Realities Neither the Democrats or the Republicans Will Address

Should we have gone into Iraq?  The general attitude today is "no."  But what if our problems in Iraq were not due to the invasion, but something else?  I would argue it was the dismantling of the Baath Party, which was the glue that had held together Iraqi society.  This political party, I would argue, could have continued to function without Saddam Hussein.

The Republicans won't touch this argument, because it was under George Bush that the Baath Party was taken apart.  The Democrats won't touch it, because it could serve to approve our invasion of Iraq.

Second, should we have established a no-fly zone over Syria when Assad was barrel bombing his people and using gas?  Of course, we should have, but the situation has now changed.  Earlier, the Russians had not yet arrived.  Now, they are the ones who are managing the skies and we don't want to challenge them.  There might be a shoot out.  Had we done it before they came, it would have been a different situation.

The Democrats don't want to touch this because it underscores the failure of Obama's leadership.  The Republicans don't want to get into this matter because it would suggest to the voters that they are once again the war party.