Whoa. The world is blowing up about Syria.
My first thought is, are we sure this is a good idea? My second thought is that this kind of action
and the aggressiveness with which the Obama administration is pursuing it seems
out of character. Which alarms me, but
I’m not sure if it alarms in that I think it’s a smoke screen (or something
similar) or if something is wrong big time. Not to mention John McCain is
backing this as well. I have a feeling
something is really wrong.
But before I can go any further or really form an opinion
based on the best facts available, I have to address the backlash.
No one ever wants a war or military action, limited or not,
least of all the military and their families.
This is indeed a weaker time for our country in many ways. Can we do this? Is certainly a valid
question. However it should not be the
ONLY question we ask ourselves.
Can we do it? And, will it suck to do it? Are two different questions. 99% of every single reason I see for us to
stay out of Syria is a selfish one. We can’t afford it. Our military is spent. There’s even an article going around
preaching to Americans the cost of limited action to military families. Because that should be the first
consideration when people are dying? I’m
sorry but we signed up for the Army with the intent to do what needs to be
done. Anyone who thinks they deserve a
pass from hard times because they’ve already endured doesn’t belong in the
military, in my opinion.
“We aren’t the world’s police” is something I see
often. No we aren’t, but neutrality
isn’t always the best course of action either.
I recall America striving to remain neutral because of a depression and
the devastating effects that had on the world, especially the Jewish population. Do we really care that much about being able
to buy ipods that we are ok with letting countries kill each other (or rather
their own) to stabilize our economy?
When we formed and joined the UN we decided to be the
world’s police when it was needed. It’s
a decision I feel was important, because
we are not an island all by ourselves, we are part of a community with everyone
on this planet, so we have an investment in all its parts.
To reiterate, I am not in favor of going to Syria yet,
however I AM in favor of talking about it.
And I’m appalled that we don’t even want to hear the case, we just want
to dismiss it because well, it would be inconvenient to go right now.
I agree that this sort of aggression is out of character for the Obama administration. It has me worried.
ReplyDeleteI have read a lot on the subject lately and I do understand why they want to strike Syria. They want to set a future precedent that it isn't okay to violate the Chemical Weapons agreement. However, what makes me angry is that Obama and Congress have done nothing for the military over the past several years. They keep making more and more cuts and are taking away from soldiers and their families. If they can't afford to make sure they have the supplies they need, how do they think they can afford a strike on Syria.
I have almost no faith in our government lately. If they got their crap together and passed a budget and made positive decisions regarding the people they are expecting to fight for them then maybe I could get on board with the Syria strike a little bit more. I also feel like it is fine to consider us the "world police" but pay them and plan it accordingly. Don't make devastating cuts to the military and expect the ones left to scramble to pick up the pieces.
I know that they say that there will be no boots on the ground, but even Kerry admitted that they can't guarantee that 100%. I am afraid of retaliation and I am almost certain that it will come in some form or another.
But I don't think any of those reasons address if this is the right thing to do or not.
ReplyDeleteWhich I feel is the first question we should be answering, because the rest of it might not matter based on that answer.
Trust begats trust, and fear begats fear. I know the gov't doesn't deserve our trust or faith, but without it things are only going to get worse. Usually trust and faith are only important and make an impact when they aren't deserved, that's when they are needed.
Two phrases keep coming to my mind over the thoughts of Syria:
I can't seem to find it again, but one of our forefathers talked about the importance of trusting the gov't rather than fearing it, and that once the people feared the gov't instead of trusting it, then it would begin to fail and become corrupt.
The other is the quote from Boondock Saints about the indifference of good men.
Jessi, I am impressed with your thoughts and write up about the situation in Syria. I have not spoken a word about this to family or friends or students I teach each day (although they hound me for my opinion), however I feel I would like to support/debate/add to your questions about this issue.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I could not agree more with you that the right questions MUST be answered first, because the answers to those will determine if it is something we should discuss further or leave alone.
Bias Bias Bias.....it is all too easy to use our hearts and say we don't want the government in Syria because we are too scared to send our husbands, friends or loved ones there. But this isn't about a military wife's feelings. It is bigger than that. We must approach this with a clear, objective perspective and not fall into the trap of saying things like the government hasn't done anything for me lately so therefore why should I support them? The fact of the matter is that the government does A LOT for military families...we are a blessed group of people. It is all about relativity. Did they make some cuts that suck? Absolutely, I'm not denying that. However no matter how our economy is running, good or bad, our loved ones have jobs, we have health insurance, we have a roof over our head. I have to say, after watching a lot of loved ones in the civilian world lose EVERYTHING (jobs, homes, cars etc) during our last recession, I feel it is all relative and find myself thanking my husband, his brothers and sisters in arms, and the government for giving me stability in the lives of me and my family and friends in the military.
