by Stephen Lendman

Settling things through the barrel of a gun reflects longstanding US policy. Shoot first, ask questions later defines it.

Invented pretexts initiate conflicts. Defending the indefensible repeats with disturbing regularity.

Obama's the latest in a long line warrior presidents. Imperial lawlessness defines his agenda. One war after another rages. No end in sight looms.

War is glorified in the name of peace. It's been that way from inception. Violence is a way of life. Pacifism is considered sissy and unpatriotic.

America isn't beautiful. It never was. For sure it isn't now. Rule of law principles don't matter.

Democratic values, common dignity, personal safety, and general welfare are illusions, not reality.

Violence defines US culture. It's reflected at home and abroad. America has the highest homicide rate among all Western countries.

Militarism's a way of life. Syria reflects a countdown to disaster. A rush to judgment suggests imminent bombs away. Belligerent diplomacy doesn't work. It never did. It won't now. Conflicts assure more of them.

The so-called war to end all wars led to more war. New ones follow earlier ones. They do so one after another. Washington bears full responsibility.

Israel and Britain share major guilt. With America, they represent the real axis of evil. They're responsible for embroiling the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia in endless conflicts.

So does France. Targeting Syria involves war on a former colony. At issue is shared recolonization in new form.

Demagogues take full advantage. Imperial madness follows. State terrorism is official US policy. America's killing machine never rests. Enemies are invented to feed it. War profiteers benefit most.

Violence and conflicts persist. Peace is a convenient illusion. It's unachievable. Warrior nations prevent it. America's by far the worst. Neocon extremism drives US policy.

It's true under Democrats and Republicans. Not a dime's worth of difference separates them. Duopoly power runs America. Monied interests control things. Whatever they want they get.

They crave waging war on Syria. Proxy death squads have done it so far. Obama's expectant cruise missile diplomacy changes things. He risks biting off more than he can chew.

Rick Rozoff's an activist/anti-war supporter. He's the Stop Nato web site editor. He documents global militarism. He opposes waging war on humanity.

He sees tragedy unfolding in Syria. He calls American leaders "madmen." They poised for war on any pretext. They crave it. They lurch from one to another.

Hundreds of cruise missiles target Syria. They're ready to be launched on orders. Tomahawk diplomacy is longstanding US policy.

It's a "coward's way of waging war," said Rozoff. Ready, aim, fire. Do it safely offshore. Do it from overhead drones. Slaughter innocent civilians in the process. They pay the greatest price for wars. They have no place to hide.

Obama reflects the worst of rogue leadership. He spurns international law. He's circumventing Congress. He does whatever he wants. He's judge, jury and executioner.

Syria, Lebanon and Iran are the only regional countries not partnered with America's imperium.

Others provide launching platforms for war. Doing so facilitates US dirty work, said Rozoff.

Until a larger number of world nations choose peace over "armed barbarism," what country will "say no to Washington," he asked? Doing so risks being "the next target."

Going along makes them complicit with imperial lawlessness. Internationalizing war on Syria risks "inflam(ing), exacerbat(ing), and worsen(ing) things, said Rozoff.

Russia's been warning about this all along. It especially does now. Escalating conflict on Syria risks a major regional conflagration. It risks spilling it cross borders. It risks expanding it globally. It risks possible WW III.

One country after another risks getting involved. What's ongoing reflects a possible end game. Rozoff calls it perhaps a "culmination" of America's longstanding plan to redraw North Africa, the Middle East and Eurasia.

Doing so may destroy it. America may perish at the same time. Perhaps mushroom shaped cloud finality awaits.

On August 27, Pat Buchanan asked:

"Who deputized the United States to walk the streets of the world pistol-whipping bad actors?

"Who made Barack Obama the Wyatt Earp of the Global Village?"

Obama claims "Congress doesn't have a whole lot of core responsibilities." Perhaps he's right.

Consider its "broad assent" to war on Syria, said Buchanan. It hasn't attacked America. It hasn't threatened to do so. Why does Obama plan cruise missile diplomacy?

"Where does (he) come off drawing 'red lines' and (daring) nations not to cross them?"

Who gave him the right to do so? Who made him sole authority? Who placed him above international, constitutional and US statute laws? Who appointed him imperial czar?

Where's the evidence justifying belligerent intervention? Inventing it doesn't wash. Congress is currently on summer break. Speaker Boehner can reconvene it quickly.

It can stop Obama's war. It can do so straightaway. It can stop all wars. It has appropriation powers. It can cut off all funding. It ended Southeast Asian fighting this way. It can do it again now.

It doesn't have the moral backbone to do so. It shares guilt with Obama. It's complicit in imperial crimes.

On August 27, Phyllis Bennis and David Wildman headlined "Moral Obscenities in Syria," saying:

"The threat a reckless, dangerous, and illegal US or US-led assault on Syria is looking closer than ever."

Doing so looks unstoppable. Accusing Assad of chemical weapons use provides pretext. Doing so doesn't wash. Allegations are easy to invent.

They're fabricated to facilitate policy. So-called evidence is manufactured out of whole cloth. Bombs away follows.

Later disclosures come too late to matter. Another country lies in ruins. The smell of death and human misery permeate everywhere. Imperial conquest alone matters.

"Does anyone really believe" war on Syria will help things, asked Bennis and Wildman? Do policymakers or others think it will "save any lives?"

Do they imagine the way to end conflict is by more of it? What about circumventing international law to do it."

What about calling lawlessness legal? What about turning fundamental laws and standards on their head?

What about democratic values? What about preaching one thing and doing another? What about demanding what we say goes.

Waging war on Syria assures more of it. Bennis and Wildman urge "tough diplomacy, not politically motivated military strikes." Launching them assures making "horrific war (much) worse."

A Final Comment

On August 28, Russia Today headlined "It's coming: US finalizing plans for military strike on Syria," saying:

"Two unnamed White House officials" said targets to be struck are being finalized. War looks inevitable.

Kerry, Biden and other US officials lied claiming "undeniable" proof Assad used chemical weapons. No evidence whatever proves it. So-called intelligence is fake.

Strike forces are in place to attack. They await orders to do so. Obama plans resolving things his way.

War is peace reflects official administration policy. So does destroying humanity to save it.

Attacking Syria is madness. Doing so risks greater conflict. It looms anyway. Obama defends the indefensible.

Business as usual continues. Rogue states operate that way. America's by far the worst.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com

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