It is very hard to discern why Peter Coates even bothered to write this article. What he is whining about is completely unclear. The best insight as to his mindset is when he talks about "moral relativity" in regards to the west bombing the enemies of Syria's President-for-Life Assad that Peter says has killed 200,000 of his own people. But other than hinting that western morality stinks, Peter does not enlighten us as to what the correct western response should be to ethnically cleansing cut throats and sex slave advocates of ISIS.

Perhaps that is because Peter does not have a clue himself? It is very easy to attack somebody else's moral values when you don't have any alternative which you may have to defend.

The rest of Peter's article simply recounts the fact that the yanks appear to be doing a good job cobbling together diplomatic support before bombing the hell out of ISIS and Al Qaida. He finally gets around to giving his own people a serve by claiming that Australia's contribution is a mere token of what other countries are providing. But he does not say whether he thinks that this is a good thing or a bad thing. I suppose he thinks it is a bad thing. Anything the Liberals do is automatically bad to people like Peter Coates.

I think that this war has really got the trendy lefties stumped and they don't know who is right or who is wrong. With ISIS doing everything it can to offend the white western liberals it puts Peter and his ilk in a moral quandary because they can hardly do their traditional treason act and go into bat for the likes of ISIS. The only alternative is to support the yanks but that would be going too far for the "always support your people's enemies" attitudes of western trendies. All Peter can do is to sit on the fence and imply how awful it all is without the moral certitude to pick a side. Especially what should be his own side.

Lego lives in a world inhabited by 'Goodies' and 'Baddies'. In Lego's simple mind the line between these two groups is clearly marked.

Goodies according to Lego are any one who is under the thrall of the white Christian U.S. and its European Capitalist Allies.

Baddies have a different skin colours and religions and have resources which, by rights, should belong to the Master Race which is run by the extreme, exceptional psychopaths in Washington.

Currently, the U.S., aided by a rabble of sycophantic Arab Nations, are firing missiles and dropping bombs on Isil targets.

Australia is lurking in the background waiting for Tony to give the word for bombing runs against Isil, the latest bogeyman that the U.S. has created. How wonderful!

And so our world spirals downwards to a state of continuous war which helps the Oligarchs to become even more wealthy.

Our world is reaching a state of universal insanity, one that will precipitate a nuclear war in the near future.

Peacemakers have no real role to play anymore. We just wait for the next Hiroshima which will be, by comparison, mere fireworks.

Over forty nations have pledged their support for this and other similar actions.
And self evidently, there is now no other choice!
If the Middle East is a melting pot of diverse murderous opinion and drop of the hat offense, that is hardly surprising and probably would still be par for the course, were there no issues to actually address!
Or somehow blame the west for; rather than sheet home the blame where it is really deserved!
To inhumane Arab dictators, who's barbarous exploits make the Geneva convention respecting Nazis, (if you were in uniform) look like friendly boy scouts, in any fair comparison.
To reiterate, we have reached a point where there is now no other choice.
Assard was a very fine fighter, when matched against unarmed old men, women and children!
But like most inherently cowardly tyrants, almost useless against someone as least as strong, and dare I say, even more ruthless.
That said, we don't need to give the sabre rattling Russians an excuse to invite themselves in.
Which would, nonetheless, confirm everything we know about a land grabbing (birds of a feather) Putin, and allow those already oppressed by him, a perfect opportunity, to strike a blow for their freedom!
Personally, I would bomb the hiss and hick pandles out of Assard, and the devil take the hindmost.
Maybe it's just the right show of determined resolve, that might give a warmongering Putin, with his own share of Muslim unrest, cause to pause and reflect, before becoming our best (oil and gas supplying) friend, all over again!?
If nothing else, he respects strength coupled to implacable resolve!
Isil apologists like David G, are free to leave, (now today) join Isil, if they'll have him; and his "universal unconditional love"!
Perhaps they would welcome him with a kiss kiss love in, which they now quite famous for!
Black satirical humor aside.
Would that he never return; to which we would all likely say, good riddance to bad (highly hypocritical) two faced rubbish!
Rhrosty.

"It was just over a year ago that Obama officials were insisting that bombing and attacking Assad was a moral and strategic imperative. Instead, Obama is now bombing Assad’s enemies while politely informing his regime of its targets in advance. It seems irrelevant on whom the U.S. wages war; what matters is that it be at war, always and forever."

I'll let Glenn Greenwald reply for me, Rusty!

I guess when people start disparaging the peacemakers and applauding the warmongers, you realize that such people have reached rock-bottom in their moral, ethical and intellectual development!

"As with all wars in the Middle East countries have conflicting interests - though rarely has there been so much consensus against the rise of a new actor, the Islamic State (IS). IS threatens Sunni Monarchies and republics, Sunni al Qaeda, Shiites, Kurds, other minorities and Israelis."

How can the author be so unaware? IS has made it plain that it is against, and accordingly will take action against, anyone -- regardless of country of origin -- who does not agree with its interpretation of Islam.

It is telling the the rightwingers of this thread don't even support Obama when Obama launches a large airstike campaign. This is something Dubya would have done and all drooling neocons would have gloried in.

Is it the colour of Obama's skin that's holding our narrow-minded nutters back? They need to give credit where credit is jue.

Overnight Obama has also secured a a very rara unanimous vote in the UN against foreign fighters in Iraq-Syria. A vote that Australia participated in. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2014/09/un-approves-resolution-foreign-fighters-201492419234320219.html

The brotherhood of OLO should be praising Obama - that noble man of colour.