Quote Originally Posted by JMA View Post
I appreciate just how humiliating it is for Americans right now but when the signs were that it was all going pear-shaped the 'flock' blindly supported a failing policy and attacked anyone who strayed 'off-message'.

Certainly in time we will have more clarity on this and other matters. In the meantime the best advice is to resist any knee-jerk defence of obvious failure.
I don't think you have a good appreciation for how our country works. Obama's plans for Iraq were bitterly attacked, and his failure to follow through with his redline comment was bitterly attacked, and Libya, and Afghanistan, etc. I admit the democratic party has in many ways has become Nazi like where there is no deviation of thought allowed within their ranks; however, since Obama's policies are increasingly unpopular, we're starting to see fissures in their party (they're starting to look like an American political party again, instead of mindless conformists). We have three branches of government that counterbalance each other, the President is not all powerful.

As for the military, we're subordinate to civilian leadership, but that doesn't mean our leaders don't speak truth to power, but they do quietly behind closed doors. Once the decision is made they execute.

I agree it will take more time to understand what is happening in Syria and Iraq, who all the players are, why certain decisions are being made, etc. Of course we're trying to avoid a knee jerk response now, and that course of action comes with its critics also. I would like to say it isn't a popularity contest, but in democracy it too often is very much about a popularity contest. Some politicians have the courage to do what is right versus what is popular, but they're a minority.