Look, Peter, it’s not that George McGovern (or I) would “cheer” President Obama’s announcement that he’s going to do what he can to protect the Yazidi, the Turkmen, the Christians, and the Kurds from the murderous rampages of the Islamic State. There is nothing to “cheer” for here. But, yes, these guys are every bit as bad as the Khmer Rouge. Quite possibly, they are worse. And our country (if not our president) is just as responsible for creating the conditions that led to the Islamic State as we were for creating the conditions that led to the Khmer Rouge.
There are many things that Americans cannot do, or cannot do well. But we can’t be prisoners to our past mistakes. When an army in loosed on the world that has the intent of murdering or enslaving anyone who won’t convert to their perverted faith, you cannot look the other way. Certainly, George McGovern would understand that. But he would find nothing cheerful about this situation.
