Get out of Libya. That is what Secretary of Defense Gates meant when he addressed the Congressional committee. Let’s face it, Obama made a mistake and he should be big enough and bold enough to realize it, confess it but above all, he needs to get out of Libya. We can all help in this. Our President is very inexperienced and naive about most things and especially about international affairs. In the case of Libya he made a very big mistake and when the election comes he will be judged, but in the meantime, he is the President and has committed our forces to pursue the wrong policy and engage in the wrong war. Libya is minimally a rebellion of dissent former army officers and maximally a civil war. In both cases, the USA has nothing to do with it. This is even more true when we consider our lack of involvement in the Ivory Coast where there are thousands of genocidal deaths. In Libya almost none and definitely none genocidal. So, what to do? We need to cut the President some slack, and for now let him off the hook he so foolishly got all Americans onto when he arrogantly pronounced that Gaddafi must go. The President must totally disengage from Libya immediately. This course of action is in our national self interest. Additionally, we can encourage Obama to take diplomatic initiatives to impress upon Gaddafi our help if he takes immediate actions to democratize his government. President Obama’s ideological doggedness should not involve our nation in pursuit of the wrong cause for the wrong reasons no matter how nice a guy we think our smiling President to be. Rather, in the use of lethal force, we need to encourage our President to stop immediately his ill advised foray into an adventure which is really a third war.
Category: Uncategorized
Will Libyan Rebels Kill Civilian Gaddafi Supporters?
As the USA continues it massive bombing, strafing and missile attacks against Gaddafi, the question rises, “Will the rebels just leave the thousands of Gaddafi supporters alone, or will they attack and kill them? This is a real problem because we already know that fighting has happened between the rebels and civilians supporters of Gaddafi. So, when the genocide begins and the rebels start rounding up the tribe of Gaddafi, (please remember that this is a tribal society) imprisoning them and or just slaughtering them, what will the USA do? This issue was raised in the TV news reports today March 31st, and the response of the administration was that then we would attack the rebels! Really! How do we excuse that? Add to this the ridiculous statement made on March 31st by Sec. Gates that any future Sec. Defense that advised in favor of a land war in Africa or Asia should have his head examined. Really! I seem to remember that Gates was 100 % in favor of the invasion (air) and war against (missiles) in Libya. Is this his honesty showing up, a day late and a dollar short?
US Causes Civilian Deaths Libya
The writer of this blog is not a fan of Gaddafi, however, as I have written, the US air strikes against the government of Libya are blatant aggression. I understand that no American wants to hear such accusations against their government. But this writer feels that there is just too much go go and rha rha in support of military strikes against Libya. Every day we hear the talk shows drone on about the need for humanitarian help to the people of Libya. Well the above website tells of reliable new from the Vatican Rep. in Tripoli that the air strikes are killing innocent civilians. Also add to this tragedy, the fact that 20 thousand refugees have flooded into Italy from Libya and we see the humanitarian disaster this NO WAR really is becoming. Folks, let’s be honest, there have been hundreds of thousands of bullets fired from US fighter jets and attack helicopters. There have been 212 missile attacks against Libya. Do you really believe that no body was killed? No, but you say, that they were Gaddafi’s soldiers. Well, are the legal soldiers of the government of Libya not human beings? They are slaughtered from the air by the USA Air soldiers a nation and a people with whom the Libyan soldiers are not at war! Such behavior on the part of the USA is equal to snipers shooting at the police of New York City. Peace loving Americans should insist that the government stop this illegal war. If not, then those same peace-loving Americans should insist that we immediately accept the twenty thousand refugees into the USA-people who are refugees because of USA bombs and missile attacks.
OReilly Reveals his Obama Side
In the telecast March 31 Bill O Reilly revealed that he is fulfilling a question he asked when he interviewed President Obama. In that Interview he asked the President, “What can I do to help you, Mr. President?” Since that time O Reilly has done a good job of covering up his new-found admiration for the President. Mostly, O Reilly acts as though he is being fair and balanced, but the nuance of his comments is decidedly pro Obama. Tonight with the use of one word, O Reilly revealed his inner convictions. In discussing the difference between Obama and Bush as regards the Mid East, O Reilly said that Bush was a “cowboy” in Iraq while Obama revealed a deliberate cautious and careful approach to Libya. He said that Bush was a cowboy in his go it alone approach to leadership while Obama’s broad coalition with NATO is proof of Obama’s leadership. The use of the negative word “cowboy” as regards President Bush shows that O Reilly is no longer even pretending to be fair and balanced and has become a Obama defender, just like MSNBC and CNN and the other media sycophants. Too bad, because now there is only Mark Levin and Sean Hannity to trust for fair and balanced and Glenn Beck for thorough investigative reporting. O Reilly is really a democrat advocate and it would be better for him to admit his true Pro Obama position rather than to continue to pretend otherwise.
