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The Robert Taft Republicans Return
WSJ ^ | September 3, 2013 | Bret Stephens

Posted on 09/04/2013 9:52:20 AM PDT by nuconvert

The Robert Taft Republicans Return - Isolationism has never served the interests of America, or the GOP.

'We'll be lucky to get 80 Republicans out of 230." That's an astute GOP congressman's best guess for how his caucus now stands on the vote to authorize military force against Syria.

At town hall meetings in their districts, the congressman reports, House Republicans are hearing "an isolationist message." It's not America's war. The evidence that the Assad regime used chemical weapons is ambiguous, maybe cooked. There isn't a compelling national interest to intervene. "Let Allah sort it out." We'd be coming in on the side of al Qaeda. The strike serves symbolic, not strategic, purposes. There's no endgame. It would be another Iraq.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bretstephens; chickenhawk; isolationism; isolationists; neocon; neoconhysteria; republicans; roberttaft; syria
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To: Darren McCarty
I support intervention when there is a vital national security interest, a clear objective, and an end game. Syria isn't it. Iraq wasn't it. Afghanistan was it.

The initial bombing of Afghanistan to destroy Al Quaeda cells and their Taliban enablers following the 9/11 attacks, yes. Staying there for over a decade to keep the peace among warring tribes and to "nation build," no.

Both liberal and neoconservative interventionists use the red herring strategy of conflating legitimate self-defense and national security efforts with internationalism. Of all the post-Cold War interventions and likely interventions, the first few months of the conflict in Afghanistan were the only ones with a national security component. The rest were mistakes or outright deceptions.

121 posted on 09/04/2013 3:12:36 PM PDT by ek_hornbeck
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To: WilliamIII

It depends on how you view the use of chemical weapons...if you see this as a violation of international norms of warfare, and you do not interven, it is isolationist...
because you are then saying, WE will not uphold certain “limits in warfare “ (which is bizzare to say the least).

However, in this case it is more complicated just because we DON”T have any reliable intel...so going in there the questions becomes “Who do you stop from using the chem weapons? WHO do you punish? And HOW do you stop them?”

The alternative also is to say “We don’t care who uses what in warfare on others, or our troops, etc.”

And the problem as always is that America has been THE Major Power on the world stage and has always been the most decent standard bearer of freedom and human rights. ironically, Obama does not want us to be the major player...

However, when Iran, China or Russia become the “Major Power”, well, the world will be in a very dark place.

My opinion is that in WWII we were the Leader and we “reshaped” Germany and Japan by their surrender and our —for a time—staying there and Making the change ( to our and the world’s benefit).

In the last few decades we have “intervened” but not sought an definitive VICTORY with our calling the shots on what happens after war. THAT is folly and also a waste of effort and lives and treasure. To win in Vietnam and give up the peace to the enemy,same in Iraq and Afghanistan..is beyond stupid and tragic.


122 posted on 09/04/2013 3:26:37 PM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie
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To: NVDave
What are you saying man?

That we should not have gone to war in 1917 to make sure Britain and France kept their colonies, and divided up Germany's colonies between themselves and Japan?

Heresy!

123 posted on 09/04/2013 6:38:07 PM PDT by Kenny Bunk (Don't miss the Blockbuster of the Summer! "Obama, The Movie" Introducing Reggie Love as "Monica! ")
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To: nuconvert

Well the WSJ favors flooding the US with unending mass immigration from all corners of the world. So maybe they figure this is a way to get thousands of Syrian refugees.


124 posted on 09/04/2013 8:36:14 PM PDT by Aetius
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To: nuconvert

Bret Stephens’ ode to a red herring - declining to get involved in Syria after the left sabotaged our efforts in Iraq, and Obama’s unserious surge in Afghanistan isn’t being isolationist. Having as little to do with Islam is being smart. We’ve had enough of fool’s errands and the so called religion of peace. Quarantine islam.


125 posted on 09/04/2013 9:08:27 PM PDT by neverdem (Register pressure cookers! /s)
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To: nuconvert
Lemme get this straight: it's isolationist to vote against a Syria intervention when there is absolutely no threat to US national security?

That's the new definition of the term isolationism?

What is this guy smoking?

126 posted on 09/04/2013 9:12:50 PM PDT by sargon (I don't like the sound of these here Boncentration Bamps!)
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