Our country has many tendencies, the tendency to overly spend on military, bailout businesses as we see fit, waste taxpayer money, ignore the Constitution here and there, but I feel our most common tendency is to be a run-around confused ass bureaucracy. We lack our strength to be unitary when needed and right now, that is what is needed. This doesn’t seem up for debate to me, ISIS and any terrorist group that is a threat to us or any of our protectorates is OUR problem. What does it say to our other protectorates or any of our allies if we can’t step in to stop direct harm from coming to them? In a way, they’re an extension of ourselves and our self-sustainability and we can’t just let terrorists destroy our sustainability, can we? We have run around debating about this for too long, America is so scared of sending in troops to do anything after plunging as much money in our military over everything. Then, when the time that actually matters, we sit here pondering strategies like we’re at a god damn chess game. People are dying, allies are dying, Americans are dying, and little by little ISIS grows strength while our President and Congress play with themselves over what should be done here.
The answer is obvious, to send more troops. Every second that continues of this nonsense, we grow weaker and they grow stronger; a good snuffing is all that’s needed. And this isn’t something that we have to do alone, much like Steve Coll says in his article, the British and many others have an interest in extinguishing these groups as well. Egypt launched it’s first attack on these insurgents, I’ll give that it’s much closer to their homeland, but why is a country with only 1/4th of our population and a much weaker army quicker to act than us? We’re so stuck on the idea of being isolationists we can’t realize that we have grown far past that; the idea of isolationism is an old dead man’s ideal that isn’t meant to be taken so literally into the future. Yes, we should typically mind our own business. But let’s say this, let’s equate the United States to a singular person. We’ve been friends with our old pals Iraq, Syria, Egypt, et cetera for a while now. But this random asshole, ISIS continually keeps prodding and hurting them. We trade lunch, share resources, and even go to the after school club known as the United Nations. So, if we lack an the ability to act upon some damaging our allies, doesn’t that make us weak? Doesn’t that make us almost foolish? Wouldn’t we want the same if someone were to come picking on us? This is a very stretched metaphor, but only because I cannot in anyway try to come up with anything parallel to slaughtering thousands of people, some Americans in this case while we sit debating.
I’ve always been sort of proud to be an American in a strange way, I know most people would probably laugh at me or think that’s sarcasm, but it’s true. I’ve never been happy about people losing their lives or soldiers being sent off into war, but we all agree to these possibilities when we join the military or sign ourselves to the selective service act. Much like the famed Andrew Jackson(one of my personal favorite presidents) once said: “Every good citizen makes his country’s honor his own, and cherishes it not only as precious but as sacred. He is willing to risk his life in its defense and its conscious that he gains protection while he gives it.” We agree to defend our country and all it’s extensions, but this, this makes me sick to my stomach right now. I’m ashamed that we pick and choose when to be an isolationist state, Obama claims to not be condemning or condoning Egypt’s way of dealing with things. But, when it comes down to the matter inaction is an action. They mock our very values and way of life; ISIS does not discriminate specifically against Syrians or Egyptians. These our people who believe they are mujahideen. These terrorist mujahideen are modern day Nazis who want to snuff out anyone who doesn’t agree with their way of life, they believe we should be “humbled to ash.” You can argue the point that if we get involved we may see repercussions on our side, but we’re already seeing that. We could lose much more by sitting idle rather than getting involved, we’ve lost American journalists, American soldiers, and allies already to this. Why’re Americans dying for nothing other than their way of life? That is just sad and despicable, if not the duty to our allies, let us at least do the duty to our citizens. This is not about blood for blood, this is about blood for peace. What is needed is a strong central decision, one that is not so afraid of displeasing or satisfying our people, but seeing and doing what you know is right for them. And most Americans as I know, want these bastards dead and flayed. Our country is so post-9/11 that our leaders are afraid to stand up anymore, George Bush senior was never afraid to combat terrorism and lock it down without fail. Why must we be? We need a strong decision, justice is blind and justice is swift. Justice does not wait until thousands more are dead, justice delivers the blade strong and without question. Justice slays every head of every terroristic hydra until it falls beneath the scales of right and wrong. But this isn’t about right and wrong, this isn’t even really about justice, this is about politics and every political decision we make will either make us stronger or weaker. The question is to you, my dear reader, do you truly think that leaving a terrorist group unchecked and damaging our allies will make us weaker or stronger in the long run?
