The Question of Syria, What is the right question?

The Question of Syria, What is the right question?

     Syria is a hot topic in the United States and around the world. However, it seems that there is not an objective look at the issue in the United States press. Rather there is a call to condemnation for the 'Assad Regime'. Political pundits of the war machine ask 'What should we do in response to Assad's atrocities?'

          Allegations against the 'Assad Regime' include gassing his own people and bombing hospitals. There is no conclusive evidence in either case. Even if we were to accept every report against the 'Assad Regime' as gospel truth, the evil is paralleled by what Saudi Arabia is doing in Yemen. So where is the American outcry for the murder of civilians in Yemen? Is dropping barrel bombs on civilians any different than dropping cluster bombs on innocents? Instead the United States is encouraging the slaughter of innocents in Yemen as President Obama is petitioning for yet another billion dollars in military aid for the wealthy country of Saudi Arabia.

          The message here of course is clearly one of hypocrisy. We can stand back and abhor in terror what the 'Assad Regime' is doing while at the same time applaud and assist in the atrocities of Saudi Arabia. In fact, there is little press that is addressed to this dirty little secret conflict. Why that is so is a very good question.

          Additionally, the United States is declaring that Assad was not elected in a fair and democratic way. While not exactly the same, I have but to look at the actions of the DNC here at home to see cheating. Once more the claim is not a fact but rather a smearing of Assad. Whether we like it or not President Assad was selected by the process the country of Syria used. He is the legitimate ruler of a sovereign country. That is a very important reality.

          The question to be asked is not 'What should we do about the atrocities of the 'Assad Regime'?' But rather 'what right does the United States have to interfere in the political integrity of a sovereign nation?'

          Of course historically the United States has aggressively violated the rule of legitimate, democratically elected leaders. Say what? Let's put that bluntly. The United States has sent people to kill and destroy so that they could throw out of power legitimate leaders. This has been done in Haiti, Chile, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Colombia, Vietnam, Dominican Republic, Brazil and others. Whether the interference involved sending in the marines, a full blown out war, or sinister and covert C.I.A. activity it matters little. What it amounts to is denying the will of the people of other nations and imposing America's will upon them. Without exception this brought about worse conditions for the masses.

          Think about that for a moment. How would any United States' citizen feel if after an election a group of Chinese marines landed in Washington because they were unhappy about the results. Or if Russian thugs assassinated the president-elect and put in power one hand picked from Moscow?

          So should we be unconcerned about what is happening in Syria? By no means. There are proper channels to influence other nations. There is diplomacy and the United Nations. But why not focus on situations that we could have a greater impact on? Why not pressure Israel into stopping the bombing of Gaza? Why not stop the war on Yemen? And while we’re at it why not stop the illegal drone attacks all over the Arab world? When it comes to virtue one should lead by example, not with hostile actions over ugly accusations that have never been substantiated.

          For you see we must ask the right question. "What right does any nation have interfering with the internal conduct of another nation?" Through the dogma of 'American exceptionalism' the United States is practicing a policy of might makes right. What are our goals? It has not one thing to do with humanitarian concerns. It all has to do with securing resources for American interests. "It's the money that matters."

          If that sounds callous, and cold, it is. Our 'war on terror' is nothing of the sort. Rather it is a gambit to steal the oil, secure minerals and control the opium trade. In the Rwandan genocide the United States decided to look the other way. ( https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/mar/31/usa.rwanda ) While Bill Clinton decided to use force in Yugoslavia he chose to ignore the much more severe situation in Africa. His turning a blind eye allowed genocide to happen. The choice of where to commit American military force is a glowing indication of what is in our 'national interest'. By ignoring the larger scale African conflict and taking decisive action in Europe, our interests were clearly shown as not to be motivated by humanitarian compassion.  

          I am one for getting our own house in order. The United States is a country in peril. Our industry is destroying the environment. Social justice in the United States is at an imbalance. We are waging aggressive wars. We have more people incarcerated than any other nation. We are the number one arms dealer in the world. We have made a mockery of our honor by flagrantly violating every treaty signed with the indigenous peoples. Our economy is out of whack enriching the rich, destroying the middle class and impoverishing the poor. Why can't we ask questions on those matters? As the Bible says "remove the beam from your own eye and you will see clearly to remove the mote from your brother's".

          I love my country. Not the greedy bankers. Not the marauding, bullying army. Not the arrogant, narcissistic politicians.  But rather the good people and the righteous ideals. I urge those who have a zeal to help the Syrian people to do so. But dropping bombs and funding radical factions who will turn their guns anywhere they see fit is not the answer. Rather let us capture a moral command and let others navigate by the light we shed in our greatness.  We have but to live up to the ideals that this nation was supposedly founded upon.

          What right does the United States have to interfere in Syria's internal politics? None.

         

          About the author. John Kaniecki is an activist writer and full time caregiver to his wife Sylvia. He volunteers as a missionary in the inner city of Newark, at the Church of Christ at Chancellor Avenue. His book Poet To The Poor, Poems Of Hope For The Bottom One Percent, poetically explores life by using historical figures and every day people. John is also a bipolar survivor. His book Murmurings of A Mad Man addresses the poetically. His soon to come out memoirs More Than The Madness reveals mental illness from the perspective of the mentally ill. To find these books and others please visit his Amazon author page.   https://www.amazon.com/John-Kaniecki/e/B00NV8AU76

John Kaniecki can be reached at peacepoems@mail.com 

John writes personal poems upon request.

http://johnkaniecki.weebly.com/