Step Across This Line

    Yesterday it was widely reported the Trump administration has dropped our long standing policy that Russian ally Assad be removed from power in Syria.  That means we no longer support the aims of the United Nations, NATO and several other international bodies and courts and support by acquiescence the aims of Assad ally Putin.  The public theater of the absurd being held in Congress in regards to Trump collusion with Russia  has been undercut by the Trump administration itself.  Actions speak louder than a thousand twitter posts. To be blunt; I think this abrogation of our international responsibilities to our allies and to peace itself is an act of disloyalty almost breathtaking in it's brazenness.  It is possible that the axiom:   Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity, does apply but the detrimental effect to our overall foreign policy is the same. We simply can no longer be trusted. That's bad.
    Think about that for a minute. The most powerful nation by a factor of 10  can no longer be trusted to have coherent faith to its obligations.
    In discussion, if not defense of this shift in policy much has been made of President Obama's citing of a "Red Line." in August of 2012.  None of that discussion even approaches reality. Somehow that has been conflated to a sign of weakness. That's untrue. Thinking it is true is a sign of ignorance. That ignorance is understandable in a member of the general public.  It is completely unacceptable in anyone in a position of responsibility.
    The United States is signatory to more than one international agreement concerning the use of chemical weapons. Those agreements have thresholds that require international action in certain circumstances.  Not unilateral action but international action. When the President of the United States declares one of those thresholds,  "red lines" has been crossed international action is required. Not wished for, required.  That's called," diplomatic language" and Obama's use of it was inspired in conception and result.
    In less than 10 months, with the full cooperation of the Assad ally Russia, 600 metric tons of various chemical agents were collected, shipped  and destroyed under international supervision.
    At the time various republican officials, notably John McCain and Mitt Romney were calling for American boots on the ground in Syria.  Others assumed that was the only alternative. Obama recognized and employed a diplomatic solution that removed the legitimate concerns of the international community in what is, in fact, a Syrian civil conflict. The truth is: Had he not been given a Peace Prize for simply not being George W Bush he should have gotten one for that. It was literally brilliant. That progress has been abandoned by lesser men for no beneficial reason.
    We have switched sides in the Syrian civil conflict.  We have abandoned the goals of our allies and subscribed to the goals of Putin's Russia.  As a citizen of the United States I am not comfortable with that.
    Lesser men are to be expected. That's the nature of our system. Disloyal men should not be tolerated.