The conflict in Libya is entering a dangerous phase. I read an ominous article in the New York Times entitled "U.S. Readies Military Options on Libya." It's not only about the new tough talk from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama about the repression Qaddafi is threatening to unleash against the popular protests sweeping the country but about how American warships are steaming toward the Mediterranean nation. While the article suggested that military intervention isn't soon likely, such strategies as enforcing a "no-fly zone" over Iraq--oops make that Libya-- is being considered.
Just yesterday the American government was singing Qaddafi's praises, calling him a valuable ally in their "war on terror." All sorts of American politicians including neocons had been investing considerable political capital in rehabilitating Qaddafi's image after his change in international alignment in the last decade. And now Clinton says "It's time for Qaddafi to go."
What complete hypocrisy. Compare Qaddafi's current repression against the protest movement to Israel's repression against Gaza, especially its brutal war of two years ago. The U.S. cheered Israel on. It is not the violence that concerns the U.S. government, not the potential loss of innocent life, it is the arrangement of power. The U.S. has been arming these repressive governments for years: perhaps that's where the problem lies in the first place.
The Libyan people are taking their future into the own hands. We've seen what happens when the U.S. actively intervenes: a few hundred thousand dead Iraqis might offer their opinion of that option. And the last thing the Libyan people need is to trade in their current dictator for a U.S. puppet. Libya is not an American playground. The Middle East is not an American playground. It's the meddling that helped create the problems in the first place. Beware!
Mondoweiss has an excellent roundup of news from Libya. Strongly recommended!
Update: Check out this photo from The Angry Arab News Service:
"No Foreign Intervention -- Libyan People Can Manage It Alone." be sure to check out the accompanying article on liberals who want to commence the invading.
Good point #1: "The U.S. has been arming these repressive governments for years: perhaps that's where the problem lies in the first place."
ReplyDeleteGood point #2: "The Middle East is not an American playground. It's the meddling that helped create the problems in the first place. Beware!"
But underneath all the meddling is the desire to keep oil rich companies alive and profitable. Sorry but it's not a cure for disease that's the driving force...
Thanks Annie for reminding us about oil and oil companies. Damned dinosaur blood!
ReplyDeleteit's no secret that the middle east is a confusing beast to me, but i fail to see how there's any room for debate on this. libya is a place. the people that live in that place wanted a change. they started working for it. how is it any of our damn business from a military perspective?
ReplyDeleteThree little letters: O-I-L
ReplyDeleteHouse GOP all vote to protect Big Oil subsidies
March 1, 2011
"House Republicans voted in lockstep this afternoon to protect corporate welfare for Big Oil, even as they call for draconian cuts to programs that everyday Americans depend on each day.
As the House of Representatives moved toward approving a stopgap resolution to avert a government shutdown for another two weeks, Democrats offered a motion to recommit that would have stripped the five largest oil companies of taxpayer subsidies, saving tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer funds.
The motion failed on a vote of 176-249, with all Republicans voting against (approximately a dozen Democrats joined the GOP).
A similar vote two weeks ago to recoup $53 billion in taxpayer funds from Big oil was also voted down, largely along party lines. The former CEO of Shell Oil, John Hoffmeister, recently said Big Oil doesn’t need subsidies “in face of sustained high oil prices.”
From 2005 to 2009, the largest oil companies have made a combined $485 billion in profits."
– Josh Dorner, in a TP cross-post.
That was a very greasy tidbit of news that I otherwise missed. You know even though I write this blog, and you would think that nothing shocks me, sometimes my jaw drops. I want to start yelling, "Do you thinks nobody sees you DOING that????"
ReplyDelete