What will we do, America, if they strike Syria anyway?

The title says it, but perhaps a further question should be put forth:

What can we—The People—do?

A recent CNN poll shows that 8/10 ten believe Assad was behind the gassing, but the majority does NOT support a strike, even with Congressional authorization.

The CNN/ORC International poll released Monday shows that even though eight in 10 Americans believe that Bashar al-Assad's regime gassed its own people, a strong majority doesn't want Congress to pass a resolution authorizing a military strike against it.

More than seven in 10 say such a strike would not achieve significant goals for the U.S. and a similar amount say it's not in the national interest for the U.S. to get involved in Syria's bloody two-year-long civil war.

The rest of the poll is here. Note: This .pdf will download automatically to your computer.


If Congress votes in favor—against the wishes of the majority of their constituents, will we *really* vote them out? I doubt it. Why? Because people forget, and they'll like once again vote entirely along party lines. Once this fades, it will back to the game again, politically. Will people care after all is said and down and the memory fades away?




Hell, even with the memory current, they STILL won't.

60% of respondents are INDIFFERENT— their congressperson's vote would MAKE NO DIFFERENCE on their own vote come next election. That's shameful.

Any Congressperson who votes against the wishes of those who he/she represents does not deserve to hold office. And any president who acts in his own authority outside of the wishes of the majority of those he represents does not deserve to hold office and should be put on trial, especially ft these actions will further aid the enemy, or those with whom we are at "war."

"We deserve the representatives we elect." ? Perhaps we do, after the results of question #19 above.

If Congress votes a resounding NO and a strike happens anyway, what will we do, what can we do? Not a lot, I fear. We can complain and moan, but life will likely go on and this will be just *another* bombing campaign in the wind until the next one (Iran?).

They already know that they can pretty much do whatever the hell they want, and neither congress nor the people will—or can—do anything. This emboldens them, more and more. They know we don't matter, we vote them in, keep bending over, and they keep doing what they want—congress and the president alike.

I'm sick of the way my government acts and behaves, the decisions it makes in MY name without my approval. I was sick when they went into Iraq, I was sick when they bombed Syria, I'm even more sick and pissed now.

At what point DO we actually DO something, and what can we—The People—do?

Originally posted by Liquesence
If Congress votes a resounding NO and a strike happens anyway, what will we do, what can we do?

STOCK UP FAST .. it's going to be a long, cold, lonely World War.
Enjoy telling people 'Obama is an idiot. I told you so"

I'd say take to the streets and have old fashioned anti-war rallies like we saw for the Iraq war. But for some reason, all the left wingers who were out there protesting Bush refuse to say anything negative about Obama. It's very strange. So I'm thinking that trying to mass people together for anti-war protests won't happen.

So we are back to stock up and hope you live through WWIII.

reply to post by Liquesence


Stomp my feet, piss-n-moan, wave my hands in the air all mad like and stuff, speak ill of my government, and essentially wait for armagedon I suppose.

Double check all your preps & get ready to BO? If Russia, Iran or China get stupid we're all in trouble...

OH...you meant what to do about our wonderful elected rulers?

I guess people could start a grass-roots movement to stop paying taxes...
History shows it's pretty hard to fund a war without money coming in

Getting hit in the pocket book tends to be the most effective method of control...God knows it works for them.

Of course - we historically haven't been real good as a nation at joining together for a cause.
They've done a pretty good job of splitting us up.

reply to post by Liquesence


"What will we do, America, if they strike Syria anyway?"

My opinion in answer to the title of your thread is...if the U.S. strikes Syria...there is going to be major civil unrest...and there may be a heavy retaliation from Syria and it's allies.

Also...Charlie Rose interviewed the leader of Syria...Charlie asked what will he do if the U.S. does strike?

The leader of Syria said: "Expect everything..."

What will we do? Set back and watch Assad be spun into the besieged and benevolent leader trying to drive back the Muslim horde. They got to do something to get folks to forget the gassing.

Originally posted by Liquesence
The title says it, but perhaps a further question should be put forth:

What can we do?

"We the people", you mean? There is no practical or realistic solution to all this. The citizenry has no power any longer, as theyve given it away piece by piece to gubmint because they, the citizens, thought that if they just slipped on those chains, theyd be safer and more comfortable with the illusion that big brother was protecting them.