Does the Court In Wisconsin Believe It is Superior to the Legislature?
Yesterday a Court Judge ruled that the Wisconsin Labor law cannot be enforced. Amazing how a single Judge sets herself up against the Governor and the legislature of a sovereign State. It is disheartening for average citizens to watch such judicial legislation. The Judges are supposed to rule on the legality of the law under the constitution. So what is the Judge doing here? Is it judicial politics or does she have legitimate reason to tell the legislature, in due order assembled, that it is not allowed to pass laws? I understand this may seem simplistic but the people do elect legislators and Governors and they expect their decision to be respected unless the legislature does something egregiously harmful to the citizens of the State. Do we really think that limiting government employees collective bargaining rights, and telling them to pay 8% of their pension of 12 5 of their health insurance is harmful to the State. I am sure that the majority citizens of that State pay as much or more into their plans. So what’s the problem?
Libyans Have the Right of Free Speech.
The rebels are in retreat again. Take away foreign intervention and the so-called popular uprising is easily defeated. Where are the five million civilians who are supposed to be rebels? Obviously, if even a majority of the people wanted Gaddafi out, they would shelter, feed, fund and join the rebels. But the people do not! Is it possible that this is actually a minor rebellion of radical former military people who are themselves, like Gaddafi , seeking to seize control of Libya? And the so-called leadership of the rebellion. USA acknowledges it knows next to nothing about them, and our Sec. State has meetings with well dressed, expatriats who fled to France and lived in luxury while ordinary Libyans slogged through their daily life under the regime. Do we remember Chalabi in Iraq? He was a cheat and a phony expatriate who we thought was the answer to Iraq’s problems. Yesterday I read news that the people in Gaddafi’s hometown were bombed, strafed and obviously, killed. They are civilians but of his tribe. So, it seems that the people who are civilians but who support Gaddafi are not allowed have free speech, free politics and freedom of assembly. Why? because a foreign President of the USA ( The land of the free and the home of the brave) tells them they are not allowed that freedom. The need to believe as he does and as do French and British colonial imperialists. I really do not agree with most of what Louis Farrakhan says, but he is right to ask President Obama who the hell he thinks he is? Indeed as President of the USA he is one of the most important world leaders. But he is not President of the world? And Lindsey Graham made the association of the Minutemen with the Libyan rebels. Please Senator, do not liken the Libyan rebels to the citizen soldiers of Bunker hill and Concord, and Valley Forge. Last word for this post. Did any of us realize that we had such war mongers in the Congress. Amazing to hear Senator Mc Cain and Liebermann endorse foreign interventionism. America is not the policeman nor the savior of the world. And for those who will quote Gaddafi about “…showing no mercy..” Arabs are noted for exaggeration. Remember Saddam with his Mother of all Battles speech?
Hannity and the Right are Wrong.
For several days now Sean Hannity has been proposing that although there are serious questions whether we should have gotten involved in Libya, yet since we have started therefore we must continue and oust the government and its leader. There is an old moral principle which says that two wrongs do not make a right. The escalation of the American military involvement from a no fly zone into attacking the buildings, administration, military and security forces of libya is simply criminal aggression. The United Nations does not have the legal authority to state that 28 nations can use all means necessary in order to protect civilians, and then be silent as the Obama Administration takes the side of the rag tag rebels forces against the constituted forces of the Libyan government. The blatant immorality of the idea that the United Nations and NATO can suddenly and without provocation gang up upon a member state is obvious, although ignored by all the allied leaders. Why do Senate leaders like Mc Cain and Libermann ignore the genocide in Dafur and Congo and the Ivory Coast while warmongering in Libya. Fearfully, the US is showing itself morally bankrupt in this so called humanitarian war. So since when are 212 missiles and A-10 gunships taking the side of a motley rag tag rebel force against Gadhadfi a humanitarian effort?
Levin has a point.
