I've always feared that a young, inexperienced GOPer who has been molded by the neocons could present the biggest danger to this country....and the world. Now, sadly, my fears are being realized in today's CNBC interview of Marco Rubio.
See below the fold for the grim details...
First of all, this line of thinking by Rubio scares the living daylights out of me, and should frighten all thinking humans. John Harwood conducted this interview, and the scary part starts at the 8:05 minute mark in the following link:
http://video.cnbc.com/...
Simply put, Rubio advocates a no-fly zone over Syria to prevent Putin from replacing us as the Middle East's "most influential geopolitical broker in the region".
When Harwood challenges Rubio whether he'd be willing to risk war with Russia, he says...
"Number one, if you're gonna have a no-fly zone, it's gotta be against anyone who would dare intrude on it."
Well, who else is there other than the Russians?!!? He then bravely says...
"And I am confident that the United States airforce can enforce that."
Yay. A new redline to invite an incident where our military confronts and shoots down a Russian aircraft. That'll end well! NOT.
Of course, Rubio doesn't believe the Russians would test that and go into that "safe zone". To Harwood's credit, he presses him on this point. He asks Marco, "well, what if he does?" Rubio's response?
"Well, then, you're gonna have a problem. But it would be no different than any other adversary."
Umm, Senator Rubio, it WOULD BE DIFFERENT. The Russians have nukes, or did you not learn that?
Then, Rubio says the alternative would be worse, given the "massive migration crisis we have", and that Assad would remain in power. So, this is what it's about. He's more afraid of brown-skinned Syrians flowing into America than the (even small) risk that a military confrontation with Russia could end civilization!
Again, he literally says, "So, I think the alternative is worse". What is he, nuts?
Harwood, again to his credit, asks Rubio if the risk of hot military conflict with Russia would scare voters, and his rather flippant response is....
"Sure, but the consequences of not doing anything would scare them even more.
He finished by blaming Obama (of course) for the situation we find ourselves in today.
What does all this come down to? A green, simple-minded GOPer is of the mind that confrontation with Russia over Syria is better policy than working with Russia and our partners in trying to end the civil war and make Syria a place safe enough for the refugees to return to, and end the humanitarian crisis. Even if it means Assad remains in power for now.
Someone like Rubio, or Rubio himself, getting into power would risk WWIII with this cold war thinking. Unbelievable, scary, chilling, and to many, the likely way a World War with Russia could actually begin. It's long been said the the root cause of a WWIII would start in the Middle East. And the hubris, idiocy, bellicosity, and lack of diplomacy of GOP neocons could make that a reality.
Americans MUST keep all such wrongheaded militarists out of power. Forever, hopefully, but at least in 2016!