Retaliation - Does It Work?

I have been watching the world reaction to the Paris tragedy with growing consternation.  While I understand how people can react in the heat of the moment I question the severe, retaliatory rhetoric that politicians are using across the globe.  In particular I feel that Prime Minister Cameron in the UK and President Hollande in France are being extremely forceful in their demands for “bombing the bejezus out of Syria”.  I can understand it when a layman would say something like this, particularly in the early days after the event, but I question the wisdom of a leader of a nation to speak in such a way.

I just want to compare their reactions to how President Bush retaliated after 9/11.  Did that work?  I think not, rather it seems to be giving the world more blowback.  At the same time, President Obama seems to be using very measured words and taking a different approach to what is happening on the terrorist front.  I am not expert and I also am not following these events closely but I have to wonder what history will say about the first decades of the 21^st century.  Reflecting on the last century I think we are heading in the same pathetic direction and ask the now proverbial question “when will we learn”?

I think Prime Minister J. Trudeau is taking the correct approach in withdrawing our bombers although I don’t know if putting more boots on the ground, even if it is in an instructional capacity is useful.  I simply don’t know.  Canada is a small country in terms of population and wealth and it is neither our heritage nor experience to get involved in war.  Do we want to consider this war in Syria as World War III?  Are we being hysterical about what is happening in the Middle East?  Can anyone tell me that there will be a solution or resolution to the discontent that has been happening in the Middle East for centuries?  Wiser heads than mine have said there will never be peace in the Middle East and I am pretty darn sure that bombing the crap out of Syria is not going to fix anything.

Meanwhile we have millions of people who are fleeing the horrific consequences of this war.  On the one hand the Western world is participating in bombing these people out of their homes and on the other hand they are holding out a hand to bring them into their countries, giving them aid in various forms.  It seems to me a contradiction to wreak havoc and then pat them on the head and say “there, there, everything will be alright”.   Of course we have a duty to provide solace to people in despair but it would make a whole lot more sense if we weren’t the ones causing the despair in the first place.

There’s been four years of upheaval since the Arab Spring and before that we have seen two decades of growing unrest in the Middle East, much of it causes by blowback from Western interference and exploitation.  I am not an expert but it seems to me that talks, education and avoiding exploitation may be a much easier way to resolve matters.  And maybe for non-Middle East countries to keep their noses out of other people’s affairs.

I’m just saying . . . .