Ivan Eland Posts

The predictable debate over U.S. intervention in Syria is well underway and sadly under-thought. From the tragic humanitarian reasons to those of national security, many of the reasons for a military strike against the Assad regime are undercut by both history and international law. Here's why the U.S. will regret involvement in the Middle East's deadliest civil war.

For three decades, Ronald Reagan's missile defense system known as "Star Wars" has been a colossal failure on a Jar Jar Binksian level. Then again, huge costs and poor performance rarely cause any government program to be terminated — evidence of this effect is exhibited by the continued flow of money to the project despite thirty years of failure and little promise of success in the future.

The new stated policy is a welcome alternative to the prior Bush/Obama policy of endless war against every radical Islamist. But as the Times correctly noted, whether the new stated policy will live up to the hype is uncertain, given the internal compromises made in developing the doctrine and the resultant fuzzy language. More important, indications are that even if the new policy lives up to its lofty goals it will still not be enough and will probably not constrain future presidents.