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By Bill Tatro, Special for USDR

George Santayana, an American/Spanish philosopher, poet and novelist once said “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.

Contrary to popular belief Japan did not bomb Pearl Harbor in order to invade California and set up a series of Benihanas. The Land of the Rising Sun was a militaristic dominated country. However, they were sorely lacking in natural resources, thus their expansionist policies of the ’30s and direct confrontation with the Western powers. Their alliance with Germany gave FDR the excuse to come to the aid of England in the event the US became involved.

The cut-off of all natural resources, including oil and the freezing of monies deposited in the US, became the most dire threat to Japan. The last straw may have been, however, General MacArthur moving a fleet of bombers in the summer of 1941 to airfields in the Philippines. Widely known was that US Intelligence had secured maps of strategic bombing targets in and around Tokyo.

A wounded animal when cornered will attack. Japan did and the rest is history.

The wounded animal of today is Assad’s Syria. The supposed front and center of everything is the Islamic State (ISIS) which threatens the entire region and is also an enemy of Assad. However, the Western backed – Assad opposition forces (possibly Al-Qaeda), could take refuge in the zone protected by US and Turkish aircraft. If the Syrian Air Force entered the zone ostensibly to attack ISIS benefiting the West they would be shot down by the Western Allies. Confusing? Yes, until you understand that Assad is simply a surrogate for Russia and their pipeline will be protected at all costs.

As we have Military “Advisers”, in hundreds of countries, it is not difficult to believe that likewise Russia has “Advisers” in Syria.

Our President has never backed up a so-called line in the sand, however, with Turkey as part of the enforcement for the no-fly zone it is not difficult to believe that it is only a matter of time that a Russian soldier becomes a “hero”.

Santayana said it best but it seems no one is listening,