The Syrian issue has been weighing on my mind recently, and mostly because of the inept response from our government to that nation's probable use of chemical weapons in their civil/religious war.

All that "Smart Power" that we were promised is looking more and more feckless as the days go on.

From the L A Times:

  "As U.S. officials discussed diplomatic and military options with allies in Europe and the Middle East, White Houseadvisors indicated Tuesday that they were unlikely to seek either a vote in Congress or at the U.N. Security Council to authorize use of force. Last week, Obama said he had concerns about launching an attack on Syrian PresidentBashar Assad's government without a U.N. mandate.

Russia and China would almost certainly veto or delay any U.N. resolution condemning Syria or sanctioning reprisal. Top British and French officials, who are likely to supportU.S. military action, have signaled they don't think a detour to the U.N. would be worthwhile."

As Obama himself once said, the use of force by the president, without a clear and imminent threat and without congressional approval is simply unconstitutional on it's face.

Any foreign military adventure such as this must have clear goals, and a plan to achieve those goals.  Apparently the administration told the LA Times that this is what they are thinking in that regard:

   "One U.S. official who has been briefed on the options on Syria said he believed the White House would seek a level of intensity "just muscular enough not to get mocked" but not so devastating that it would prompt a response from Syrian allies Iran and Russia.

"They are looking at what is just enough to mean something, just enough to be more than symbolic," he said."

That's a thin hair to split.   Anyone who has the hubris to think they can so finely predict the response of the Russians or the Iranians is very likely about to be introduced to Nemesis.

Reminds me of this scene from The Hunt For Red October:



And policy is being driven by a concern about being mocked?  All anyone has to do is recall this troubling image, and the anxiety over future mockery loses it's concern.  Let's not even google any of his impressive golfing pictures.

Ever see a picture of Vladimir Putin doing something like this?

Really, when the idea is to manage the Russians, who are led by a wily former KGB man; the Iranians, who think their holy Imam is going to come out of a well and bring the rest of the world to a fervently wished for destruction; and the inscrutable Red Chinese, then no one can have any confidence that this administration has any real grasp of the reality of the situation.

Further, Obama has done everything he can to appear indecisive and weak, which history proves only emboldens the aggressive totalitarians and fascists.  Wait, what are the Russians, the Iranians and the Red Chinese again?

In addition, the idiot administration has already telegraphed what it is going to do, and what message it wants to send by all this saber rattling, which really does nothing but allow our enemies to react and plan what they need to do to counter it.

A more incompetent and dangerous group of leaders this country has never had.  That they have control over the world's strongest military is mind boggling.   

World War III won't start because the fools and cowards that run our country couldn't face such a conflict, which our enemies know very well.  Let's hope the Russians, Iranians and Red Chinese don't call Obama's bluff by facing straight up to this unconstitutional aggression with threats of military response.   I'd be interested, if fearfully so, to see what the Obamanator would do in response to that, but likely he would be forced to retreat with his tail between his legs, humiliated and mocked world wide.

John Bolton tosses in his two cents:

Another good point of view. Notice that absolutely no one in the Obama administration ever addresses these issues?