Damned If We Do...

(Courtesy of/http://pretmetmohammed.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/pmm-shia-sunni.jpg)

Reformations are not pretty (that's to say the least.)

Look at the example now throughout the Middle East.

Muslims, having splintered into multitudes of sects,

Each of them interpreting the same religious texts

Do not trust each other well enough to compromise;

Ancient grievances behind the chaos on the rise.

Every time we've intervened we've just made matters worse.

Every time that someone dies it's us the mullahs curse.

Time we let Islamic leaders deal with their own crap;

We should stick to wiping ISIL forces off the map.

There's no winning strategy to fight religious wars.

All that we'll accomplish is to die on foreign shores.

ISIS Makes Dramatic Gains in Iraq

ISIS forces now control a large swath of Iraq.

Baghdad asked if we would send some U.S. assets back.

Iraq's army stripped to skivvies, dropped their guns and ran.

(Clearly, then, our training mission didn't go to plan.)

People under ISIS rule must be the ones opposed.

Islam needs a Reformation...  Those can't be imposed.

Muslims have to be the ones who move beyond the past.

Let them form their Caliphate; the thing will never last.

Sunni, Shia, Kurdish tribes; a thousand different clans...

Let them live as ISIS wants.  There won't be many fans.

This war is sectarian and one we shouldn't fight.

Even with our best intentions, we won't get it right.

Syria, Still.

Syria keeps grinding on with still no end in sight.

Civil wars are battles where nobody wins the fight.

It's the kind of war that has a tendency to spread;

Gaining new recruits in search of vengeance for their dead.

Syria is shattered - half its population's gone

And, still, the atrocities continue on and on.

There are more than 2 sides now (perhaps as much as 5)

Seems like they'll keep fighting until no one's left alive.

There are calls for intervention by the USA,

Like we have the power to swoop in and save the day.

If we have those kinds of skills we haven't shown them yet.

Plus, it's hard to get involved with Russia saying "Nyet!"

I'm not Isolationist; at least, I never was...

But I'm leery of the situation there because

Following the Arab Spring the Middle East has changed;

Focused on religion and fanatics are deranged.

Islam's in a Reformation like the one we had.

Students of our history can tell you - ours was bad.

Can't impose a reformation, can't force compromise.

Muslims have to be the ones who finally stop these guys.

Across the Pond - U.S. Embassies Attacked in Cairo and Benghazi

Egyptian protestors storm US Embassy. (Photo credit Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)

Yesterday our Embassies were subjects of attack;

Stormed the walls and tore Old Glory down - hung flags of black.

Cairo and Benghazi...  Our Ambassador is dead.

Libyans blew up his car as he and others fled.

What would be the cause for these two "allies" fighting us?

What's behind the outrage?  What's the reason for the fuss?

Seems that there's some movie that nobody's even seen,

And Muhammad comes off looking bad from what I glean.

Guy who made the movie is American and so

That appeared to be enough for angry mobs to grow.

I would say that's quite enough of this and screw them all.

Leave us out of it and kill each other.  Have a ball.

Islam needs a Reformation and it needs it bad -

Speaking from experience about the one we had.

But, until they drag themselves from ignorance and fear,

I think the United States had better just steer clear.