"You're mixing apples and oranges here..."
Really? How so?
(In other words: what am I comparing that shouldn't be compared?)
"I don't mind standing aside and letting them kill each other, but they're also aiming at us."
When you are dead, you are dead. (Doesn't matter much whether it's an American or Syrian, or Saudi, or Iranian bullet....)
Also --- and more importantly, I believe --- when entire societies and nations (regional or religious rivals, whatever) become embroiled in large scale wars against each other... *especially* when their are numerous ancient yet-unresolved grievances/territorial disputes/power conflicts & religious matters at play, the wars have all the fuel required to become large, bloody, and extremely expensive fast.
Which takes the focus off of us fairly quickly....
Also, any big inter-regional conflict tends to focus the public's attention inward on these matters FAST... and exhaust the respective combatant societies' resources (especially when the power blocs are relatively evenly matched militarily... as the Shiites and Sunnis mostly are within the regional context of Iraq), and finances, and the will of the war enthusiasts, etc.
In a relatively evenly-matched scenario such as this, BOTH sets of extremists and combatants are likely to wear out their support from the public, as they drag their own nations down into poverty, economic failure and collapse, and bloodshed... ultimately seriously disadvantaging their own causes and igniting backlashes against them.
(Whereas, when FOREIGNERS come into region, and are perceived as trying to order everyone around, or seize land/resources/power, etc., it is the universal inclination pretty much anywhere around the world, for the 'locals' to unite in hatred against the 'interlopers'... and or to attempt to manipulate the foreigners into acting like 'cats paws' in ways that will profit one local group by disadvantaging their local rivals or historic enemies.)
It's just human nature.
Best to not play the dupe. |