a flayed man 
irst off great article. The main point is clear, we need to do something about ISIS. Terrorism should not be tolerated, I agree. You suggested that we send troops over there and deal with them. We tried that in the last war we were in and that went on for yeeeeaaaarrss. Instead of sending soldiers and troops over there I saw we use our technology. While our President and Congress have been playing with themselves and the rest of the country’s political leaders have been “running around confused” we have made strides in technology. He can send drones. No soldier wants to go back, I can tell you that right now. They just got done picking the sand from their boots, and sending them back would no settle well with the rest of the country. We have technology, we should use it more freely or aggressively to end this conflict. When I was little I remember thinking to myself, “why don’t we just drop an atomic bomb on the entire Middle East and wipe is clean off the map?” Mind you that I was very little when I first thought this, and I realize that things are a bit more complicated than that. But an end to the conflicts would be good for the world. I see an end to the conflict through the technology we have.
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So I am kind of confused to be completely honest. You first state that the government spends too much money on the military but then you state the government should send more troopers to defeat ISIS? Troops barely get paid as it is. They don’t work for a hourly rate but as a flat rate. So the infantry soldiers who spend all their time in the field get paid less than minimum wage. So they need to be paid. I’m also guessing you haven’t seen the equipment most soldiers are given. They are very outdated and not made well. Then take into account all of those soldiers you want to send across seas have families. They are mother, fathers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, and so on. They matter to someone. So while you sit there and think of them as possessions, they are breathing and living. So yeah I agree with you that they did sign up for it. But what do you want to do with all these soldiers when they across seas? The crazy thing about ISIS is that it’s all over the place without setting up a kind of capital that can be conquered and captured. So even if you find the leaders of ISIS there is always other individuals to take over. Here’s another wild crazy thing about ISIS, a lot of members came from other terrorists groups. So even if you shut down ISIS completely, you risk just having another, more violent group spring up. Honestly I think you aren’t completely thinking your rash opinion of wanting to attack ISIS with full force when you aren’t tactically look at it.
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Whoa, I’m not saying anyone is a possession. I’m saying the reason ISIS is even to this point boils down to indecisiveness. Our lack of offense has given way for it to be to this point. What I’m saying is that we’ve spent so much money towards such a bolstered military already—why not deal with something that is a much more significant problem than the things we’ve dealt with prior? We have military presence in over 200 countries and yet, we choose to be indecisive when terrorist groups attack our allies and murder our innocents? My tact is that if we let this fester it will grow from an infection to a limb that needs to be ripped off. We have capitals, we have bases, and we have many outposts. We have military presence in over 200 countries and our soldiers have already clashed with them at our own outposts. I don’t like war as much as the next person, but I feel like more will die if nothing is done. And like you said, they have mothers, fathers, sisters, uncles, aunts and so on. They matter to someone. The U.S. Troops have signed up to give their lives for others, for a greater good—these civilians have not. That’s my point.
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Wow. Nice post. This is such a complicated issue. I absolutely agree with you: ISIS makes me very scared, and I will sleep better when they are gone. Yes, they are a risk to Americans. They are a risk to everyone. I’m not sure, though, that I see America as isolationist–at least not for the past 60 odd years. In fact, I often feel that America has become the policeman of the world. Something happens and America comes to the rescue. Why does it always have to be us? Yes, this time some other countries have pledged to help, but let’s be honest, the lion’s share will fall to us. It always does. So, while I want ISIS gone, I also don’t want America to have to be the one to do it. Yet, I know it will.
That said, I do agree that Obama needs to take action now. He can’t run again and Congress is doing everything in it’s power to make him the lamest of lame ducks, so why not be big and bold. Why not do what needs to be done and damn the consequences?
I long for the days when I could board a plane and not worry about whether I would make it to my destination. I long for the days when a low-flying jet didn’t scare me. We don’t live in that world anymore. We have to be vigilant.
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