Obama's Speech

Obama's speech was ultimately, in my opinion, rather disappointing. If he wants to send a message that America does not tolerate the use of chemical weapons he should have done it a long time ago. Now, this isn't necessarily completely his fault since Congress has been taking so long to make a decision on the matter, but taking three weeks to do anything is just ridiculous and makes the United States look bad. He, and congress, should have made a definitive decision weeks ago. Now, the United States just looks bad from all angles, and this whole deal with Russia is really just a way for us to avoid conflict and save face. This whole mess really goes back to whether or not people are going to follow the rules set for them. In Syria's case, they used chemical weapons, breaking an international law. In Obama's case, he decided to follow the Constitution and get Congress's approval on a military strike. His speech, as well as this whole matter in general, showed some definite weaknesses in our political system, and in our place in the international community as a whole.