As many Americans, led in part by advisers closest to the president (and celebrated by the media), begin to itch for another war to overthrow Assad in Syria, there will be many among my peers and friends who disagree with me. So let me clear a few items.
First, I may be adamantly opposed to your position on the matter, but I will still treat you respectfully and respect our friendship.
Second, there is a moral contradiction in any war that attempts to “export American freedom and democracy.” Nations like Syria have virtually no tradition of democracy. And even the great visionaries of the world must deal with the cultural realities of the places in which they seek to intervene.
Third, U.S. interventionist policy in the Middle East, from replacing the semi-democratically elected prime minister of Iran in 1953 and bolstering the power of the king, to supporting the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the 1980s, to supporting Saddam Hussein that same decade in war against Iran, to then throwing him out and placing Iran’s allies in power in Iraq, to throwing out Ghadaffi in Libya… have all resulted in serious unintended (to give the benefit of the doubt) consequences. Fighting against Assad is, in effect, fighting with Salafist (Islamic extremists) groups such as ISIS.
Fourth, the number of people killed in nations where the U.S. has intervened is far higher since these interventions (see video in the comments). Especially for Christians, moral consistency means that while we are pro-life of the unborn here, we are also pro-life globally. American bombs and drones have also killed thousands of men, women and children. That doesn’t mean we must be pacifists, but the Christian view of war ought to be considerably more aligned with what Augustine and later thinkers developed into the Just War Theory (which I discuss here), or the theories of modern conservatives of the 1940s, such as Russell Kirk.
Fifth, strikes against Russian-backed Assad lure the U.S. closer to direct conflict with Russia, which has also been strengthening ties with China and Iran. Given points three through five, even if we abandon principle and do a simple and pragmatic “cost-benefit” analysis, intervention still has a far less-than-stellar record. Is it worth the risk?
Sixth, if you have not, PLEASE read up on the history of the Middle East and the history of American interventionism. Here is my series on the modern Middle East, well worth the time to read if you want to understand what is going on much better:
Modern Middle East Series
Part 2: Protectorates to Military Rule
Part 3: Roots of Radical Islamic Movements
Part 4: The Current Mess in Syria
Also, Watch the Following:
