Thursday, March 10, 2011
Third War Whores
They're out and about again, people - John McCain and the rest of 'em - this time advocating for military intervention in Libya. And, as usual, they're talking as if it were just another walk in the God-damned park, "No-fly zone, yeah, we can frigging do that. NO PROBLEM!" I mean, you'd think, wouldn't you, that listening to Secretary Gates would at least give 'em a little pause (yes, I'm referring to the Secretary's rather sobering testimony). And, besides, what if it doesn't work? A lot of the reports that I've been hearing are that most of current carnage is being done on the ground. Ground forces - is that what they're going to be asking for next? Yikes, huh?..................................................................................................And even plan B/if we "just" decide to arm the resistance, I ask you, how well has that particular tactic worked for us in the past? I mean, we tried it in Afghanistan, arming the anti-Soviet rebels there - you know, the fellows who eventually became, hm, what do we call them again? - oh yeah, the Taliban!! And don't even get me going on our involvement with Saddam Hussein...............................................................................................Look, folks, I'm not saying that we shouldn't do anything. I'm not even saying that we shouldn't do a military option (though, yes, some sort of humanitarian option would probably be preferable). I'm just saying that it's all getting a little stale; all of the usual suspects, the same old same old, etc..
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5 comments:
I feel for the people in Libya trying to rid themselves of that insane bastard but I taking a page from Star Trek on this one and say the non-interference rule applies here.
As for another insane and senile old fart I heard McCain the other actually hiss the word "enemy" when talking about Libya and how we should go in there like John Wayne.
Beach,
I have to agree with you. First of all, John Wayne never went to Libya.
Moreover, while I respect that idea that America should unilaterally select who can no longer remain in power in Libya, some of the world is starting to question the legitimacy of the American Empire, as America has not been democratically elected. To declare ourselves the world's leader is nothing if not embracing a dictatorship. Our argument that we are a benevolent dictator does little to soften things. As John Milton put it, “It is better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven.” The rest of the world will draw this conclusion eventually. Once the world finds out about Milton, we are screwed.
We think we are Ancient Rome, only righteous. This attitude will be internationally tolerated only for so long. Just as the world applauds as they watch Libya’s dictator fall, something that was unthinkable a few months ago, the world will cheer when its dictator, us, finally submits to the unthinkable. We feel very righteous and powerful in respect to the barbarians who would attempt to topple us. Little do we emperor’s realize that we are the barbarians and our actions will topple the empire if they are left unchecked.
Short of a Kosovo style bombing campaign (not necessarily a sure thing in this theater, either), there doesn't seem to be all that much that we could do to change things....Somebody the other day mentioned Lebanon and Somalia. Those are some pretty darn good comparisons, I'm thinking.
As President Ford said, "We can't go around the world freeing everybody."
McCain is nuts.
Not exactly a Mother Theresa type, is he?
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