Moral leadership with cruise missiles

Article

Trump air strikes tell Syria's Assad the game is up on chemical weapons

Summary

A Fox News commentator applauds Pres. Trump's decision to attack a Syrian air base. He asserts it was the perfect balance of "kinetic response and forward-leaning diplomacy."

Quote

"President Trump appears to be reasserting American moral leadership, as President Reagan once did.  This event boldly called him out, and we should all be glad it did. He apparently heard the call, did not hesitate, did not over or under calibrate, and did not tweet."

Understanding

What are the consequences of using cruise missiles to assert moral leadership?  The strike will affirm for those who believe in American exceptionalism that we are fulfilling our unique mission to transform the world. There will be a bounce for Pres. Trump's approval rating. The calculations in diplomatic conversations with Russia and China will include our renewed willingness to use military force. North Korea will be inflamed. Assad and his supporters will pause and ponder how far will Pres. Trump go in pursuit of Syrian regime change?.

Cruise missiles are a limited tool. Moral leadership will come from a range of sustained, consistent actions grounded in significant principles.

The questions are more important than the answers the missiles delivered. Can we pursue American exceptionalism without hubris? Can we moderate our use of force to be appropriate for specific objectives? Can we avoid going so far down the road of aggression that we have no way back to stability?