Hard Choices in Syria

Anyone who dares to challenge the "conventional wisdom" risks being labeled a "truther." In times of war, however, things get murky and establishing the facts can be difficult if not impossible. Witness the chemical attack in 2013 in Syria. The attack was widely blamed on the Assad regime. The Obama administration refused to intervene and got hammered for being "indecisive." The administration however remains committed to an "Assad must go" policy. It's not clear, however, who was responsible for the attack. Investigating a matter like that would be difficult under normal circumstances but in a war it is virtually futile.

It's not a question of "liking" or approving of Assad. Rather the question is; who is worse Assad or an ISIS takeover of Syria? Those are the alternatives we are facing.

Guns Don't Equal Freedom

The Gun Nuts keep claiming that they need to own guns in order to protect themselves against the "oppressive government" and they typically claim that Hitler would not have been able to take over Germany if private citizens had been armed. Ben Carson is the latest GOPer Presidential candidate to expound this hateful myth.

In reality Germany between 1918-33 was afflicted by widespread political violence. The Nazis established the SA, from which they later spun off the SS, which became the instrument of genocide and terror. Many other political groups also established militias. The final result was the breakdown of the Weimar Republic, and the triumph of the Nazis. Political violence is the enemy of freedom, not its defender.

I Hate to Mention This But

I hate to keep going on and on about Donald Trump. Except that there's the question of his lawsuit against Univision. Univision refused to broadcast the Miss Universe Pageant which is co-owned by Trump. The matter is still pending. But does anyone see the absurdity? Donald Trump clearly hates Mexicans, yet he still wants to make money off of them. Racism is never a good faith position.