A Collapsing Souffle Of Rhetoric

So, let me get this straight:

We should bomb Syria because, if unchecked, the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime will only encourage the proliferation and use of such weapons by regimes and potentially terrorists that are unfriendly to our interests.  The actions of the Assad regime are therefore, a threat to our national security.

But...  because it's not enough of an imminent threat to our national security, the President felt obligated to go to Congress to get approval for his actions because, America is stronger when we all act together.

Say what now?  I don't know about any of you who might happen to be reading this but that speech was flat out embarassing.  Right away, the President contradicted himself and then proceeded on a meandering path about how he would put no boots on the ground in Syria and we're all tired of war and we shouldn't be the world's policeman but the children!  The bodies!  The gas! And we're all going work with Russia and consult closely with our allies.  And oh by the way, I've withdrawn my request for a Congressional vote (because I was going to lose badly) to give this swell diplomacy thing time to work.

It was like watching a souffle full of soaring rhetoric slowly collapse in on itself and it was just painful, painful to sit through.   You can say a lot about Bush The Younger- god knows listening to that man massacre the English language was akin to get a root canal sometimes but at least you came away with some semblence of a policy.  You may not have agreed with his policy but at least you knew where the United States stood.  After that speech, I'm honestly not sure.

I feel like the time for an effective intervention in Syria was probably a year ago.  (And even then, I think putting boots on the ground would be idiotic.  A no-fly zone coupled with arms to rebel factions we like would have been helpful.  Now, reducing Assad's air defenses and air force to rubble may be what we settle for.)  Now things are too chaotic-  this Russian plan is swell and great but I have a feeling we're going to talk about this for a couple of weeks and then find out that it's totally untenable and be back at square one anyway.  When people like Pat Buchannan start thundering about us 'being Al-Qaeda's air force' and Glenn Beck starts pimping out some random YouTube video that shows a purported rebel eating the heart of a fallen Assad soldier ('We can't bomb Assad!  The Rebels are actually cannibal terrorists!  The horror!  The horror!)  they're not entirely wrong.

I'll be totally honest:  I have no idea what the President is waiting for.   This Russian plan sounds swell but really, it's totally untenable.  Maybe I'm wrong and something good will come of it- if that's the case, then great, but I think President Obama is going to spend the next two weeks to a month pissing into the wind and then end up bombing Syria anyway- when Assad's had a good month to bolster his air defenses and hide all the chemical weapons we're supposed to be destroying.