Friends, allies, and tactical partners

One favorite tactic of lefties seeking to discredit the beginnings of our involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq is to hearken back to the Reagan era and cite aid to the mujahedeen, who became the Taliban, and providing weapons to the Baathist regime led by Saddam Hussein during Iraq's war with Iran.

The basic principle that counters such a line of argument is that the moments comprising history often make for alliances borne out of urgency.  The case in point I've generally employed is the alliance of Churchill and Roosevelt with Joseph Stalin.

But we're seeing it again now.  If we engage in any kind of military mission - surveillance flights, air strikes - in Syria against the Islamic State, we are de facto on the side of Assad, who was in disfavor with the Most Equal Comrade and Secretary Global-Test scant months ago (which was after Global-Test had been dinner buddies with Assad at the presidential palace in Damascus).  We have a stake in his prevailing over IS.  (There just isn't an adequate "moderate rebel" faction to get behind.)

My only point here is to say to those who bring up the "well-we-aided-the-guys-who-later-became-our-enemies" line, "Oh, knock it off.  Put on the big-boy pants and live in the real world."

As I say, there was a time when Assad was considered by libbos to be the least-bad-and-actually-kind-of-intriquing dictator in the Middle East. Ophthalmologist with a fashionable wife.  Spread in Vogue.  Visits by Global-Test and Pelosi.

Does that mean that if post-America can get someone into the office of president who is actually a serious human being, we wouldn't want to get firm big-time with Assad if the IS can be rolled back?  Probably, depending on all other circumstances of such a time.

But it's about strategic objectives, national interests, and, indeed, standing for principles - in this case, the principle that it's not okay for a fanatical army-state to behead, crucify and enslave its way across the territory of two sovereign nations.

But it's not about wearing badges for the sake of preening.  In this world, friends are few and far between, so you sometimes pick your allies on a least-bad-option basis, and you don't make too much of it.  It ain't no kumbaya moment.