Syria

I've been following with some interest the events taking place in Syria. I don't like the way things are shaping up. It was easier to understand before the chemical weapons were used. Now, it's gone to a whole new and unpleasant level. Not that war is ever pleasant, mind. But weapons of mass destruction? The use of those kinds of weapons is just beyond the pale.

I know. The US dropped the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I know about the incendiary bombs used in WWII and subsequent conflicts. I know about the Agent Orange and napalm and all the rest. I also know that the US is one of the few countries on earth that still hasn't signed the landmine treaty. I also acknowledge the fact that a couple of young men piloting a drone from thousands of miles away can deliver weapons on target in a way that jeopardizes only the targets (and those unfortunates who happen to be in the area). That last one bothers me in a way that none of the rest do, frankly. There's just something obscene about it.

The American Civil War was the first truly modern war. Up to that point, war had really changed little from the time Caesar crossed the Rubicon. With the advent of rapidly reloading weapons, enhanced ballistics, and high explosives, the death toll was really like nothing we'd ever seen. Up to that point, the dead and wounded were numbered in the thousands (not to downplay the significance of any casualty, of course). But in the Civil War, things changed. Now we numbered the dead in hundreds of thousands. WWII was the costliest war, with over a million US lives affected (wounded or killed). The Civil War remains the costliest, however, in terms of overall population. Nearly 2 percent of the population perished. Further, there were nearly 600 deaths per day, while in WWII there were nearly 400.

Now, thanks to superior firepower and defensive measures, the war on terror has claimed only about 1 1/2 lives per day. Again, I don't wish to downplay the significance of any life lost - each is precious and valuable, and the loss is really immeasurable. But our modern warfare is very different, at least on our side. Which is good for us.

And not so good for the opposing force.

But what does this mean for us, in a geopolitical sense? The middle east is, and has ever been, a complete hotbed of contention. Nations fighting over tiny bits of land FOREVER. Religions feeling like they have a divine mandate to exterminate all opposition. People growing up in environments of hatred and malice towards one another, all within such an incredibly close proximity, and all for such an incredibly long time...

It's difficult to fathom, really.

Russia doesn't want us there, but its motives are not clear and therefore suspect. The Arab League apparently favors some sort of intervention, but what and how long? And how will Iran and other countries feel about that? Will they use this as an excuse to attack Israel, which they are spoiling to do anyway?

Hence the need and desire to stay out of these kinds of imbroglios in the first place.

I don't know what's going to happen. I wish Pres. Obama hadn't said the line about, well, the line. Although it's clear that he had to say something, and that he's being pressured to take a stance, it makes it now our place to do something, or appear ineffective. Besides, using chemical weapons on one's own citizens really is beyond the pale.

Sigh.

It's going to be interesting.