I'm not particularly bold or brave, but haven't really been in a situation where I've had to be. I am relatively free though. I can think & do what I want, within the limitations of the law & my own conscience, (which is vociferous!)
I'm probably someone who can be difficult to take, because I have a very clear expectation of fairness & quite a developed moral compass. I do try not to be judgemental, prescriptive or offer unasked for advice though.
So, I find the situation in Syria very complex & troubling. We in the West only know what we are told by the press, media & politicians & we all know how reliable & unbiased they are. But anecdotal evidence is coming out that seems to strongly indicate that what is happening in Syria is simply unacceptable by any standards. Houla may possibly be the final straw.
Politicians make choices based on political expediency which are usually very short term. Getting International consensus about action is almost impossible because of vested interests based on natural resources & money. The public is rightly outraged by the murder & torture of innocent civilians. The armed forces of all nations are trained to see force as an appropriate response, but aren't so good at predicting the long term outcome of the use of force. Sanctions & public opprobrium may work in the very long term, but that is by no means guaranteed. In the meantime people are dying - appallingly.
Basically, when do we have the right to intervene directly in another country's affairs? (How would we feel as a nation if a foreign force invaded us because they didn't like what we were doing?) Surely the appropriate question is how can we stand by, knowing what is happening, & do nothing? At a very simple level if I saw someone deliberately hurting a child, a woman or an old person, would I just walk past & say "it's got nothing to do with me", "let them sort it out for themselves"? I hope not. I hope I would recognise the risks, but would try to do something to intervene directly & stop the harm being done. There are times when a halt has to be enforced & mediation should be put in place.
The world is a volatile place & there are some despicable & extremely unpleasant people in it. Many have a great deal of power. This isn't the first such situation & it won't be the last. What we need is a world policy or a protocol for direct intervention in defined circumstances. I thought the United Nations was set up to do that, but it has been singularly ineffectual.
The are times when it is simply morally indefensible to "walk on by" or "turn the other cheek". If this isn't one of them what sort of human beings are we?
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