Syria

You wrote: "The UN does not seem to learn despite many opportunities to confront psychopathic, sociopathic and evil leadership. Diplomacy MUST be backstopped by force"

That may be so in broad sense, but each 'psychopathic' case must be assessed on its own merits or demerits. In the case of Syria, the issue is not so much 'intervening in Muslim nations" but intervening against a deliberate and stubborn Russian opposition.

Russia's defiance of Western efforts (via the UN-approved actions) to end Assad's crackdown on protesters is based on two premises: a) that Russia needs to keep a Mid-East presence by propping up, politically and militarily, its last remaining ally in the region;
b) that a UN-approved intervention in Syria would eventually lead to a similar Western-sponsored and UN-approved intervention in Russian domestic affairs.

The Kremlin's attempt to shield Assad's regime from UN sanctions and to continue supplying it with weapons and ammunition has already strained Moscow's relations with Obama administration. At the same time Vladimir Putin enjoys defying the US while campaigning for his new term as president.

Putin's advisers seem to have concluded that Russia has nothing to lose from backing Assad as well as nothing to gain from supporting the opposition.

And, at this stage at least, no one can define the identity and future political orientation of Assad's successor.

Didomyk,

I take Russian opposition to Security Council action against tyrants as a given.

They supported the Serbians against the Bosnian Intervention, delayed intervention in Rwanda and Sudan Genocide, deny sanctions and actions against the North Korean Regime, supported Qaadafi until very late, and provide diplomatic cover to the Iranian nuclear program.

The Russians end up selling expensive weapons to the Syrians, Libyans, North Koreans, Serbians, Iranians, and Venezuelans that are principally used against their own people.

The Chinese are only slightly less guilty.

The Security Council roles are so stereotypical as to be highly predictable. Russians work for self interest, and that is weapons sales and stymieing the West. Since the beginning of the UNSC, Russia is not a force for world peace as much as dysfunction.

Let Russia remain isolated. I think the Chinese are more pragmatic, have more economic power and more potential for positive change.