But I dont want to start rambling about that; the citizens have no viable power. Protest all you want, you just get shot in the face with a gas canister. Remember, we live in America. Thats how it works here, and its only going to get worse.

The military could stop this, and indeed thats the only possible realistic scenario I see that might have some non-trivial chance of occurring. It would either take a general loved by his/her troops, with a good heart and a legendary resolve to stop all this with a military coup toppling the Obama regime, or a united military that universally refuses orders to go to war and then united performs that military coup.

They (military) could change it all. None of us know just how much they are in the back pocket of the establishment, but Im guessing its most of them, and they wouldnt want to jeopardize their careers to do the right thing.

I find military action against the government a remote possibility, though less remote than the people even contemplating action in any meaningful way.

The easiest way through this is to slam on the accelerator and drive this already dying car we call civilization, right over that cliff, and enjoy the plunge knowing soon it will all be over, and humanity will get *another* chance to start again, perhaps collectively *finally* learning from its multitudinous and continual past mistakes that it has repeated civilization after civilization.

"If youre going through hell, keep going."

Maybe we arnt even in hell yet, metaphorically speaking, but its like the inevitable throw up after binge drinking; its going to happen, and its going to be hell to go through... but its just so, so much better after its all over.

Originally posted by Logarock
What will we do? Set back and watch Assad be spun into the besieged and benevolent leader trying to drive back the Muslim horde. They got to do something to get folks to forget the gassing.

Talk about forgetting ....
You forget .... we don't know who did the gassing.
You forget .... we have no business in Syrias civil war.
You forget .... America hasn't been threatened so for us to go to war against a nation that hasn't threatened us or our allies or our 'interests' means that we would be the aggressors.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
But for some reason, all the left wingers who were out there protesting Bush refuse to say anything negative about Obama. It's very strange. So I'm thinking that trying to mass people together for anti-war protests won't happen.

That's BS!! I'm a left winger and bailed on Obama when he adobted the neocon agenda.
www.newsrealblog.com...
personalliberty.com...

There will be protest for this war!!!

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by Logarock
What will we do? Set back and watch Assad be spun into the besieged and benevolent leader trying to drive back the Muslim horde. They got to do something to get folks to forget the gassing.

Talk about forgetting ....
You forget .... we don't know who did the gassing.
You forget .... we have no business in Syrias civil war.
You forget .... America hasn't been threatened so for us to go to war against a nation that hasn't threatened us or our allies or our 'interests' means that we would be the aggressors.

You forget what a galvanizing effect it could have on the Muslim world if some strong man over there started gassing the horde at will. We already have a good deal of galvanization in place as it is. If someone doesn't step in on behalf of the rebels, who are not all Al Quadia by a shot, the whole of the Muslim world in the middle east could put aside their differences and rise up.

And really Syria hasn't threatened our allies?

I was really surprised this weekend, when the reporters were interviewing reps, if they agreed with Obama and not their constituents, They all got the follow up question, "Aren't you worried about being voted out in the next election?"
Funny that most of them stumbled over answering that.

Maybe it will make a difference with the general public. Finally?

#1. Vote everyone in the Senate and Congress who support it out of office at the next opportunity

#2 Demand over and over an impeachment of the President for disobeying the American people and all the other assorted crimes he has committed, which are well documented on ATS

#3 Pray the military has the guts to say NO. I KNOW the military, I lived within it for over 50 years, I grew up in it and lived within it for the vast majority of my life. The military has NO LOVE for Obama, that I can tell you with strong conviction. It is only the threat of court martial if they say so that keeps them from expressing their opinions. It is against the law for them to exercise free speech when in uniform. However, there is a clause that allows them to disobey a direct order if it is immoral. The commanders just have to be willing to face worse than death for them for their country, being dragged into court to prove their case.

#4 UNITE behind a third party, perhaps the Libertarian which has plenty of ideas that make Dems happy and plenty of ideas that make Reps happy. In other words, a coup by ballot.

reply to post by FlyersFan

That's just it, though, people won't take to the streets, even if they are against what happens, unless it directly affects their lives. Not until their community is bombed or their reality TV is gone will they care, and even then they're likely too dumbed down to do anything.

reply to post by coldkidc

Taxes is one of the things I thought, too, but it would definitely take a HUGE amount of people to participate. But you're right, the pocketbook is what wakes people up (and the only way wars are funded), but apparently not enough to wake up the people who are already taxed to death. Not as long as they are sedated with mindless entertainment.

