Will the Congress approve military action against Syria

[DGuller]

I wonder if McCain suffers from some kind of complex that makes him involve US in all kinds of unlimited fights.  Maybe he never got it out of his system, being put out of action so early in his Vietnam tour.

[MadImmortalMan]

Gotta kill us some sand gooks.

[KRonn]

I haven't been for this action in Syria to be taken unilaterally by the US, or with just a few willing nations. I'm very wary of the amendment that McCain had added which aims towards leveling the field between Assad and the Rebels which means the US can take much broader action. Especially if the Assad regime is weakened enough by US action and falls, then the US may send in many thousands of troops to secure the WMD stockpiles. That can be considered a non-combat action so passes muster with the spirit of the action being debated by Congress, just securing the sites, but obviously that will entail fighting with Hezbollah, Iranian fighters and other factions and I'd think likely over a long time period.

actually, just flying in when major fighting stops, landing airborne at the known chemical storage sites, grabbing whatever is there, and then getting the fuck out (shooting anybody who raises an eyebrow in the process), never looking back would be a great idea. I don`t think the US has the balls for it though.

Well, if the US takes further action to destablize the Syrian regime and helps cause its downfall, the US would seem to have some responsibility for securing the chems/bios, or face the blame for the stuff falling into the wrong hands. And it would likely be a larger and longer effort to secure the sites than a short event. Moving around among many hostile forces which would involve some fighting to locate and secure sites, find new sites the stuff has been moved to,  securing airfields for transport planes or moving by truck to the coast, in order to transport many tons of the stuff out. Pentagon estimates that I heard discussed in the news said seventy-five thousand troops may be needed for this task.

[CountDeMoney]

I wonder if McCain suffers from some kind of complex that makes him involve US in all kinds of unlimited fights.  Maybe he never got it out of his system, being put out of action so early in his Vietnam tour.

McCain is still, and has always been, a firm believer in the approach that US power is a force of good and that the US is, as John Kerry said yesterday, the indispensable nation.

[Berkut]

I wonder if McCain suffers from some kind of complex that makes him involve US in all kinds of unlimited fights.  Maybe he never got it out of his system, being put out of action so early in his Vietnam tour.

McCain is still, and has always been, a firm believer in the approach that US power is a force of good and that the US is, as John Kerry said yesterday, the indispensable nation.

Someone has to believe it. Lord knows nobody on the left does anymore.

[CountDeMoney]

Funny, I happen to see a President and a Secretary of State that still do.

[Berkut]

Funny, I happen to see a President and a Secretary of State that still do.

Yeah, but the President is being pretty amazingly fucking wishy washy about it.

But I take your point. I was probably being a bit more douchesnarky than was warranted.

[derspiess]

I asked my Syrian uncle over the weekend to for his thoughts on the situation in Syria:  he still doesn't give a shit. 

[CountDeMoney]

Funny, I happen to see a President and a Secretary of State that still do.

Yeah, but the President is being pretty amazingly fucking wishy washy about it.

But I take your point. I was probably being a bit more douchesnarky than was warranted.

A sense of detachment, slow deliberation and an overly analytical approach to decision-making to the point it makes Hamlet look decisive is one thing--that's what happens when constitutional law professors get elected President--but this Administration has always shown all the signs of promoting classic liberalism in US foreign policy.

[CountDeMoney]

I asked my Syrian uncle over the weekend to for his thoughts on the situation in Syria:  he still doesn't give a shit.

Which Damascus suburb does he live in?

[derspiess]

I asked my Syrian uncle over the weekend to for his thoughts on the situation in Syria:  he still doesn't give a shit.

Which Damascus suburb does he live in?

Middletown.

[crazy canuck]

I asked my Syrian uncle over the weekend to for his thoughts on the situation in Syria:  he still doesn't give a shit.

The options that present themselves:

a) deaf, dumb or blind - or all of them;
b) he thought you were asking his thoughts on what toilet paper you should use;
c) He isnt Syrian

[Ed Anger]

I asked my Syrian uncle over the weekend to for his thoughts on the situation in Syria:  he still doesn't give a shit.

Which Damascus suburb does he live in?

Middletown.

[jimmy olsen]

I asked my Syrian uncle over the weekend to for his thoughts on the situation in Syria:  he still doesn't give a shit.

And you felt the need to tell us he's a bad person, why?

[derspiess]

I asked my Syrian uncle over the weekend to for his thoughts on the situation in Syria:  he still doesn't give a shit.

And you felt the need to tell us he's a bad person, why?