Usually makes really bad suggestions. It would seem she is at work again with crop of naive idealists covering the Arab world:
It’s rare for me to advocate something as direct as a military action – but a no-fly zone is something we must as a nation do, and do immediately, if we are to do anything to help bring about a new golden age of democracy in the Middle East. After Egypt, all Arab leaders feared their people; after Libya, the people will again fear their tyrants. All the progress will be lost, all the potential will be wasted.
This is the moment that must be seized. And only we can do it.
Now it may come as a news flash for this crowd-and Nicholas Kristof in particular-but this has to rank as one of the dumber foreign policy ideas ever conceived. Lets look at the reasons why:
1) Ask yourself the first question, “With what airpower will you establish this no fly zone?” Anybody look at the current size of the US Navy and the disposition of US aircraft carriers lately? They are a little busy right now supporting a few other wars of choice. NATO? People should really look at a map when making these suggestions. Even flying from Malta-its a long haul to provide adequate coverage for Libya. Whose tankers are we using?
2) Let’s assume Qhadaffi is on the ropes. Why would anyone want to provide him the lifeline of an American led Satan to point to seeking to invade his country? Right now he has no one to blame but himself.
3) By intervening-we now own whatever government replaces the current regime. Do we even know who that is? Could we-by good intentions actually end up backing a new set of thugs? This is the Arab world after all.
The events in Libya are indeed tragic and a lot of Libyans are going to die before the regime falls. But ask yourself a hard hearted question-“do you really want more American Soldiers and Marines and Airmen dying for an Arab culture that is more than 99% unlikely to be willing to return the favor?” I make no bones about my answer-no I do not.
I don’t want anyone to die in Libya-but given a choice between a Libyan getting the honor of dying for Libya or an American, I’ll pass that on to a Libyan every time.
The best thing we can do is sit on the sidelines and perhaps provide a quiet nudge to the right players from time to time. This is not our our ballgame to play in.
So in other words, the idea of imposing a no fly zone over Libya and supporting Kaddafi is an absolute no-brainer and Clinton and Obama will swallow it whole because that’s the way they ride. Maximum damage to the United States at the greatest price possible.
Oh man. Now I know why it is snowing in my neck of the woods. Skippy and I totally agree on something.
This is way to dangerous for us to get involved with in “an internal matter” of an Arab Nation. As you note we end up backing the wrong folks, or worst end up picking the losing team, then where are we? Up a smelly creek with out paddles and holes in our canoe. As I have told others over at Sal’s place, where will we be in the West when the first kid from Ottumwa, Oil City, Hastings, Abbotsford, or wherever; comes home in a body bag? Those same screaming for action will scream that we screwed it up and shouldn’t have gone there in the first place. Worst might be that we end up being there for years trying to seperate the various tribes in Libya from wanting to kill each other, in the same way that adults try to seperate a bunch of little kids on a playground. We can then add in the potential of not having any resources on hand to stage from for this protection racket. The neighbors to either side of Libya are in the midst of thier own revoultions and probably not good places to stage aircraft from. The French don’t have an aircraft carrier ready to deploy anytime soon. The Royal Navy is a Navy in only name only now a days and can’t seem to leave the waters around the UK. The Italians have an aircraft carrier but can some AV-8B’s only armed with some AIM-9’s really do anything short of engage what is seen on the horizion? I know lets call the Russians and get the Carrier of a thousand names out there, oops, I’m sorry she still stuck in a yard period that started after her latest deployment before Putin left office. So now what folks? The only other option would be forceable siezure of a field in Libya itself to provide cover to whom? Yea, that would go over like a hooker in Baptist Church. Instead of hating each other, now we have given them a nice juicy target to hate. Real smart there.
NFZ’s, boots on the ground, quarintines aren’t the way to go. Rather, we should open our arms to anyone that wants to jump ship. Make sure they aren’t a criminal and put them up for a while till things settle down over there. Just like the Maltese just did with those Libyan Pilots over the weekend.
I find myself in an intellectual quandary, not for the usual reason that most of my brain synapses are fried because of too much Sex, drugs and rock and roll(it was the 60’s, man)
but because I TOO, agree with Skippy….
One of the signs of the Apocalypse?
There are 190 OTHER countries in the world and if the world is so concerned let THEM intervene..
” and only we can do it”, Someone please send that knucklehead a copy of Janes Fighting ……, the world is awash in military capability…like the Chinese….
It takes some people longer than others to learn…….
But in the end you will always come to find my natural brilliance. 😉
Whoa there don’t let your screwtop get loose, there Skippy. I am sure we will fall out over whose natural brilliance is better. Lets just agree that the Sake is good and the ladies look good as we sit eating Sushi, and that this may happen every so often when the house is in the seventh sun (or words to that effect). 😉
SAP-A Screwtop only feels sorry for himself. First commandment of being a Screwtop.
We here in the free world are told that this is a internal play for democracy in Libya. “K-daffy” is telling his security forces what? As far back as last Friday the media was predicting he ousting and he’s still there!
We should just kick back and watch the show in Libya and elsewhere. As long as they are fighting each other it gives them less time to blame the US for everything wrong in their lives. The folks in power are nothing more than corrupt despots and thugs. None of them will be missed Who knows, the Arabs may just burn out on jihad if their economies somehow end up moving forward once the dust settles. Of course it can all go to hell, but it
really should be up to them to figure it out.