Syria: Victim of American Conflict Fatigue

A recent poll conducted by the Program on International Policy attitudes at the University of Maryland sends an interesting message regarding the current conflict in Syria.

 On the positive side, Americans appear to be highly concerned about the conflict that has killed an estimated 8,000 Syrians. However, they appear to have no appetite to send American military forces into the conflict, preferring safe havens for civilians to be established by Turkey and The Arab League.

Results like these should be expected. This country has been at war for over a decade and I don’t think we yet understand the societal implications these two wars will have for the United States in the coming decades. 

 Americans have empathy for the human suffering of Syrians, but also see their own economy headed for uncertainty with ballooning gas and food prices and an elevated unemployment rate. Military action in Syria is unfortunately not in the cards at present.