The Ferguson Military Hollywood Fantasy

I feel like the police in Ferguson, Missouri have lived in a Hollywood dream, where police and military officials regularly have their weapons trained on anybody, friend or foe, until they can ascertain whether or not it is a friend or foe. See, the problem is that this is entirely a Hollywood fantasy, and it’s part of the reason I say that police officers have a thankless and impossible job. But that is no excuse for pointing weapons at innocent citizens. Maybe someone who has served in the military can correct me, but it’s my understanding that the military are trained not to provoke a situation, and that means not pointing weapons at people who pose no threat. I’ve heard this account of military operations multiple times this week, including on Sunday’s “The Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO. Again, maybe someone in the military can correct me if this is wrong, but I’m beginning to think that is irrelevant anyway, because we aren’t talking about a military engagement in the Middle East, we are talking about fucking police officers in the middle of America.

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Syria War Drums: Do Liberals Enable Tyrants? I Reject The Premise

On The Daily Beast, Michael Tomasky explains to us liberals who oppose military action in Syria, how we are enabling the tyrants of the world. His article reads like an extension of the warmongering coming from Secretary of State John Kerry. The entire premise of the piece is predicated on the idea that we inherently know how the dictators and tyrants of the world will respond absent U.S. action. But we don’t actually “know” this.

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The Biblical Prophecy Argument For American Military Action Against Syria

Yesterday I pointed out 5 misguided arguments for American military action against Syria, but there’s a 6th much less publicized argument in favor of war in Syria. And it’s the most ridiculous reason of all. There are more than a few Christians who believe American military action in Syria, more specially the ancient city of Damascus, will lead to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

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What Will U.S. Military Force Against Syria Accomplish?

Today President Obama announced he decided the United States will use military force against Syria for its chemical weapon use. The President said he would seek the approval of congress, but noted that he has the executive power to authorize this action without congressional approval. That is something in stark contrast to his previous stance as Senator. In 2007, while on the presidential campaign trail, Obama said, “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.” I know we are supposed to believe presidents are privy to more information than us mere mortals, but this seems like a huge compromise of ethics, not to mention constitutionally questionable.

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