Will We Never Learn?

America has the best military in the world – the best soldiers, the best arms, the best strategy. As a superpower, there is an unwritten responsibility to help our allies when in distress as we did during both World Wars, the Korean War, Viet Nam, and Desert Storm. A few years ago, a movie came out about Representative Charlie Wilson’s mission to help Afghanistan fight off Russia’s advancement. Whether it was right or wrong to engage in any of the battles American soldiers fought throughout our history, one thing is becoming crystal clear – we are not learning from history.

The headlines today read we are now engaging in support for the rebels in Syria. Don’t get me wrong; I have no issues with helping a nation rid themselves of brutal dictators. I believe free nations have a moral obligation to help those oppressed by such regimes. However, as happened in Charlie Wilson’s War, are we about to arm a group of rebels who will then turn their wrath on us in the future?

The Middle East is a very complicated region. The fights and issues are centuries old. Rarely have countries from this region reached out to the United States for assistance. From my studies of this region, the Middle East is made up mostly of Muslim nations who prefer to keep the business of the “family” in the family. They do not want, nor appreciate, outside help. Therefore, attempting to arm one group who may ask for help only has the potential to spur further hatred of the West by the many other groups in the region.

When it comes to the Middle East, it seems we continue to make the same mistakes. I do not want to see innocent people die because of a brutal dictator. However, our government has not provided enough justification for engaging in another costly war. 

By SB

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