Oh no: Not Again

The president made a good speech this evening. The case for the action he is taking was carefully made. He also articulated a measured account of America’s role in the world, and the criteria for intervention. "When we helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on a distant mountain, here's what one of them said: 'We owe our American friends our lives. Our children will always remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people.' That is the difference we make in the world". This was a statement about the benevolent use of America power with which it is impossible to argue. 

The weakest part of his argument was an explanation of the gravity of the direct threat to the US ISIS represents. He admitted that US intelligence had no evidence of any imminent threat, just the possibility of ISIS bringing the fight to US shores… And there’s the rub.

So, why did ISIS make and publish the two videos of Americans being so brutally murdered? To recruit? Probably not, at least not directly. Partly it was  to show it has no fear, that it will not be in intimidated by a superpower; but in part it was probably to poke the sleeping bear—and it worked.  It turned much of public opinion from disinterest and disillusion, if not to a lust for retribution, at least to a resolve to take large scale military, action that would reinvigorate anti-American hatred, and so bolster their cause and their ranks.

Fortunately, Obama didn’t take the bait as the neo-cons wanted and would have hook line and sinker. This time there are others, local regional players, including Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran who will be dragged into the fray with us, and that will work against ISIS.

If its plan was to whip up anti-American sentiment by provoking America into retaliation with massive force for the killing of its two citizens, Obama deftly sidestepped the trap. And with good reason. Someone on one of last Sunday's talk shows made a telling comment; that it will take a generation for the violent Arab anti-American sentiments, and Shia-Sunni hatred to abate; a generation is a very long time. 

Just as the Yazidi families America helped rescue will remember the good we have done for many many years, equally long lasting will be the hatred and resentment for the meddling, the collateral damage (read: the killing of innocent bystanders), the humiliation, and the self righteousness imposition of a foreign model of governance of the Iraq war. It it this, I think, that the President has been working tirelessly to avoid; to avoid a repeat of the disaster that was the Bush-Chaney doctrine.

It's also interesting that Congress doesn't want to touch the hot potato of deciding to go to war. Despite the right's criticisms for the Obama's 'lack of leadership' (code for 'doesn't seem to want to fight'), when asked if they would stand up and make the call they head for the hills. (Commander in Chief must be the loneliest job in the world).   

But when all is said and done, one is will left with a vexing question as to why the the very public killing of two Americans sparked sufficient outrage to lead the country back to war, when 289 people died at the hands of Ukranian separatists on Malasia Airlines Flight 17 and 40 people are murdered in the US every day.  As Douglas Adams pointed out many years ago, the one thing we can't afford is a sense of perspective.