Presidential race 2016

[HairOfTheDog]

That doesn't make a difference to me.

That is my point. Do we praise him for his restraint or hold him responsible for making a mess by not doing anything? Damned if we do and damned if we don't. Not getting involved has just as many consequences as getting involved.

Maybe there are the same number of consequences. But, certainly, the consequences are different in scale and type.

If we'd have sent ground forces into Syria in the first few years of its civil war, we'd have undoubtedly lost American soldiers.

And, if we'd have succeeded in overthrowing Assad, we'd be looking at people designated as 'terrorists' poised to run the country under the opposition/rebel umbrella; probably with the intent to convert Syria into an Islamic/Sharia State instead of its current secular state.

And, if we weren't willing to let the opposition take control under those circumstances, we'd be once again occupying a ME country for years and trying to democratize it according to western standards; never a good long term strategy.

The coalition approach was a better strategy with less objectionable consequences than a direct U.S. intervention, from my perspective.