Laser Focus 2-3-15 - ISIS, Some Fellow Liberals and War

[zipplewrath]

28. the fire department tends to use water

I'm always reminded of an old saying:

When tempted to fight fire with fire, one should remember that the fire department tends to use water.

There is almost a presumption that the ONLY response to violence is violence. The sad fact is the last two administrations have held this point of view. Both of them used the State Department to advocate for military action. The call for military action might actually hold more sway with "some progressives" if there was evidence that the administration had tried something else first. It isn't that "some progressives" don't want to do anything, it is that it is not apparent that either of the last two administrations have tried anything else. Their first reaction to Syria was the military/CIA approach. All their reactions have been as thus. Kerry was running around advocating for military action in Syria when the Russians of all people actually came up with the diplomatic solution that was finally embraced. Remember, it is our military action that created much of this mess to begin with. Doubling down on that should take something more than a shrug of the shoulders and saying "what else can we do?"

There are countries that border this region that are much more threatened than we are by the current activities in the region. It would seem that Kerry should be there to some extent "following their lead" not running down to the Pentagon to find out what they can do.