ISIS on the offensive in Iraq

[ICantSpellDawg]

Interesting position. Please, do elaborate, dawg. Why does the world need war? Why is your interpretation of social Darwinism any less repugnant than some better known ones I'll refrain from mentioning (not because I don't want to, but because you seem to be paraphrasing liberally on your own...) ...? Why do you think if we'd intervened earlier it would have been better? Surely if we had the political means to intervene meaningfully then, we also have the means to do so now, and did in 2003, and 2001. Its a square peg in a round hole, man. All the intervention is going to do is kill some bad guys and stir up the hornets' nest some more. I'd like to be wrong, though.

I don't know why we love it so much. Why do squirrels collect nuts? We love conflict and competition. I think this love, combined with the fact that war solves problems like nothing else can (even though it creates new ones on a massive scale)

We have dueling desires. On the one hand, collateral damage deeply disturbs us. On the other hand, there is really no end to how many innocent people might die in order for us to eviscerate our enemies.

Anyway, I am in favor of an endless series of wars that uses the treasure of western economies to destabilize and destroy the worst offenders around the globe. I view these situations as "our business" and people everywhere as my people. I would support war against Assad if he was a republican warlord in the midwestern US and I support it in Syria, where my fellow human beings live. We share a culture, history, genes, and a future. Their lives are being destroyed and I would like to spend my tax dollars fighting along side them. Of course, structural global charity and economic openness is a bigger part of the solution, but nothing satisfies like lobbing ordinance into a small room of fascists and picking off the ones who escape, right? If we can join them for the long slog, we might as well join them for the party and fireworks.

[Pannonian]

I don't know why we love it so much. Why do squirrels collect nuts? We love conflict and competition. I think this love, combined with the fact that war solves problems like nothing else can (even though it creates new ones on a massive scale)

We have dueling desires. On the one hand, collateral damage deeply disturbs us. On the other hand, there is really no end to how many innocent people might die in order for us to eviscerate our enemies.

Anyway, I am in favor of an endless series of wars that uses the treasure of western economies to destabilize and destroy the worst offenders around the globe. I view these situations as "our business" and people everywhere as my people. I would support war against Assad if he was a republican warlord in the midwestern US and I support it in Syria, where my fellow human beings live. We share a culture, history, genes, and a future. Their lives are being destroyed and I would like to spend my tax dollars fighting along side them. Of course, structural global charity and economic openness is a bigger part of the solution, but nothing satisfies like lobbing ordinance into a small room of fascists and picking off the ones who escape, right? If we can join them for the long slog, we might as well join them for the party and fireworks.

You favour destabilising your allies as well.

[ICantSpellDawg]

You favour destabilising your allies as well.

I do, however we can do it with kid gloves on. I am happy that Mubarak's regime collapsed, if that's what you're asking.

[Pannonian]

I do, however we can do it with kid gloves on. I am happy that Mubarak's regime collapsed, if that's what you're asking.

You'd have been even happier had the UK fallen apart as well.

[ICantSpellDawg]

You'd have been even happier had the UK fallen apart as well.

I'm not sure about that. The UK is a great ally. Dev max is different from civil war. I don't think any western country needs a violent confrontation at all. I was talking about our Saudi and other regional alies in particular. I am hopeful that their autocracy will have a more controlled and planned dissolution, under the constant friendly pressure of their western friends and allies, of course.

[HoreTore]

You'd have been even happier had the UK fallen apart as well.

I love the smell of cross brits in the morning...

[HopAlongBunny]

Instead of looking at various conspiracies involving ISIS and the Kurds I would look no further than American domestic policy.
The situation supports the American preferred mode of social welfare (defense spending) gives moderate support to oil prices when the world is awash (and the US is looking to sell) is a convenient threat narrative deflecting attention from real social spending priorities.
Conspiracy!? Who needs it when there are ample real reasons.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

You favour destabilising your allies as well.

No, we do not favor it. We're just ham-handed enough and Bull-in-a-china-shop subtle enough to accomplish the destabilization anyway.

[Pannonian]

No, we do not favor it. We're just ham-handed enough and Bull-in-a-china-shop subtle enough to accomplish the destabilization anyway.

The you in that instance was singular and directed. Greyblades explained well enough the mentality behind it.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

The you in that instance was singular and directed. Greyblades explained well enough the mentality behind it.

Fair enough. I still stand by my estimate of our foreign policy effectiveness with our allies. I would prefer it if more US political leaders interpreted the phrase "special relationship" as referring to a partnering choice rather than seeing the words "discount price."

[Fragony]

Something positive comming out of IS? Even Al Quaeda is saying chill the fuck up, but now also a lot of (supposedly) highly influentual clerics.

[HopAlongBunny]

Actually (at least here) clerics have been calling for support against radical groups for quite some time.
The latest manifestation of support is a handy-dandy bathroom book:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manito...sque-1.2781062

Its taken officials a long time to take the issue seriously, I only hope they're taking real measures behind the scene.

[ICantSpellDawg]

What the frak are you talking about, Dawg? Since when are you such a nihilist? Either you've totally lost it, or you've decided to abandon any and all subtlety in your trolling.

What nihilism? I've just said that everyone should be concerned with everyone else. Saying that humans are also naturally obsessed with killing one another is just acknowledging truth. Not nihilism. I don't believe in a God that has a problem with Just killing, even on a massive scale. I also don't think that war has any relationship with compassion. Everyone dies, when they die for something it is better than living for nothing.

I like people and want them to be free to do what they want. People like Assad, IS, and al-Nusra; in violently denying others that right, kindly provide us with targets on which to focus our natural, and hopefully Just bloodlust. We should send them a thank you card.