The Real Issue Behind The Syria Issue

We`ve all seen, heard and read about the chemical attack that killed up to 1,300 civilians in Syria. And, if you saw even one image or as little as one-second footage from that massacre, you probably got sick to your stomach, just like the rest of us.

The images and videos of children spasming and agonizing, the look of the doctors` faces, knowing there was nothing they could possibly do but wait for those innocent kids to die, right in front of them… that shook every single bone in my body. I cannot even imagine what kind of people would do that to random people caught in a sadistic battle for power… to five-year olds who haven`t hurt a fly…

It`s videos like these that can instantly transport you to a reality that you thought you could never witness:

But this happened just a few days ago. The Syrian government crossed “the red line”. Chemical warfare, the silent killer. Now this was supposed to be the moment Obama throws a cape on and plays the Superman card to punish the murderers. That`s what he promised, raising his finger in his classic threatening manner, swearing to God almighty that if this red line is crossed, our troops will wipe them off the face of earth.

source: blogs.ft.com

Now, he`s changed his mind. He doesn`t want to get “drawn into very expensive, difficult, costly interventions that actually breed more resentment in the region”, as it is a “a big event of great concern” (CNN.com) I could not agree more.

So why did he publicly promise he`d intervene in case of chemical warfare in the first place? Did he not think it through? Because, apparently, well-thought decisions are the only  type of decisions the presidents accepts. And that`s because he cares about his people so much…

“What I think the American people… expect me to do as president is to think through what we do from the perspective of, what is in our long-term national interests? (…) Folks will call for immediate action, jumping into stuff… that does not turn out well, gets us mired in very difficult situations.”

So the decision to send our troops to Syria if they crossed the red line was a rushed, stupid decision that was NOT in our long-term national interest? Well, if only EVERYONE had warned Obama a new war would be much too costly and exhausting for the U.S. right now…

Oh, wait. They did. And he still chose to show his smug face on national TV and make a promise he can`t keep. That`s real issue now. The Syrians are expecting American help on the way, as promised. And it`s not coming.

It`s not the first time Obama is making empty promises and I`m sure it won`t be the last time. Basically, every major promise he`s made that affected our long-term national interest has been postponed or simply ignored. Just a few examples to refresh your memory:

●     No more Guantanamo

That  was a promise Obama made in his first electoral campaign, to attract the younger generations who still believe human rights are respected here, in the U.S. Guantanamo is still alive and kicking in 2013 and it looks like it`s going to have a long, fulfilling life.

●     Surveillance is only for terrorists

Leaked documents clearly show Big Brother has been snooping in on every citizen of this country — terrorist threat or not — since Obama got comfortably settled at the White House.

●     Ok, fine, we`re spying on you. But we`ll make the process transparent.

Two weeks after this promise, Obama has a closed-doors meeting with CEOs from all major Internet companies to talk about the surveillance program. Also, they`ve warmly wished Manning a happy retirement in prison and they`re still chasing Snowden like he`s the new Bin Laden. I suppose this is part of their “transparency” plan?

●     Obamacare will give you access to more affordable, better-quality health on the long-term

“Hidden in a maze of legal jargon is another key provision of Obamacare: the administration has delayed a consumer protection law that sets limits on the costs of health care, giving some insurers the option to raise prices until 2015.”

Of course, corporations need to stuff their pockets with taxpayer money, therefore they can`t afford to pass any consumer protection law. Not now, not in 2015, not ever. Two years from now, they`ll find another reason to delay it for two more years and so on.

Now, I don`t want to rush to any conclusions. Especially not when we`ve got a new war knocking on the door, our economy is going down at the speed of light and the corruption is absolutely obscene. The truth is, you may never know what will happen tomorrow in the U.S. But you can be sure abut what`s NOT going to happen: Obama`s promises.

By Alec Deacon