General Discussion

oberliner

(58,724 posts) Thu May 21, 2015, 07:56 AM May 2015

"Human, civilized society has lost the battle against barbarism. I have lost all hope." [View all]

Islamic State now controls more than half of Syrian territory following four years of civil war.

The radical group has destroyed antiquities and monuments in Iraq and there are fears it might now devastate Palmyra, an ancient World Heritage site and home to renowned Roman-era ruins including well-preserved temples, colonnades and a theater.

"This is the fall of a civilization," Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters by telephone on Thursday.

"Human, civilized society has lost the battle against barbarism. I have lost all hope."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKBN0O60KH20150521

What can be done here? Anything?

147 replies

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"Human, civilized society has lost the battle against barbarism. I have lost all hope." [View all] oberliner May 2015 OP

Remind me again why people oppose drone strikes? Rather than put the world's civilized underahedgerow May 2015 #1

Because it's that kind of shit..... daleanime May 2015 #2

I don't see a hole here, I see a bunch of nuts that need to be wiped out in a big hurry. Rather underahedgerow May 2015 #66

We only kill 'bad' people.... daleanime May 2015 #74

Why is it the job of the US Dyedinthewoolliberal May 2015 #81

I couldn't agree more... Let them sort themselves out! underahedgerow May 2015 #99

But innocent people get killed no matter what weapon you are using and that is the way we jwirr May 2015 #96

Well said on many points. I could take issue with it being called a war though... it's more like underahedgerow May 2015 #101

I agree about ISIS. Maybe they are the instrument that will finally make everyone sick of the jwirr May 2015 #103

Yep, that's the way I see it too, it looks more like joy killing with a cause. The most disgusting RKP5637 May 2015 #132

False dichotomy of choice...and btw, social Darwinism wasn't a theory of Charles Darwin HereSince1628 May 2015 #4

LOL. You think drone strikes would stop a land force? Bonobo May 2015 #14

Depends on what they're striking with, I suppose. Jester Messiah May 2015 #22

You're correct. Lizzie Poppet May 2015 #43

Wonderful fucking idea. 99Forever May 2015 #18

Does it seem to you that ISIS is at all interested in peaceful coexistence? [nt] Jester Messiah May 2015 #24

a lot of the fighters are driven by economics-- e.g. the Sunnis Fast Walker 52 May 2015 #26

I don't really care what ISIS wants... 99Forever May 2015 #73

People that live in the region ought to be left to handle their own problems? oberliner May 2015 #88

What we have done so far has only made the suffering worse. jwirr May 2015 #100

That doesn't mean nothing we can do will make things better oberliner May 2015 #113

We have been at the war side of this for years. We have tried to train their troops, arm their jwirr May 2015 #120

Honestly don't know oberliner May 2015 #125

I know. When i was small there was a saying "don't corner a rat". That was because a rat if jwirr May 2015 #129

Not sure I would agree with that assessment of ISIS oberliner May 2015 #131

I think you are right about that but their origins may fit my discription. jwirr May 2015 #133

Compassionate? 99Forever May 2015 #110

Drone strikes? oberliner May 2015 #114

Why these countries sit back and let it happen is amazing yeoman6987 May 2015 #56

President Obama is considering arming Sunni tribes to enable them to take back Ramadi cali May 2015 #3

I'm at a loss oberliner May 2015 #5

I agree.. sendero May 2015 #7

Would having a handle babylonsister May 2015 #11

Syria will not allow foreign ground troops on its territory to fight the Islamic State group, dixiegrrrrl May 2015 #20

That was three months ago oberliner May 2015 #63

Super stupid idea. AngryAmish May 2015 #12

Neutron bombs maybe? Telcontar May 2015 #6

WTF? Advocating genocide is vile. go away. cali May 2015 #8

Is your irony meter broken? Telcontar May 2015 #9

evidently completely broken- but I don't see how the hell anyone could tell that cali May 2015 #10

