Funny, I consider myself to be a political cynic, too, but while you are cynical about our interests in intervening I am becoming more and more cynical of any political entity having the capability to intervene. Politics is rarely the functionary of a rational consensus but rather a means of streamlining chaos into a reasonable facsimile of order for public consumption. In other words, I think we are out of our own hands and don't know what the hell to do about it.
Gotta laugh. At least I do.