Syria: US Involvement Could Make Things Even Worse

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http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/05/05



The worsening violence and repression in Syria has left policymakers scrambling to think of ways our governments could help end the bloodshed and support those seeking to dislodge the Assad regime. The desperate desire to "do something" has led to increasing calls for the United States to provide military aid to armed insurgents or even engage in direct military intervention, especially in light of the possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime.


The question on the mind of almost everyone who has followed the horror as it has unfolded over the past two years is, "What we can do?"

The short answer, unfortunately, is not much.

This is hard for many Americans to accept. We have a cultural propensity to believe that if the United States puts in enough money, or creativity, or willpower, or firepower into a problem that we can make things right. While that attitude has served us well overall, it isn't always the case.