President Obama has won

[karynnj]

163. I agree and disagree

I think that seeing the world as a zero sum game between Russia and the US distorts reality. It leads to huge mistakes - like Carter/Brzezinski (and the Reagan administration) aiding the mujaheddin against the USSR. It did hurt the USSR, but there were consequences we still deal with.

On Syria, the behinds the scenes diplomacy was on target and based on the mutual interest of Russia and the US is getting rid of these weapons. For the US, it immediately replaced the need to do something military in response to the use of chemical weapons. For Russia, the threat of those weapons to them if Syria implodes is at least as great. In addition, Russia, which even now, holds that who used the weapons is not determined, is likely getting ahead of the very likely conclusion that Assad did it. Not to mention, it makes them a big player internationally - something they never regained after the fall of the USSR.

Assuming the agreement holds, there is no question that the region will be better off without those weapons.

As to war, I think the country is war weary and interceding in a limited way for a moral principle is hated by people who do not ever thing war is the answer, the realpolitik advocates who are looking just at whether the US interests are furthered and the neocons/neolibs who wanted a far greater response that results in an Iraq like regime change. This left very few people fully in favor. This was especially the case as many who agreed that a response to what Senator Kerry called a moral obscenity was needed were worried that a military strike of any size could make the overall situation worse.

I think you can make the case that this was a win/win result for both the US and Russia -- and a lose result for Assad, because it implicitly agrees with the idea that he can't be trusted with CW. You could argue that it likely DOES mean that it might mean that there will be arguments against him leaving power as the process continues, but it also likely spells out that he will be out next year - maybe through Geneva 2 or maybe through scheduled elections - or these two things may converge.

I think, for Obama, that this is a fortunate solution. There will likely be no military strike -- but no back down on his moral stance that response to chemical weapons was needed.