[INTelliJent]

	Originally Posted by Arcanist To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I hope that was sarcasm because at times, you do seem unapologetic about serving.

That I was in the Marines/in Iraq is a matter of fact. I'm not tacking on an apologetic addendum every time I reference it. I was under a different paradigm when I joined and when I deployed. I think my perspective and positions given on this board should be amply sufficient evidence of my opinion now of the occupation/military/etc.

[Ghostwheel]

	Originally Posted by INTelliJent To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	That I was in the Marines/in Iraq is a matter of fact. I'm not tacking on an apologetic addendum every time I reference it. I was under a different paradigm when I joined and when I deployed. I think my perspective and positions given on this board should be amply sufficient evidence of my opinion now of the occupation/military/etc.

When I was high school/college age, I was thinking about joining the air force, and actually went so far as to talk to recruiters twice. (This was during the Reagan years.) As it happens, childhood asthma made service impossible.

But I, too, was under a different paradigm then. The propaganda is tremendous and it takes a dedicated effort to see through it.

Now days, with the internet, it's much easier to get alternative viewpoints. Young people today, potentially, ought to have a vastly easier time freeing their minds. When I was young, there was ABC, NBC, and CBS, and as with today, they all said essentially the same thing.

[Polymath20]

Conferring decisions of the state onto the individual soldier... sort of goes back to my thread about responsibility for developing weapons. Same idea - transference of responsibility. Serving as a soldier, in itself, is not unethical in my eyes.

[larkin]

	Originally Posted by INTelliJent To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	the only bad outcome for the US is Assad still in power (and this taking forever), and Russia could benefit from dragging this out (costly in terms of treasure and image to the west, and also delaying focus on Iran)/Assad staying/Assad 2.0 being the replacement/flexing SC muscle.

Really, really wrong. There are many, many worse options than Assad. At least he's a known quantity, and responsive to Russian pressure.

I think the problem might be, in some sense, thinking of all geopolitical outcomes as which side is "winning" or "losing," as if Russia/China and the West are the only two relevant viewpoints. This goes back to the thread on asymmetric warfare. The US has much more in common with Russia than people think. Neither one would benefit in dragging this out. (And least of all Russia, frankly, because currently it's costing us relatively little - Syria is already under embargo - while they might be losing an important ally in the Middle East and source of cheap oil.)

	Originally Posted by INTelliJent To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	The FSA has nothing without NATO backing, so they will be heavily indebted to western powers. Assad has no need to cooperate with Western demands, particularly at this point. The FSA wouldn't assist Iran, so there's another reason.

It's hard to argue the FSA has very much in any sense, so claiming they have much in the way of NATO backing is dubious. NATO has simply refused to support them outright.

And Assad may not have a reason to cooperate with Western demands, but he will cooperate with Russia and China, and Russia and China have reason to want him removed from power. (Just not through the hands of the UN.) He's a liability to them. The sooner he leaves, the easier it is for them to transfer power to a more favorable government. As soon as Russia has a suitable replacement, they'll, umm, politely ask him to leave. (And at some point, there's not much incentive for him to stay.)

[ummon]

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