Policing The World

vasureddy@aol.com
Vasu Reddy From Chicago

The United States once again is looking at intervening in the internal conflict in Syria. For the past couple of years thousands of innocent people have died and millions have been displaced from their homes. The images from Syria are haunting with devastated country and death and destruction all over. The displacement of people simply brings back into memory the past wars which continue to be fresh in our minds.

Why people kill each other and destroy their own belongings is really a question that doesn’t have an answer. Since the beginning of time humans are their worst enemy. We have found every which way to create differences and destroy each other, and with each passing day there is more and more hatred for our own being.

Syria is the latest human tragedy, where people are simply being killed and displaced for no fault of their own, just for being in the country. There is no rhyme or reason for the killings except groups fighting one another for whatever cause they believe in, and a government which is using all its might and brutality to kill its own people, and a bunch of groups from outside fighting and killing indiscriminately. For more than two years killing and destruction has been going on and no one wants to intervene and stop the killing. The couple of weeks ago incidents on gassing people and the videos showing the human suffering is difficult to look at, but for some reason or the other the world doesn’t want to either get involved to stop the killing nor parts of the world doesn’t want to acknowledge the killings. A lot of discussion and debate on who is doing it and how to handle the situation and threats and finger pointing, while the people continue to get killed and displaced.

Whatever the debate that the rest of the world is having the people of Syria have continued to suffer and getting killed. Kids and women have nothing to look forward to but fear, with no schools or work, no markets or homes and nothing but destruction and death. The whole world sees these images daily and just gasps, but no one wants to stop the carnage. We just don't know what to do as the rest of the world is not in agreement with the steps to intervention. We show images of suffering and we give speeches on how bad it is, but really don't agree on anything that needs to be done to help the civilians who are in the line of fire, and have lost everything they ever had.

The countries with resources don't agree on the plan of action, and even the most democratic countries are not keen on involvement. When you hear the next person saying we are waiting for UN to report something, while viewing the carnage first hand. The US President doesn’t have the support of the electorate nor the elected officials, and so is the others nations which might have to form a coalition to stop the killing. With each war and with each intervention the countries have great experience that Afghanistan, Iran and other areas have never been a happy intervention by the international community. The helpful hand that was extended has never been appreciated and the way out of the conflicts have always been bitter and, bad for the counties who interfered.

Always all the time the human interest and national or global interest is there in getting involved in other nations internal conflicts. The price paid by the international community has been enormous, while the internal conflicts certainly destroy their own country and kill their own people, unabated.

Countries are not indifferent to human suffering, but the politicians have no support from their constituents to go and get involved in conflicts that perhaps have no end, and will only bite the future of the helping hand. People although being killed and displaced by their own rulers, most times are not receptive of others coming in and getting involved in their internal conflicts. There is always a call for international intervention, but the after the intervention reception has been always hostile. Syria is begging for help, along with nations surrounding Syria with the flow of refugees, but when the leaders of international community look for support from their constituents, very little support s being extended.

The reluctance of the international community is based on more than just lack of public support, but also what will transpire once you intervene and how do you get out? Get out is not just withdraw but also the after effects of the intervention, and almost assured negative reaction of the country you thought you were helping. While the leaders of the world who want to intervene are probably sincere in their public speeches, their public is reluctant to police the world. While we want to stop the carnage, we also are wary of the long term and negative consequences of the helping hand.