Anybody else hear what happened in Syria this evening ?

[Patrick]

Don't know the monetary cost of that bombing

The cost of the Tomohawks is about $93.31 million (About $1.59 million each times 59 of them.)

As to the greater issue, other than my obvious fulfillment of pointing out hypocrisy wherever I find it, of course I'm not in favor of chemical attacks against civilians.

I am VERY worried about us getting dragged into another quagmire with no clear way out.

Assad is an evil dictator, but one of the main forces fighting against him is ISIS. If we take out Assad, there's a decent chance we just gave ISIS a larger homeland and more resources to build their base and strike out from.

When we attack Assad, we're helping ISIS. When we attack ISIS, we're helping Assad. Is that REALLY a situation we want to be in? (We've literally attacked both sides in this civil war now. On September 23rd 2014 we fired 47 Tomahawks at ISIS targets in Syria)

(Yes, there are other rebel forces fighting against Assad besides ISIS, but they're one of the big ones and would definitely gain a lot if Assad were taken out.)

I just get very worried about us risking WWIII over a situation like this where there really aren't any "good guys" to back.

Read up some on the Syrian Civil War, the whole region is a mess, it's one snake pit after another, but Syria is REALLY messed up, and I don't want to see us wasting American blood for something with no clear way out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War

(Disclaimer - After I've slept on it, IF we just stick to a few token bombings to remind Assad to not be a COMPLETE dick I'm mostly okay with it, but any escalation beyond that, especially if it involves US personnel being put in harm's way, I'm not so okay with it, and stand behind the stance that it would require congressional approval first.)

And that's of course assuming we have real, good intel that Assad really did use chemical weapons... I mean, according to John Kerry and the obviously unbiased Politifact, he didn't have any chemical weapons to use:

If memory serves correctly, we made a deal with the Russians for them to get the chemical agents out.

Yep, and, that worked out well didn't it.

[Patrick]

The only thing I'll say is that I always find it interesting: "Bleeding heart liberals"

While the conservatives hold their Bibles to their chests, they browbeat the liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others.

Ironic.

I am considered a conservative. Unusual one perhaps because never had much use for the Bible or religion. You are welcome to them and I'll respect one's religious views if it gives one peace and strength in their life.

As for browbeating liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others, we are not browbeating you for that. It is just we wish you would use your own money to do it.

You are not the only Conservative with views as such my friend  

X2 !

[Rams]

I'm a Conservative and have my own religious beliefs, I voted for Trump because the primaries gave me no other choice.

Reference the Syrian airfield attack.   I'm dubious and some what skeptical of the reasoning.    I sense there's more going on than any of us know.    I really don't care that we sent 60 Tomahawks to some airfield where Syria's previously "destroyed" chemical weapons were supposedly located.    

I don't believe the Syrian's actually destroyed all the chemical capability, I don't trust the locals, their government or any side involved.   I don't trust the Russians either.

I also find it curious that we decided to attack for the reasons we did.   I don't necessarily accept that President Trump had a change of heart about Syria from his campaign time.    We also gave the Russians warning of what we were going to do.   Does anyone think they didn't tell Assad?    

I have this "caution light" going off in the back of my head that is warning me that we have been distracted to the next shiny object............   While I do expect the Russians to be very vocal and raise a stink about this, I sincerely doubt there will be any repercussions.    Call me bewildered.

[Oss]

Y'all should know that famous line in Casablanca

"round up the usual suspects"

This is one of my favorite all time film clips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G62tkd2t7qk

[old2soon]

I'm a Conservative and have my own religious beliefs, I voted for Trump because the primaries gave me no other choice.

Reference the Syrian airfield attack.   I'm dubious and some what skeptical for the reasoning.    I sense there's more going on than any of us know.    I really don't care that we sent 60 Tomahawks to some airfield where Syria's previously "destroyed" chemical weapons were supposedly located.   

I don't believe the Syrian's actually destroyed all the chemical capability, I don't trust the locals, their government or any side involved.   I don't trust the Russians either.

I also find it curious that we decided to attack for the reasons we did.   I don't necessarily accept that President Trump had a change of heart about Syria from his campaign time.    We also gave the Russians warning of what we were going to do.   Does anyone think they didn't tell Assad?   

I have this "caution light" going off in the back of my head that is warning me that we have been distracted to the next shiny object............   While I do expect the Russians to be very vocal and raise a stink about this, I sincerely doubt there will be any repercussions.    Call me bewildered.

                 I stated earlier that at best all assad could do was bluster. I do NOT TRUST russia. putin MIGHT Not star WWIII But I Won't place bets. Folks in Nam had been fighting LONG before We-U S of A-were even a Country. Folks in the middle east have been doin the same-hellz bellz-maybe longer. Duz ANYONE here believe We-America-can stop this B S anymore than we stopped it in Nam?  Yeah-neither do I! RIDE SAFE.

[Robert]

Did you see the damage from the missiles that went under the ground to hit the planes and kept the outside structure pretty much intact. 

Technology has really helped this and as for the reasons for the strike I think we have to weigh in on the previous admin do nothing stance has led to a false sense of security for nations like Syria that it was ok to do things that were not good to do. I wonder the message that this sent to North Korea that there is a new resolve in not allowing the lying and false promises to remove the actions that should have been questioned before. Without consequences these countries were emboldened to continue on in their policies and flick their noses at all. Between the technology and the resolve I'm sure there are many countries rethinking their positions. I also question if the timing of the bombing came at a time when China is here in the US having talks with Trump. Where as a position of confrontation was becoming more and more inevitable, now we see a possible reflection from the countries that these confrontations  could have sparked a war. Its still very much in the air but we will see how this plays out. This one action could spur enough thought that we may have stepped back a small bit from the edge. Russia does not care so much about east Syria but Iran does since the roadways to Iran are in the east and the Russian military bases are in the west.

[Rams]

Did you see the damage from the missiles that went under the ground to hit the planes and kept the outside structure pretty much intact. 

Technology has really helped this and as for the reasons for the strike I think we have to weigh in on the previous admin do nothing stance has led to a false sense of security for nations like Syria that it was ok to do things that were not good to do. I wonder the message that this sent to North Korea that there is a new resolve in not allowing the lying and false promises to remove the actions that should have been questioned before. Without consequences these countries were emboldened to continue on in their policies and flick their noses at all. Between the technology and the resolve I'm sure there are many countries rethinking their positions. I also question if the timing of the bombing came at a time when China is here in the US having talks with Trump. Where as a position of confrontation was becoming more and more inevitable, now we see a possible reflection from the countries that these confrontations  could have sparked a war. Its still very much in the air but we will see how this plays out. This one action could spur enough thought that we may have stepped back a small bit from the edge. Russia does not care so much about east Syria but Iran does since the roadways to Iran are in the east and the Russian military bases are in the west.

I also suspect that this was done to send a message to N. Korea.    Maybe, maybe not but worth noting.

[scooperhsd]

If an action like this can make that nutjob in North Korea stop and think "could I be next" -  I'm all for it. The flip side - you're going to need to stay on the aggressive side for this to be effective.