No worries, it is early Telcontar May 2015 #13

That is why barbarism wins dumbcat May 2015 #15

My Lai won Vietnam, after all! Scootaloo May 2015 #30

Deep dumbcat May 2015 #41

History teaches an ugly lesson. hifiguy May 2015 #87

Neutron bombs? We have already destroyed the infrastructure. What is left is the peole. jwirr May 2015 #102

War and religion go hand in hand it seems. romanic May 2015 #16

War and territory grabs have gone on for thousands of years in the Middle East. dixiegrrrrl May 2015 #27

The problem is religious zealots. olegramps May 2015 #71

Obviously Isis is in a land grab mode of operating. glowing May 2015 #17

THIS + 1000 Zoonart May 2015 #21

Amen. This whole area is a complete mess, has always been a complete mess, and Nay May 2015 #51

I'm not sure it isn't by design... The MIC makes a killing glowing May 2015 #64

This makes far more sense than anything else. hifiguy May 2015 #83

Only if we continue picking the wrong candidates to rep us glowing May 2015 #112

Agree. n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2015 #127

There is nothing "Islamic" about the Islamic State philosslayer May 2015 #19

Yes, they are Islamic. I hate when DUers try to gloss over the religious components riderinthestorm May 2015 #42

Is The KKK Christian ? bahrbearian May 2015 #47

Yes. The members of that group self-identify as Christian riderinthestorm May 2015 #49

The Key words are "self-identify" bahrbearian May 2015 #52

No, your exact question was "is the KKK Christian"? riderinthestorm May 2015 #68

No, they are NOT Islamic philosslayer May 2015 #54

How About This? ProfessorGAC May 2015 #61

yes, exactly. MBS May 2015 #144

Yes, they say they're Muslims and I believe people who identify as such riderinthestorm May 2015 #72

I'm pretty sure that's what the followers of Islam have been doing since before there was Islam Telcontar May 2015 #109

The nature of religions is dictated by those with the power hifiguy May 2015 #85

Oh, no, no, of course not! Arugula Latte May 2015 #106

Shit, I didn't realize ANYONE still used No True Scotsmen fallacies non-ironically, here in 2015. Warren DeMontague May 2015 #116

Of course they're Islamic gollygee May 2015 #122

Short of a major US military land force, probably nothing Lurks Often May 2015 #23

My daughter the archaeologist was in town this weekend and we had a group cry over the destruction riderinthestorm May 2015 #25

International sanctions on Saudi Arabia, the primary sponsor of Daesh and its ilk Scootaloo May 2015 #28

I agree. Assad is the least worst option. mainer May 2015 #57

Thanks. Agreed betterdemsonly May 2015 #69

Al Quaeda? Obama only marginally smarter than Shrub? mahina May 2015 #111

Stephen Kinzer's "Reset" hifiguy May 2015 #91

i don't know. it's hard to believe barbtries May 2015 #29

War is a racket-- and we should push for negotiations and Fast Walker 52 May 2015 #31

If anyone knows there's no military solution, it should be the American military. mountain grammy May 2015 #45

thanks! Fast Walker 52 May 2015 #78

This is an excellent article. Welcome to DU! riderinthestorm May 2015 #48

thanks! Fast Walker 52 May 2015 #79

Good article. F4lconF16 May 2015 #104

Step one..... democrank May 2015 #32

Better still... JHB May 2015 #97

The answer is uglier than the question... Moostache May 2015 #33

remind me again heaven05 May 2015 #34

The Ottoman Empire oberliner May 2015 #46

right heaven05 May 2015 #60

We've only been in the 21st century for 15 years oberliner May 2015 #62

obviously heaven05 May 2015 #70

Agreed oberliner May 2015 #76

I'll add to that Poppy... JHB May 2015 #107

Correct. The Muslim Brotherhood and hifiguy May 2015 #89

I have lost hope too. William King May 2015 #35

ugh SammyWinstonJack May 2015 #39

ISIS is a problem for the Mid East countries to solve, not the US riderinthestorm May 2015 #44

