[redwitch]

Sadly, the only solution I can see is a military strike with a lot of innocent deaths as collateral damage. It would mean air strikes targeting every known stronghold of the IS. Troops on the ground could not do the job. World opinion would destroy us -- the sanctions against the US would be astronomical.

It truly scares me that this is the only solution I have heard that seems to have a possibility of success. We drove al Qaida into the hills with ground troops and selective air strikes. It did in fact weaken al Qaida. However, in return we got IS. It seems that every time we act proactively and weaken one group, another, worse gang comes along.

We once had a chance to make a huge difference in the Middle East. We could have educated the people, helped them have free and open elections, built hospitals and so on. Instead, our government chose to support dictators so big businesses could profit. Now, we have a region where illiteracy is rampant. These people truly believe America is the Great Satan. Their Imans have taught them to hate, they've never been taught the beauty of the Koran and have no way to read it themselves.

So, as far as I can see, we have no way to right the wrongs of the past. I can't think of a way to stop the hate of today other than annihilation and that just seems to help start another, even more radical group.