Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The Evil of Our Interventionist Wars


Iraq, Libya, Syria: We have no right to play God

By Jonathan Cook
Common Dreams

"....This is not to argue that Assad’s regime has not committed war crimes. Rather, it is that, even were “humanitarian interventions” a legitimate undertaking, we have no comsistently reliable information to make an assessment of how best we can intervene, based on the “news” placed in our media by partisan groups to the conflict. All that is clear is that we are once again being manipulated, and to a known end.

These are grounds enough to oppose another humanitarian war. But there is an additional reason why it is foolhardy in the extreme for those on the left to play along with West’s current agenda in Syria, even if they genuinely believe that ordinary Syrians will be the beneficiaries.

If the West succeeds in its slow-motion, proxy intervention in Syria and disables yet another Arab state for refusing to toe its line, the stage will be set for the next war against the next target: Iran.

That is not an argument condoning Assad’s continuing rule. Syrians should be left to make that decision.

But it is an admonition to those who justify endless meddling in the Middle East in the service of a Western agenda. It is a caution against waging wars whose destructive power is directed chiefly at civilians. It is a warning that none of these humanitarian wars is a solution to a problem; they are only a prelude to yet more war. And it is a reminder that we have no right to play God."

2 comments:

Zarathustra said...

2 fallacies :

1) Syria is "Another Arab state for refusing to toe its line" I am sick and tired of refuting that lousy Argument. It is untrue and progressives that repeat it show ignorance and lack of depth.

2) "Syrians should be left to make that decision" , the playing fields are not even : Russia/Iran/Hizbulla/China are supporting Assad by every possible mean : Weapons/Money/Political protection .... so the Syrians are to be left alone to get slaughtered like sheep by Assad ??

Good job Jonathan , good effort.

Zarathustra said...

Also so Cook wants to protect Iran at the expense of 10s of thousands of Syrians killed and tortured. What kind of crooked logic is that ? In his logic the deaths of 10s of thousands of Syrians and destruction of the country on the hands of Assad is acceptable. I will tell my relatives to read your article Mr Cook this why when they go out and protest they can use it to protect themselves from Assad death squads.