Uncle Sam's Three Sunni Stooges fuel sectarian war in Syria

Three and a half years ago, the US greenlighted expansion of the raging civil war in Syria, with the death toll now approaching 400,000. At a March, 2012, conference in Saudi Arabia, we acquiesced to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey arming Sunni rebel groups seeking to overthrow Syrian president Assad. We said it was OK to arm 'moderate' rebels, when in fact virtually all of them seek jihad against the Shiites, Alawites, Druze and Christians, all being protected by President Assad. If the rebels win, many in those groups will die. The US will never admit that this bargain with the Devil to remove Assad has prolonged the war and worsened the unspeakable toll on the Syrian people and their land. A year earlier we had a chance to broker a peaceful settlement but sabotaged the deal because it would have left Assad in power, a non negotiable demand in winning our proxy war against our imagined enemy in the Middle East, Iran.

Uncle's three stooges give us military bases and support for our futile efforts to prevent Iran from exerting hegemony in the region. Now the proxy war against Iran includes nuclear armed Russia employing its considerable power to insure its bordering ally Syria does not fall to Sunni jihadists who could use Syria to destabilize Russia as well.

Syria is now the most dangerous trip wire in the world for both a massive regional war; even a nuclear one. After failing in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, one would think we'd pause before continuing the death spiral of failed US military intervention. And one might ponder that with friends like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey...we don't need enemies.

1.8 million counting on Women's Boats to Gaza

The ten year long sea blockade of Gaza by Israel represents collective punishment and crimes against humanity; and must be opposed by every sane, decent person. In seventeen days the Amal Hope sets sail from Barcelona, Spain with token supplies, but more importantly, a glimmer of hope for the 1.8 million living under horrendous conditions in the small strip of land which constitutes the world's largest open air prison. In August, 2008, two small boats did make the journey safely, prompting Israel to attack the Mavi Mamara, the next boat that tried in 2010, resulting in nine dead crew. A year later a Greek boat was intercepted in international waters; the crew was spared death but kidnapped and imprisoned for a time in Israel. The Amal Hope's all women crew of politicians, media, athletes, artists and activists includes athlete coach Cegdem Tapcuoglu, widow of one of the nine murdered on the Mavi Mamara.

Back in the 1930's and 40's Americans were rightly criticized for ignoring the catastrophe engulfing European Jews. Yet, eight decades on were not only ignoring the catastrophe engulfing nearly two million Gazans, three quarters of whom suffer food insecurity, we stand by while our government throws billions of our tax dollars at the Israeli government every year to enable this human tragedy.

Though a non-theist, I'll be saying a little prayer on September 16 for the Amal Hope and its courageous crew of determined women who should make us all turn away in shame for our insensitivity to man's inhumanity to man.

Peter Roskam's Jack Benny moment

Robber to Jack Benny: "Your money or your life."
Pause
Robber to Jack Benny: "Your money or your life."
Pause
Jack Benny: "I'm thinking it over."

That iconic Jack Benny gag on his love of money is being channeled by my Illinois 6th District Congressman Peter Roskam regarding his deafening silence so far on whether he'll support racist, xenophobe, misogynist GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.

I can imagine a conversation like this in the unlikely chance Roskam would engage his constituents in a Town Hall meeting before the election.

Voter to Peter Roskam: "Are you voting for racist, xenophobe, misogynist GOP Candidate Donald Trump or will you vote on principle againt him?"
Pause
Voter to Peter Roskam: "Are you voting for racist, xenophobe, misogynist GOP Candidate Donald Trump or will you vote on principle againt him?"
Pause
Peter Roskam: "I'm thinking it over."

Unlike Benny, Roskam's dilemma is not a love of money; it's a love of a lifetime in Congress.