And no, we've not been very good at joining together for a cause—unless that cause is a war.

reply to post by caladonea

Do you really think there will be massive domestic civil unrest? I don't see it happening.

As far as Syria, what can they themselves do to our homeland? Their allies, yes. Both economically and military.

reply to post by CaticusMaximus

Nice post. And sentiments I expressed in my OP regarding our inability and the futility of action. We're bent over, essentially. Which brings me back to the original question: what can we do? :/ Hit the gas and hope to get through it as quickly as possible?

If people en masse would put their foot down there might be change, but, once again, as long as there is reality TV, McDonalds, Wal MArt and all the other BS, people are too sedated.

reply to post by coldkidc

I guess people could start a grass-roots movement to stop paying taxes...
History shows it's pretty hard to fund a war without money coming in

Getting hit in the pocket book tends to be the most effective method of control...God knows it works for them.

Well, there's an idea until you realize who it would be that would benefit from an attack on Syria and who is willing to pay the US government for carrying out that attack (and then Iran). And of course that would be the kings and princes of Saudi Arabia, in both cases.

If Obama was actually a Muslim Brotherhood supporter he'd stop acting so damn much like a Saudi Wahabbiist and he would have called the overthrow of the duly elected president in Egypt what it was ~ a coup, which would have allowed US law to halt the funding of the military that overthrew an elected president.

It is widely known that many of the Syrian "rebels are actually death row inmates from Saudi Arabia, sent to help overthrow of the president there in lieu of execution. It is also widely alleged that the sarin gas used on the Syrian civilians was sent there by the Saudis. Our good friends.

What Obama truly is then, is a wahabbi whore who's planning on pimping out the entire US military to support his princely buds in Saudi Arabia, who are the ones who want the Muslim Brotherhood shut down.

Just like his wahabbist brother in arms, Bush, who ignored the US government's own claim that 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudis, not from Afghanistan or Iraq, and who then went to the extreme of flying the entire Bin Laden family from the US back to Saudi Arabia following the WTC attacks when nothing else was allowed to fly in US airspace.

You can vote, that is all your are entitled to do.

The Constitution doesn't give the citizens any other power than to vote.

Originally posted by AlienScience
You can vote, that is all your are entitled to do.

The Constitution doesn't give the citizens any other power than to vote.

Why is that so hard to understand? This fact seems to fly right over people's heads.

reply to post by AlienScience


...yes, it does. Anything not expressly forbidden, is allowed.

It gives us the right to peaceably assemble to address wrongs that may have been done to us. Peaceably doesn't, however, mean silently.

Voting is all very well and wonderful. I do it. But it doesn't end there. Involvement in the process both before and after is just as important as voting.

As for Syria? If Syria gives up the chem weapons as Russia has by all accounts asked them to do? Any valid reason for going to war has vanished, as Syria is said to be considering doing just that. If that's the case? The U.S./NATO can not attack without exposing that they're operating with another agenda... ...and that opens up a wonderchest of problems that they want nothing to do with...

reply to post by seagull

...yes, it does. Anything not expressly forbidden, is allowed.

Funny, I just read something in the NYT where someone from the adminstration said essentially the same thing:

"The move is right, said Walter Dellinger...the proposed attack is not 'covered by any of the previous precedents for the unilateral use of executive power.'"

(Quoting the NYT print in my lap)

Just because a precedent doesn't forbid it, doesn't mean it's right or allowable.

That's legalese for justifying it, and a bunch of BS to boot.

reply to post by Liquesence


What I said above wasn't refering to any attack on Syria. I was answering the comment that the Constitution doesn't allow anything but voting...

The reasons given, unless I've missed some, which wouldn't surprise me given the twisting and turning this story is taking..., for an attack on Syria is the use of chemical weapons on civilians by the Assad regime... If they give them up to Russia, or whomever, that particular excuse is gone. If they attack anyway? Well then, that exposes that they had another agenda all along, and the "safety of innocents" excuse was a farce from the get go. Which many of us suspected anyway.

Sorry for the confusion.

I do not expect most American will do anything but forget about the strikes if the occure a couple weeks later. People are not going to go out of their way to support a guy who is gassing his own people. Only at ATS is Assad the good guy.