And also notice that all the "moderate rebels" other than the Kurds have been big enough to be reported by names by the media. Doesn't fill me with the confidence that there is a group likely to hold the mandate of the people even if elections are held.
To be fair, while I don't think that anyone is convinced that dropping bomb is going to win the war either on the field or ideologically, it is probably disruptive to their operations. A few more cities, like Kobani, would probably have fallen without air support, and separately, many more Yazidis would have died.
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lucio
If we are concerned about the region, we need to organise a multi-national armed force, led by the powers than be in the region who are interested in stablising the situation and enforce the collective will of those forces on the dissenting population.
Air strikes, strike me as "well we have to do *something*, let's drop some bombs on a few targets and pat ourselves on the back"
This, a thousand times. I have had this argument more times than I can count... too many people conflate "we need to do something" with "we are justified in air strikes" and refuse to entertain other perspectives. They will serve no greater purpose besides being a despicable waste of money and civilian lives.
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
Another reassuring statistic here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35144420
Some 100,000 rebels (roughly a third of rebel groups) in Syria share Islamic States Wahabbi views..
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Hand
But once we bomb ISIS, those rebels will see see the error of their ways.... right?.....RIGHT?!
Re: Should the UK bomb Syria?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
opel80uk
But once we bomb ISIS, those rebels will see see the error of their ways.... right?.....RIGHT?!
So if we don't do anything, the rebels will see the error of their ways?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Edmund Burke
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Of course, military action alone will not produce a solution, but it is a (headline grabbing) part of a possible solution.