Syria: A Crisis That Can't Go to Waste?
Some of us may hope to be forgiven a somewhat jaundiced attitude toward the moral suasion coming forth from the White House concerning a possible strike on Syria. The president is not convincing. It is hard to believe that for this administration, the Syrian civil war poses an exquisite moral dilemma that has kept the president up at night, sleep-walking like Lady Macbeth trying to wash her hands of blood.
It's true this administration's words and actions evoke déjà vu -- have we been there and done that? The confusion, excuse making, angst and vacillation seem a satirical parody of the Bush presidency's call for moral outrage over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
But history never repeats with exactitude. Reasons for war are never the same, regardless of apparent similitude. No, the Syrian crisis is not an exact repeat of the Iraq War. On the contrary, Syria's agony has presented the president and his allies with a delicious political opportunity. After all, never let a crisis go to waste.
What better opportunity to solidify the cracks in Congress, creating chaos that can endure until the 2014 elections? What better opportunity to lock in a head count, pro and con intervention, in order that heads may roll when incensed voters learn we have gotten ourselves into yet another insoluble morass? Who could resist opening a can of worms that can be kept writhing front and center stage from now until the magical year of 2014, when the White House demands our troops be withdrawn? What better way to keep attention focused away from the interminable scandals afflicting the presidency and the Democratic Party? Continual war affords a wonderful opportunity to sweep the Benghazi, IRS, NSA, US debt and other sundry dust storms under the rug, diverting the entire world's attention is riveted continually on the Middle East cauldron, kept stirred continually by this administration, be it Egypt, Libya, Iran, Syria or Israel.
For the fact is that this president and his radical allies want to lock in a permanent Democratic majority in order to accomplish their dream of changing America permanently. The current Republican control of the House and the solid opposition in the Senate must be smashed in order the Obama legacy be achieved.
If it takes entangling America in yet another foreign war to achieve their goals, so be it.
In the meantime, while Sir Macbeth is thinking matters over, perhaps his cynical crew could take up the offer of Arab nations to finance our military endeavors, thus providing an opportunity to turn our proud military into paid mercenary hacks who will do the bloody work for any rebel cause our president wishes to endorse. It could be a way to bring down the deficit.
Fay Voshell may be reached at fvoshell@yahoo.com