Mark Levin on Monday, March 28th, stated the proposition that President Obama is using the Libyan situation as a catalyst to advance his idea of one world government. Levin highlighted the factors to include President Obama seeking UN, Arab League, and NATO approval for our actions in place of seeking the support of the US Congress. The writer of this blog feels that Levin is hitting a central point in this whole affair. It is amazing that US battle ship groups, Air force elements, and 212 missiles should be launched against Libya without any congressional approval at all. What should the congress do? Because the military is totally disregarding the authority of Congress, and because aggression against the sovereign state of Libya is criminal, then the Congress should tell the military that they will not approve the defense budget because it is not defense but aggression. The Congress should also close down any negotiations with the Dept. of Defense relative to any new weapons funding. Additionally, the Congress should tell the military that because they had a wanton disregard for precious weapons resources, therefore the Congress will not fund the replacement of the 212 illegally launched missiles. And for my readers who scoff at this idea, please remember that it is the DEFENSE budget and not the aggression budget and that even Secretary Gates was candid enough to admit on March 27th Meet the Press that Libya was not and is not a threat to the security of the USA.
Mc Cain Libermann Warmongering?
The drums of war beat loud and fast for some leaders. It is amazing to hear Senators Libermann and Mc Cain in full support of the illegal bombing of Libya. Today I read that Nato, ( that means American) fighters bombs Gadhafi’s home town. Now aren’t these people innocent of any crime? The article said that the bombs were dropped on his home town because the people there supported him. That is just plain immoral. The people there are free to have their political opinions. If they want to back Gadhafi that is their “constitutional” right. I mean, let’s be honest, we say we are for freedom of speech and freedom of political opinion but we bomb Libyan people BECAUSE they exercise their freedom to support whomever political leader they want to support. But it is not the leader that Obama says they are allowed to support. So, we are bombing them. Likewise, I read that we strafed and bombed Gadhafi’s troops, tanks and armored personnel for the purpose of allowing the rebels to gain control of a city and to regain control of another. A few days ago the President and his spokespeople said that it was unfair for Gadhafi to have tanks and troops and armored personnel carriers and we were going to ” level the playing field.” But now the rebels have our planes and bombs in limitless supply while we force Gadhafi forces to have no planes and we wantonly destroy his tanks and helicopters. So now, I ask, who has the unfair advantage and that unfair advantage is not even Libyan it is foreign. And even worse, it is the colonialist imperialist forces of France and England and shamefully, American. Now, on Meet the Press we even hear a Senator say that we should support the internal unrest in Syria, seek to over throw the Syrian government and if needed bomb Syria and put boots on the ground in both Syria and Libya. This writer wants to know if the good Senator thinks we should pour down bombs upon Mecca in Saudi Arabia, a tyranical monarchy and and should we also bomb Palestine a home to Hamas and while we are at it, maybe a few cruise missiles should be shot at Lebanon and Hezbollah? The warmongering of President Obama is amazingly brazen. These are American planes paid for with American dollars and American pilots on the US military payroll and Congress which is the ONLY part of the US government under the Constitution which is allowed to declare war is not even consulted!! Instead the warmongers consult NATO in Brussels, (the new world order headquarters) and the Arab league, (who the hell are they?) and the United Nations, (the historic new world order headquarters.) And what did we seek from them? We asked their permission. And once the US President got their permission our overly aggressive President told us lie and lie as he pursued a bellicose war path of wanton destruction upon the five million people of Libya, all the while denying an attempt to kill Gadahfi and declaring that our effort is humanitarian. Well, what is humanitarian about a war waged against the sovereign state of Libya? Should the USA be cavorting with the ugly colonialist imperialist regimes of England and France against an Arab nation? Well, enough said on that. Now to the outflanking of the Congress as the President takes to the public broadcasting system to force the Congress to approve his constitutionally illegal action by appealing directly to the public. I hope the people will reject the President’s facile manipulation of his power to dictate another war and one which is plainly raw aggression.
Libya really is our third war.
Today’s news reported on TV that the new estimate for the war in Libya is three months. Wow what happened to the Presidents idea of narrow objective, limited in scope and of short duration. General Franks told President Bush that the Shock and Awe campaign would be so effective that we would be out of Iraq in three months. Well, we are still there. It really stretches one’s belief to think that we are in Libya, supporting a very small group of former Libyan soldiers in an armed rebellion against the central government for what the administration calls humanitarian reasons. Let me ask you a simple question, especially all of you in support of this new aggression. If the President asked you for one thousand dollars to be sent voluntarily to support this war, would you send it or would you rather send your thousand to Japan in support of humanitarian relief to the Tsunami victims? Be honest.
Progressive Politics 