It is becoming increasingly clear that the US is going to find itself involved in the conflict in
Syria. We're back once again at the same stage about a decade ago when George Bush convinced us all that we had to go to Iraq. And here we are again. The president of the
United States is being pressured by war happy senators that the United States must once again serve as the World's policeman and make things right, even though the international community is not so eager to get involved. But for all the reasons that one can suggest we users viable metrics for why the US should get involved, we can also suggest reasons why we should not get involved.
1. Agency
If there is anything that we know about revolutions it is that they often cannot exist without some spilt blood. The people of
Syria have decided they want nothing more to do with their government. And that government has decided it intends to continue ruling these people. This is bound to cause a fight. And this fight must be fought. Just as America fought against the British and the North fought the South, the Syrians must fight this out. The people of
Syria, if they get out of this conflict alive, will appreciate what they have achieved much more if they did it on their own. It will be an achievement they will talk about for generations, because they will know that at the end of the day the will of the people, even in an oppressive environment, overrules the beliefs of a few powerful people. The
Syrians have made the choice to fight, and while the government might have better weapons and trained soldiers, you just have to look at Fidel Castro to see what a focused dedicated leader can achieve with a revolution.
2. Domestic Issues
One of the biggest problems America has right now is that it doesn't seem to be able to prioritize. The American
educational system is one of the worst in the world compared to other first world countries. And with all the problems America has with
unemployment and children constantly
falling behind, and towns dying due to a lack of investment, how can it focus any of its resources towards fighting someone else's war? You cannot pretend you're in a good position to help or even advise someone else when your house is not in
order. It I'd nice to feel like you're the big man on campus and the one everyone and their mother turn to, but you have to fix
home first. Imagine what America would be like if more resources went towards education rather than war. Imagine what America would be like if instead of giving billions of dollars to other countries where people want to harm Americans, we funneled that money into our system and paid our teachers a good living wage. What if we used that money to provide help for parents with young
children who cannot afford the astronomical child care prices? There is a lot that has to be done at home, and it does not make sense that we constantly use taxpayer money to help other people but cannot afford to help our own people.
3. What Happens After Assad?
No one is suggesting that Assad is a good man. No one disputes the fact that what he has put his country through is horrible, but I must question whether the people who are so eager to get rid of him have thought hard about what will happen
after him. Sure you can get Assad out of the picture, but what do you replace him with? What is next? Is Assad simply going to be replaced by an over
zealous religious nut job? Are the Syrian people going to be better off without Assad? Freedom is a wonderful thing, but what kind. Of freedom are the Syrian people going to have? Getting rid of Assad is not going t make the sectarian violence go away. And America will never be in the position of understanding the complexities of the Sunni versus Shiite debate. Before we even entertain the idea of getting ourselves dragged into something we do not understand or fully grasp, we should be careful to look at the potential
aftermath. The Syrian people cannot hate America for not getting involved. After all, it is not the United States's job to fight other people's wars for them, even if they're viewed as underdogs.
4. Increased Strain
If there is one lesson we should have learned from all that we have been through, it should be that American
involvement in conflicts throughout the world does nothing but create more strain on its relationships with people around the world. People do not like the Idea of being dictated to, which often happens when mighty militaries get involved in the lives of everyday citizens. You add to the issue America's imperialist behavior throughout history and you get a picture of a country too powerful for its own good walking around with its chest pumped out trying to tell other people how they should live their lives and what sort of democracy they
should implement. What America needs is to heal its relationships with the world, not add to the problem. The Syrian conflict is tragic, but it is not a burden the United States has to take on its shoulders.
5. Another Decade of Influence
One clear reason why the US should stay clear is the fact that the international community is not keen on getting involved. He
United Nations was created so that the world community can decide how best to deal with crises like the one in Syria. The UN cannot fulfill the terms of its charter if the United States is always present as the alternative. The burden of the Syrian
conflict rests squarely on the shoulders of the United Nations, and the international body must be allowed to do its work. I'm a firm believer in the UN, especially given the fact that the Middle East is not a place where America has too many allies. If we do not avoid getting involved in
Syria, we're faced with another decade of influencing global politics with the risk of abandoning the hopes of the taxpaying American citizen who has lost faith in his government and who is waiting for the time when politicians will decide they still want to work for the people they are supposed to represent.
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