The real isolationism with regard to Syria is the American willingness to go it alone, whatever "it" might turn out to be. Virtually isolated in its willingness to commit acts of war, the U.S. has apparently stumbled into a reprieve offered opportunistically by Russia. In his New York Times op ed column September 12, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin said, without apparent irony, "We are not protecting the Syrian government, but international law." That's a charade Russians and Americans might enjoy equally, even as it serves the public good.
Some are opposed, of course. Invoking their own version of American exceptionalism, the nattering nabobs of national narcissism continue to babble incoherently about toughness and credibility and sending messages --- all of which require the nation to kill more people or be seen as isolationist, or even dispensable!
What would be truly exceptional would be for the United States to contemplate a complex crisis thoughtfully and patiently, without reflexively assuming that the best and only response should be military.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
