Syria reported to have use Chemical Warfare

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

And this is the spin: http://www.politicususa.com/2013/09/14/obamas-thoughtful-diplomatic-truimph-syria-leaves-critics-speechless.html

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Is it just me, or does that article come across as sycophantic fanboyism?

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Is it just me, or does that article come across as sycophantic fanboyism?

Yes it does. It sounds like it was written by a White House intern, ffs. I can see sort of where this is coming from, but the wording is too matter-of-fact to be anything but fluff. "Syria now becomes a test for Russian credibility," it drools while failing to wonder how this agreement falling through would result in anything except a repeat of what just happened plus even more dissatisfaction on the left and the right. Liberals will complain that Obama is again considering using force and conservatives will moan about him not fixing this right the first time. And they'll both be right.

[Cain]

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[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That was VERY interesting. What happens if Russia decides to become America's watchdog, stepping in to provide reasonable solutions that avert our intentions to invade? It happens once and it's whew, what a relief, but if it happens two or three times it starts to be embarrassing and obvious. What then?

Well, they did try it in the case of Iraq and Libya.  Both times though, the international and particular situation prevented meaningful action on their behalf.

And Russian grand strategy is to contain America as much as possible, via multilateral and institutional means.  So I expect to see much more of this in the future, if only attempted.

Putin's op-ed was basically, just stop, you're making everything worse.

It'll be interesting to see where this goes in the future, whether it turns into increasing friction between the US and Russia or whether it develops into something... else. I don't know what that something else would be, though, because the US kind of only does friction.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

The thing is, even if Obama technically scored a "victory" for sanity by working with the Russians on this, it'll never be perceived that way in the US. You don't just threaten war and then fail to deliver it. That isn't how 'Merica works, you see. I can almost see this as Obama doing an elaborate diplomatic dance and using the threat of force as the final push to get Russia off it's ass on a diplomatic solution (although I much prefer my gut reaction interpretation that this was a badly fumbled and desperate dash to backpedal from the threat of war). But that's all irrelevant as far as anyone in America is concerned, and it almost guarantees that future candidates for the presidency will be forced to be more hawkish, at least verbally.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I honestly am well past the point where I feel I can even begin to speculate on what actually went down. Crazy manipulation by grand master Obama? Embarrassing fumble? I have no idea. Also I am unaccustomed to things like presidents of other world powers taking out op-eds in our newspapers. Has that ever happened before?

[Cain]

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[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Also I am unaccustomed to things like presidents of other world powers taking out op-eds in our newspapers. Has that ever happened before?

Occasionally, but foreign leaders normally have other ways to get their message out.

And V3x is right, the usual crowd - now denied the blood of Syrian civilians - are calling for Obama's blood instead.  Shameful capitulation, weakening of American resolve, carte blance to genocidal dictators, the spirit of appeasement, worse than Munich 1938, Obama is Neville Chamberlain and Assad is Hitler and Justin Bieber will now release a new album.

The usual doomsaying.

I'd keep an eye on Kerry, too.  His belligerence over the whole thing was rather...intense.  One wonders what a thwarted Secretary of State with Presidential ambitions and powerful connections in the Senate might do as revenge.

So what you're saying is that things are about to get interesting?

[Cain]

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[Cain]

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[tyrannosaurus vex]

Remind me: did the US military ever admit using white phosphorus in Fallujah in 2004?

Just thinking, since we're talking about chemical war crimes and all...

That was Freedom Phosphorus™, and it was perfectly legal.

[Cain]

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[tyrannosaurus vex]

When the international community can credibly take Russia more seriously than the US, it's time to reevaluate our position as a paragon of morality. Of course it isn't really that simple, but more people need to understand that America's status as the sole global superpower does more harm than good, both to us and to the world. They won't, though.

[Cramulus]

WHAT AN AMAZING COINCIDENCE