More stupid shit like this is no solution. nt Nay May 2015 #53

This present... onyourleft May 2015 #118

A new surge!!111!!!!!!11ones! Doctor_J May 2015 #36

Do you have an actual non-sarcastic response? oberliner May 2015 #38

Palmyra is the Last Straw for Our Family McKim May 2015 #37

I wish I could send you OldEurope May 2015 #75

the human race is stuck heaven05 May 2015 #40

There's a fine line between the two sometimes The2ndWheel May 2015 #50

The biggest lie being pushed by the MSM these days is: world wide wally May 2015 #55

This is nothing short of Western Europeans meddling, breaking up tribes, artificially declaring libdem4life May 2015 #58

What are you proposing? oberliner May 2015 #59

I think that the entire Western World should learn the word "Hydra" It's not just myth. libdem4life May 2015 #108

You don't buy the whole "global community" concept? oberliner May 2015 #115

If you mean as the World's Policeman...yes...but most especially the Middle East...see my last post. libdem4life May 2015 #119

What about the UN? oberliner May 2015 #126

Actually, yes. But we haven't paid our "dues" for ever so long and only Use them when it fits libdem4life May 2015 #128

The U.S. contributes more to the UN than any other country oberliner May 2015 #130

Does this sound like a political entity that can address the Middle East "situation" or any decision libdem4life May 2015 #135

Not effectively oberliner May 2015 #137

Actually, we pretty much agree. My positive ideas are not likely to happen any decade soon, libdem4life May 2015 #142

Yup. The "freedom fighters" we arm today workinclasszero May 2015 #92

^^^^^this^^^^^ libdem4life May 2015 #98

What about the people in those areas who are helpless to change anything? oberliner May 2015 #147

The good news is, much of this stuff is still buried under the desert, and Isis can't touch it. betterdemsonly May 2015 #65

This message was self-deleted by its author betterdemsonly May 2015 #67

If things keep going this way this is going to be a big issue in the campaign. DCBob May 2015 #77

What about the Dems and the LW media? oberliner May 2015 #80

Bernie doesn't want to arm the Syrian opposition betterdemsonly May 2015 #84

How should we be supporting the efforts of the Syrian and Iranian governments? oberliner May 2015 #86

He doesn't say. betterdemsonly May 2015 #90

There is no LW media to speak of. DCBob May 2015 #95

We can keep flooding the region with money & old military hardware. raouldukelives May 2015 #82

Wrecking the world while enriching the tenth-percenters. hifiguy May 2015 #94

Too bad we helped them. I remember Rummy on the destruction of ancient artifacts by US Troops sabrina 1 May 2015 #93

This message was self-deleted by its author Corruption Inc May 2015 #105

I'm pretty pessimistic. I don't think anything can be done. DanTex May 2015 #117

That is pretty pessimistic oberliner May 2015 #124

I don't know. What do you think? Here's my thinking. DanTex May 2015 #134

Those are all good points oberliner May 2015 #136

Generally, it seems the bad guys are a lot more motivated about being bad then the DanTex May 2015 #139

But what about those who say: Please help us America, you're the only ones who can oberliner May 2015 #140

That's a good question. What to do. DanTex May 2015 #141

The majority of the victims of ISIS are fellow Muslims Lydia Leftcoast May 2015 #121

So best to just let them fight it out? oberliner May 2015 #123

That's how people figure out who's rules everyone is going to live by The2ndWheel May 2015 #138

Every situation in my lifetime where the U.S. has tried to "help" has turned out badly Lydia Leftcoast May 2015 #145

Seeing as our adventure in Iraq gave rise to IS, our "help" isn't likely to work. Tierra_y_Libertad May 2015 #143

kick Liberal_in_LA May 2015 #146