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Jesup, Georgia 31545

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

75

Would striking Syria improve our Middle East track record? What would you do about strange that House Speaker My Opinion Syria? Rep. John Boehner and
Thats a question that Ive asked many people. Their responses have been mixed. What about you? Would you use our military to punish the Syrian government for what Secretary of State John Kerry calls a moral obscenity? Imagine your familyyour children and grandchildren foaming at the mouth and writhing to a painful death from chemical weapons. Wouldnt you be angry and revengeful? Im outraged at the atrocities, and I understand the eagerness to do something. And thats what America appears to be doing, gearing up to swat President Bashar alAssads regime. But wait a minute. As a citizen, voter, taxpayer, veteran and patriot, I wonder: Whats our track record in resolving un-American activities anywhere in the world? Should we fire missiles at Assads nerve center, whats next? How many other innocent people will be maimed or killed? Can we really avoid putting American boots on the ground? Should we strike Syria, what are the regional consequences? The U.S. has already spent trillions of dollars fighting over there, so how much more? If oil were not underneath Syria, would we risk another war? What further ire do we provoke among the radicals of the Islamic Nation?

MMM

DINK NeSMITH
Chairman

East? Im no foreign-relations expert. So, you can dismiss my lack of knowledge. But you cannot erase my cynicism. Americas throw-money-at-it foreign-aid solutions rarely work. Our bribes dont buy loyalty or peace. What we have is a conundrum. There is no plausible peace plan among these factions that have warred since the beginning. But what we have done is intensify the hatred against anything red, white and blue. Im no genius either, but Albert Einstein was. He said, The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If the first missile is launched toward Syria, wont we be doing the same thing over and overand expecting different results? Apparently not, according to the growing support in Congress for President Obamas call to action. Do you find it

If the Russians provided Syria the chemicals, how would Vladimir Putin and Company react? Do we really think we can Americanize the Middle

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi are in lockstep on this but gouge at each others eyes on crucial matters at home? We are willing to keep bartering blood for oilat any costbut we cant find that same cooperation to address the begging-forhelp challenges in our 50 states. If Americans have the ingenuity to walk in space, we have the ingenuity to walk away from the Middle Easts oily chokehold. What weve spent on fighting could have easily funded the necessary research to wrangle free from our dependency on fossil fuels. Beyond the dollars saved, imagine the anguish that could have been avoided by thousands of American families. Dont you grieve every time you read of another father, mother, husband, wife, son or daughter dying, wearing our uniform? We should always support and salute their valor, but do you wonder if all of this has been in vain? And that makes me think about Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. What would you do about Syria? Iran is likely to be next. Many would argue that it is our responsibility, as a world power, to police the globe. Thats a noble cause. But I repeat: Whats our track record in resolving un-American activities anywhere in the world? Should we risk another war and strike Syria? I think not.
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com