McCain's "Bloodletting"

John McCain is attempting to step up the game of the United States' role in Syria, petitioning the federal government for the authority to provide arms and munitions to the Syrian Rebels involved in the Syrian Civil Conflict. He reportedly made the request, saying "the bloodletting has got to stop".

Unfortunately for McCain and the continual US War Machine, the bloodletting will not stop by arming the rebels... in fact, it is impossible to say WHAT will happen in the short term or long term by shipping arms to a conflict zone. However, let's take a look at some examples and try to see the brilliance behind McCain's idiocy:

In a proxy war with the Soviets, the United States provide arms, munitions, and training to the Taliban in a remote landlocked nation called Afghanistan. The move to invade Afghanistan was Soviet aggression in spreading Socialism in the region, and true to the nature of the Cold War the US was there to confront them. The training of the Taliban, an aggressive nationalistic group of Muslim fundamentalists who otherwise were powerless, led to the eventual battle hardiness of the group as they fended off a world super-power. The arms and training provided by the United States were eventually used to destroy the country, implementing fundamentalist Islamic rule, destroying centuries old religious relics, and gave rise to a Mr Osama Bin Laden. The US won this proxy war in the short game, but there are more than three innings in this ballgame, folks. Bin Laden used his training and skills to create a rogue organization of Islamic Criminals, arguably starting World War III. The United States has been fighting a war against the Taliban for over ten years... the same Taliban to whom we once provided arms and munitions.

The story is the same in Iraq. We provided arms and munitions in support of Saddam Hussein. The US backed the Iraqis in another proxy war with the Soviets, where they backed Iran. The two countries fought brutal wars for many years at the hands of the two world super powers providing arms and munitions to both sides. The US entered into the country, waging one of the most controversial wars of US history to topple the regime that it helped build.

In Libya, the United States intervened, assisting the Libyan Rebels without any knowledge of 'who' these rebels actually were. As the Libyan conflict continued, it became more clear that the secular regime was being over-run by the Islamic fundamentalist enemy to the United States, Al-Qaieda. Thanks to the support of the US forces, the very organization responsible for attacking the United States in 2001 has now been given a country, an army, nasty munitions, and legitimacy.

In Egypt, the US backed regime who was responsible for an extended era of peace with Israel in the region, the 'Arab Spring' saw the overthrow of the secular regime in favor of a Muslim Fundamentalist Oligarchy. Though the military is technically still in control of the country, it is apparent that the nation has been over-run by Islamic fundamentalists. Burkas are now common, beaches are now segregated by sex, violent crime is rampant, and Christians are under extensive attack. The US President did not provide arms, but he did provide the full faith and allegiance of the United States, turning his back on the once allied Egyptian Government.

And not to be left out, the 1990's provided us with Kosovo, in which Bill Clinton armed and encouraged the Ethnic Albanians (Muslim) to declare independence, leading to a horrific armed conflict and eventual genocide of Albanians in the region.

Case after case the United States has intervened in these conflicts, and time and again the impact has been MORE loss of life, MORE war, MORE bloodletting, followed by LESS freedom, LESS religious liberty, and LESS stability.

Mr McCain, Neo-Cons, and War Democrats... hear me. Giving guns to the radical elements of this Islamic Arab Spring is not just a bad idea, it is historically immoral! It may seem popular or a means to an end to try and topple these regimes - but you're replacing secular nationalism with Islamic fundamentalism. I will take a small proud nation over a religious fundamentalist nation ANY DAY. War is not the answer. Arming the radical Islamic elements in these struggles is not the answer. It is about damned time that the United States (and her glorious leaders) shut the hell up and let these people fend for themselves.