Where is the line?

Submitted by Michael S. (United States), Nov 4, 2015 at 03:01

Hello, George

There are two types of people in the world: (1) Those who divide people into two types, and (2) those who don't. Beyond that, things get blurry.

Here's a real problem of classification:

I used to be a chemist, doing graduate work at a university. The professor in the office next to our lab had a cartoon in the window, of a glove box isolator. The researcher using the box then looked down along the wall, and saw another reseacher also using a glove box; only he was on the other side of the wall! Both had shocked looks on their faces.

The problem I've had of classification, is That Turkey and the US are clearly backing opposite horses in Syria, yet both are presumably on the same side. It's as though President Obama is on one side of the glove box, opposing Islamic State and protecting the Syrian Kurds; while Turkey's President Erdogan is on the other side, opposing the Syrian Kurds and protecting Islamic state. Obviously the two presidents have diametrically opposed ideas about which side is "toxic".

I wonder where the sides get flipped. Are the Americans the only ones supporting the Syrian Kurds? Are the Turks the only ones supporting Islamic State? Where do our other allies stand, in between? How about Germany? France? the UK? Canada? Where is the line?

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