Chump for President

[decay]

Nahh, I am 6'2" 300.

for real? dude, as much as we love fucking with each other, i am now actually concerned for your health. that's morbid-obesity territory. i'm the same height but a buck-eighty. do some laps around the block; who the hell am i gonna argue with if your heart explodes?

[mbonder]

Who exactly is the "someone else" that we can install? I'm not against removing him, just to make it clear, I don't like him in the least. But when an authoritarian such as Assad comes to power and keeps it, it's usually because the military is on his side (much like the Iraq military was on Saddam's side). How do you deal with these guys after you remove their leader in favor of someone that might not be as favorable to the military? Do they just accept the change?

Far as I can see, there are many occasions across the globe where the US has intervened in the government of another nation and installed someone that they felt was better than the current administration and it has ended in a worse situation. Look at the countries of Central and South America, where the CIA attempted to play those governments like a game of chess, many of them show a disdain toward the US now and I don't really blame them.

With the exception of Japan after WWII, I just don't see a country where the US has successfully toppled a leader and it's ended well.

[Dagamus(NM)]

I actually don't think Assad (although he has committed atrocities) should be removed from Syria. As bad as he is, if he is removed the alternative is probably worse. Look what happened when bad guy Saddam Hussein was removed from Iraq...we ended up with ISIS. No need to create another power vacuum just as it looks like ISIS is being beaten back and we may have turned a corner in some respects toward a more stable future.

Hate him as I do and many others do, I just think removing him would be worse.

He can be removed and somebody else installed without creating the power vacuum. We created a power vacuum in Libya, well we contributed to it. In Iraq the issue was disbanding the Iraqi army. These guys had their lives turned upside down so they left to syria. Formed their own thing and became the big employer.

[naplesE30]

Well it all depends on how its done, and maybe more importantly percieved. Iraq was an opportunity lost. When we pulled out completely we left a huge power vacuum. Had it been done differently things may have been better.

Maybe that region of the world is just not capable of restrained self governance. Its awefully hard to just stand by and see the attrocities done on innocent people. Its also hard to see groups like ISIS and Hamas hide behind innocent groups of the population and use them as shields and propoganda when they are killed as collateral damage.

[mbonder]

I actually don't think Assad (although he has committed atrocities) should be removed from Syria. As bad as he is, if he is removed the alternative is probably worse. Look what happened when bad guy Saddam Hussein was removed from Iraq...we ended up with ISIS. No need to create another power vacuum just as it looks like ISIS is being beaten back and we may have turned a corner in some respects toward a more stable future.

Hate him as I do and many others do, I just think removing him would be worse.