Monday, April 4, 2016

Is the U.S. alone against ISIS?

This old semi-satirical article from The Atlantic disturbed me:

Defeating ISIS: The Board Game


I read this and ask myself, who is our ally against ISIS?  Nobody.


(Granted, this was before Russia entered the picture; but it's surprising how little Russia changed things in the regional calculus).


This started by asking myself, why is our #1 ally in the Mideast, "the only democracy in the Middle East," Israel, not helping us against ISIS, at least not openly?  I read the news; I read nothing about Israel in the fight against ISIS.


This thought alone disturbs me.


It disturbs me even more that countries in the region don't see ISIS as the biggest threat, but rather their neighbors, or homegrown groups.  Or the Kurds, whom Russia and the U.S. love to love but can't really support too much, because of Turkey.


What disturbs me the most, I guess, is that the world's #1 military power seems to care a lot about ISIS while all the countries where ISIS actually exists don't seem particularly bothered by it.  


It bothers me when I'm feeling manipulated. I don't like being jerked around. I think that's what's going on with ISIS.

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