An old story....

[jazzimov]

There is an old story about a farmer who was trying to plow his fields, but the mule pulling his plow had decided not to move. The farmer tried beating the mule to get it to move. The whole time, some stranger watching from the fence kept yelling "Ya ain't gotta beat that mule, all you got to do is TALK to it!" After several episodes of the stranger's rant, the farmer finally gave in and said "ok, buddy, you come talk to this mule and get him to move!"

The stranger jumped the fence, picked up a 2x4, and whacked the mule right between the eyes, forcing the mule to his knees. The farmer yelled out "Hey, I thought you said to TALK to the mule!"

The stranger replied "yeah, but ya gotta get it's attention, first!"

When you're dealing with people who only understand violence, sometimes you have to use violence to get them to actually listening to you. "Turning the other cheek" sounds like a good philosophy, but in reality it only gets you 2 red cheeks.

This is the essence of "Big Stick Diplomacy". If you want to talk, you have to get their attention first. Sometimes, this includes a threat of violence. But threats only work if you are willing to back them up.

[hedgehog]

1. The problem with stories like this is that they teach a false lesson -

because it's not Assad and his officers who will lose an arm , or their eyes, or their legs, or their life; it will be a number of soldiers plus the civilians who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[jazzimov]

6. I would much rather see a drone attack that

targeted Assad.

But that would be considered "assassination" and that's not allowed of Heads of State. But it would seem to solve a lot of issues, wouldn't it?

[hedgehog]

16. I am wondering if the ban on assasination applies if war is declared.

[Vanje]

2. That is not a lovely story.

[jazzimov]

3. The truth is often not very pretty. nt

[Vanje]

11. The author doesn't know jack about mules.

[HardTimes99]

4. Do you have any idea how racist you sound? "People who only understand violence"???? WTF???? - nt

[jazzimov]

7. How is that racist?

I'm not talking about a race, but a philosophy that transcends all races.

[HardTimes99]

10. Well, you're certainly not talking about Americans or Europeans, now are you? Americans, for

whom violence is as American as cherry pie (to quote H. Rap Brown)? Or Europeans who gave us the Holocaust and two world wars, among other paeans to non-violence?

I really think you'd be well-advised to self-delete or heavily edit this OP. Up to you, I suppose.

[unblock]

5. the problem is that most of what violence teaches is the desire to inflict yet more violence.

fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity.


in any event, violence represents little more than a frustration with the lack of effective options on the part of the violent party.


whatever message is intended by the violence is in fact lost through the violent act.

[jazzimov]

9. That is true to an extent.

Which means there is no "good" answer.

If you have any better suggestions to avoid 2 red cheeks, I'm willing to listen!

[unblock]

12. at least as far as syria goes, there's always stay out of it....

certainly an option is to let the civil war play out.
international sanctions might make sense.
delaying any action until after the civil war is over might make sense.

not saying there's an ideal answer, but i'm pretty sure that sticking our nose into it isn't a good one.

[leftstreet]

8. 'people who only understand violence?' wtf?

Are you for real?

[jazzimov]

13. Have you never been "bullied"?

Have you never run into people whose philosophy was "might makes right"?

I consider myself a pacifist. I prefer "talking things out". But what do you do when you encounter someone who won't listen?

You can't MAKE them listen,

UNLESS you beat them at their own game, first.

In other words, you have to get their attention in order to get them to listen to you.

[leftstreet]

14. So, Syria is bullying the US?

I can't find the elusive 'moral' of your story

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. Crap!