So, in order to answer your original question, we must take all of that OUT of the equation and approach this without all this bias, right?
MEDIA. I don't have enough hours in the day to say what I feel about the media and the spin they put on things. However with this situation I will not even blame them. They are given information, but we must keep in mind it is LIMITED information, and for good reason. The media, and therefore the American people DO NOT know all the facts and we never will. It is only a small circle within the government who truly know what is going on (and by the way that is Democrats AND Republicans). We are given as many facts as the government deems appropriate, because we have found before that sometimes too much information can harm us more than it helps us. If they want to keep some info close to the vest and that keeps my military loved ones safer, I say, please do.
This is where I believe the point about trusting and NOT fearing the government is critical. Have they let me, you and everyone else down concerning different topics? Sure! They cannot please everyone all the time. However I am damn glad I'm not in their shoes right now, today, making an impossible decision. They have to take the (real) facts we may not be privileged to, and decide what is best for our country and those we support. People constantly say they "hate" the government. Well then move to a different country. Period. Either believe in the process, believe in our leaders or change your circumstances.
It wouldn't let me finish! Here's the rest of what I had to say (I told you it was a dissertation!)
ReplyDeleteAm I scared as hell that my husband, your husband, and many of our friend's loved ones could possibly deploy again? Sure! It is on our minds all the time. Here's the thing: they signed up for this. They chose, they were not told to, but chose to defend our country, and the decision of their Boss, the Commander in Chief. My husband has deployed under multiple Presidents, Republican and Democrat, but his thoughts have never swayed. His loyalty is to that of his country and defending it to the best of his ability. If his Commander in Chief, along with the backing of Congress asks him to defend us, he will be the first to raise his hand and volunteer. He's not crazy, he's just living up to an oath he took many years ago. Our soldiers are not asked their opinion on these issues, they are not given a choice of if they "feel like going downrange". They took an oath and we must support them and honor them for their heroic actions of putting their own biases aside and taking care of me, you, and our country. That is what WE signed up for as military spouses. So why would we not support them in that? My husband has deployed 4 times, and I hold my breath each damn time. But he is a soldier, and loves this country more than anything. If he trusts in the government (in terms of military action) and the process, why shouldn't we? Soldiers who do not agree can leave the military, but you will find that most want to stay, they have an obligation in their gut most of us do not understand, which is why I respect them that much more. I couldn't do it, that's for sure.
So! To get back to the original question, should we get involved or not is a complicated one. Without all the information (which we will not ever have), it is virtually impossible to say a definitive yes or no. That is where trusting in the process, and not fearing it comes into play. Let's trust our leaders, regardless of how we may feel about them personally, to make the right decision, and then once it is made let's support them and leave our own biases out of the equation.
Have members of Congress and the Government made personal and professional mistakes before? Of course, but haven't you and I? They are not perfect, however these men and women are HIGHLY intelligent and that is why they were voted into office. Let's not fear them, instead trust their decision for once and pray for the country that is struggling the most (by the way that is NOT the United States but Syria).
Just my own 2 cents. Thanks for your write up, it was highly thought provoking, I hope I brought some good issues to table myself.
Thanks. :) Excellent points. We can never know anything, and I don't think we should, this a decision that is 'way above my pay grade' and for good reason. I will be following DC this week closely to see what comes out of congress. I will certainly be doing a follow up post, because I need to talk about how I feel about the UN right now. It is very difficult to not hope this is nothing because of the cost we know it will bear if it is something. However that shouldn't change our resolve, I still believe in America and I trust our government system even when I don't trust some individuals in it.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am not really scare of the deployment implications with Syria because my husband is already going back to a certain country for the third time- one that we are supposed to be pulling out of- and he will be gone for a YEAR rather than the 6-9 month promised to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI understand that we are supposed to trust the government, but have they given anyone a reason to lately? No. I don't feel like they have the American peoples best interests at heart. I just don't.
Which brings me to the "Is this the right thing to do" question. We have to consider more than just morals here. Is it right that the Syrian government is doing this to its people? Emphatically NO, it is not right. However, we have to take into consideration the implications of an attack on Syria. How will this affect our country in the long term? Will there be retaliation? Syria already threatened retaliation and you know we will be in the sights of Iran and Russia both. Can we afford another war, if it comes to that? Not likely. This is not a black and white issue at all and considering if it is right or not is not the only answer here.