# Are US leaders hypocritical wanting to bomb Syria to save the children, contd, in thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 4, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976 "2013-09-04T06:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/41 "2013-09-05T13:05:51Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > But I admit I’m stymied on the right course of action for the US with regard to Syria. Well, it’s a clusterfuck come omnishambles of a religious group-orientated civil war layered above regional agendas ranging from Israel to Iran, from Turkey to Russia. Plus the whole US domestic agenda of validating the military and repositioning same as a moral force. Plus, plus, an inept President pronouning red lines. Basically, only the Straightdope knows what to do. Imo, the key words above are “civil” and “war”. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/42 "2013-09-05T14:10:15Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > Well, it’s a clusterfuck come omnishambles of a religious group-orientated civil war layered above regional agendas ranging from Israel to Iran, from Turkey to Russia. Plus the whole US domestic agenda of validating the military and repositioning same as a moral force. Plus, plus, an inept President pronouning red lines. > > Basically, only the Straightdope knows what to do. > > Imo, the key words above are “civil” and “war”. Well yes. As I’ve said elsewhere, we’re fucked no matter what; it’s just a question of which option offers the most lube. And to address the OP’s point on Rwanda: I get the impression that it’s _because_ of Rwanda that the US is currently on this “bomb them for humanitarian reasons” kick. There is real guilt in certain (usually leftie) circles about not intervening in the Rwandan genocide and a determination not to let preventable atrocities occur again. And I think, on the whole, the NATO intervention in Yugoslavia was a net good, and that the Libyan adventure will prove likewise in the long run. But Syria is neither Libya nor Yugoslavia, and there are some things even the smartest bomb can’t fix. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/43 "2013-09-05T18:20:46Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > \< we won’t break the established international rules of war, \> Hmmmm. Isn’t a certain soldier incarcerated for 35 years for exposing US war crimes in Iraq ( not to get into Vietnam war- Pentagon Papers, My Lai etc ). Any group the size of the US Military is going to have a few criminals in it. Duh. We don’t have magical fairy dust, we just have tight organization and rule-of-law. > [@Doggo](#): > > Perhaps it is time for the US government to have a referendum as to it’s role in the world. Perhaps. I’d support that, if it had a clear outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/44 "2013-09-06T04:20:59Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > I wasn’t aware that the US borders Syria, LOL. No but the United States is a superpower and not a reactionary theocratic monarchy like the Saudis. > [@Doggo](#): > > Never heard of Pax Britannica. They didn’t do too badly ( notwithstanding that they also did some terrible things ). Banned slavery long before The USA for instance. They weren’t too bad to be honest but their empire was unsustainable once their major colonies were lost unlike the United States which always has derived virtually all of its strength from its home territories. > [@Doggo](#): > > Didn’t the US population vote for Obama because he was supposed to be for “peace”, not wars? From stupid, bloody wars that involve thousands of deaths and seemingly for a useless purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/45 "2013-09-06T05:12:53Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Not that I recall. Against torture and invasions for political gain, certainly. I don’t remember him saying that he’d never go to war ever. Right. I think he covers his ass being hawkish for war over CWs. If nothing is done it is because a lot was done to stop him. If there is a chemical weapons disaster after that, well he tried to protect us, no? He is predictably anti-CW disaster. I get it. ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/46 "2013-09-06T14:02:32Z")
The American Government is run by a bunch of big mean bastards, who do horrible things mostly to gain power and profit; but all the other big powerful nations who vie with us are as mean and bastardly as we are. Those other powerful countries (Russia, China, India etc.) are capable of considerable corruption and mayhem, held in check by mutual distrust and some profitable back-room deals. It’s easy the maintain a moral high-ground, we only have to be just a little more humane and noble than the rest … not a very high bar. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/47 "2013-09-06T14:10:16Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > Are US leaders hypocritical wanting to bomb Syria to “save the children”, when they did nothing to stop the Rawanda genocide, the mass slaughter in Darfur, the war in Sudan, carried out an illegal war in Iraq justified by lies, subvert elected governments in sovereign countries causing many deaths etc etc? > > Further, why is it the USA’s job to save the world from itself. Saudi Arabia is armed to the teeth with US weapons and has a lot of money- why can’t they do the job in Syria? > > Were US citizens ever asked if they want to pay taxes to be the world’s policeman. Where do you get the idea that US wants “to save children”? The reason that stuck to the wall is that US wants to punish “use of WMD”. You still kill children with conventional weapons including using white phosphorus. You should check your news feed more often - it’s certainly not about children. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/48 "2013-09-06T14:15:34Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > No but the United States is a superpower and not a reactionary theocratic monarchy like the Saudis. I certainly hope this was some new & edgy type of sarcasm. Otherwise, it’s got to be in Top 10 most idiotic comments re: Syria. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976/49 "2013-09-06T15:10:44Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > Yeah! Who you got in mind? Not an American, but **[Denis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Kucinich)** was America’s best bet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-leaders-hypocritical-wanting-to-bomb-syria-to-save-the-children-contd-in-thread/667976.md?page=2)