If you have watched, heard or read the news about the undeclared war on Libya, then I am confident you are aware that Obama and his minions are going out of their way to tell everyone far and wide that the direct involvement or leadership of the US armed forces will be for days, not weeks. Do you believe what they are telling us? Call me a cynic, but I don't!
Me? I suspect this is all part of a well-choreographed set-up job.
The strategy the Obama administration has chosen to utilize places the US in a no-win situation IF the Libyan leader decides to dig in. If he manages to dodge the bombs and missiles targeted for him -- ooh, but this isn't about regime change, we're told -- then the no-fly zone will need to be maintained for weeks, months and, possibly, years.
I heard on a news report yesterday (I don't remember which one) that it is estimated that maintaining a no-fly zone over Libya will cost between $100 - $300 million PER WEEK. If the US bears a significant chunk of this cost, we're talking about serious money here.
Both the president and congress are pitching budget plans to slash domestic social spending. If we spend tens of millions of dollars each week to maintain the no-fly zone, that will represent even MORE money subtracted from such things as education, food stamps, Medicaid, job training and aid to states and cities. It will make a bad situation that much worse.
Speaking of making a bad situation worse, how could we even consider lifting the no-fly zone as long as Qaddafi remains in power? If anyone thinks he had plans to slaughter tens of thousands of his own citizens -- the protesters for democracy -- what do you think he might do if the [coalition] planes leave? The obvious answer is that he would take out his fury against the western powers on those in Benghazi and other locales. The bloodbath we SAY we are trying to prevent would end occurring anyway and my guess is that it would be far more horrific than it might have been otherwise.
Consequently, it would seem to me that we are now stuck between a rock and a hard place. We can't leave before we conclude a mission we are told we aren't pursuing or else all we will end up accomplishing is the very thing we have been told we are attempting to prevent.
In other words, we're being set-up for a another war to go along with the several -- both acknowledged and not -- we are engaged in right now.
Me? I suspect this is all part of a well-choreographed set-up job.
The strategy the Obama administration has chosen to utilize places the US in a no-win situation IF the Libyan leader decides to dig in. If he manages to dodge the bombs and missiles targeted for him -- ooh, but this isn't about regime change, we're told -- then the no-fly zone will need to be maintained for weeks, months and, possibly, years.
I heard on a news report yesterday (I don't remember which one) that it is estimated that maintaining a no-fly zone over Libya will cost between $100 - $300 million PER WEEK. If the US bears a significant chunk of this cost, we're talking about serious money here.
Both the president and congress are pitching budget plans to slash domestic social spending. If we spend tens of millions of dollars each week to maintain the no-fly zone, that will represent even MORE money subtracted from such things as education, food stamps, Medicaid, job training and aid to states and cities. It will make a bad situation that much worse.
Speaking of making a bad situation worse, how could we even consider lifting the no-fly zone as long as Qaddafi remains in power? If anyone thinks he had plans to slaughter tens of thousands of his own citizens -- the protesters for democracy -- what do you think he might do if the [coalition] planes leave? The obvious answer is that he would take out his fury against the western powers on those in Benghazi and other locales. The bloodbath we SAY we are trying to prevent would end occurring anyway and my guess is that it would be far more horrific than it might have been otherwise.
Consequently, it would seem to me that we are now stuck between a rock and a hard place. We can't leave before we conclude a mission we are told we aren't pursuing or else all we will end up accomplishing is the very thing we have been told we are attempting to prevent.
In other words, we're being set-up for a another war to go along with the several -- both acknowledged and not -- we are engaged in right now.
War sure is awful and is always in a no win no lose situation. Maybe someone might think they won but there are a lot of losses. It is a messy undertaking. I use to be an idealist in thinking there shouldn't ever be war. And in one respect I still believe that down deep in my heart of hearts. Not too long ago the subject of war came up between an individual an I. He said to me, "The question isn't whether war is right or wrong but rather is it worth it. Was it worth it when we had a civil war that freed the slaves?" I have been pondering those words ever since. Was it worth it when America went to war against Hitler and his Nazis? There was a movement that is craftily hidden from America’s history books called Eugenics. Maybe intellectually warring against the beginnings of idealistic insanity and cutting it off at the bud is possibly a better type of war than physical violence.
ReplyDeleteWhen we invaded (liberated?) Bagdhad 10 years ago, after the "first" Gulf war, my Vietnam vet friend said, "This is going to be another Vietnam." I didn't want to believe him, but wasn't he right? And this isn't "another" war; it's just a new front. It's all just one big war. Remember Cambodia?
ReplyDeleteNot as many deaths as in Vietnam, but we never will know how many contractors have been killed will we. And to Mark and Susan. No war is worth it period. As I have said here before; unless you have been there you can never know how evil it is.
ReplyDeleteScrap
Dear Anonymous and Baroness,
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of your sentiments. That is what my heart tells me. In regards to the amount of deaths in Iraq, I always wonder why we only count how many Americans died and make so light of the hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi's deaths. We are such racist. It is all so tragic.
My brother went to Vietnam, fought and came back never the same. He was always very quiet and reclusive about his experience in Nam. One time he opened up a little to me and looked me in my eyes and said, "We didn't want to kill them". He ended up dying a drug addict and homeless at the age of forty-nine. Yes indeed, war is not good especially an unjust war. Am I saying there is a just war? Not necessarily but if an intruder came into my house to harm my wife I would instinctively do what is necessary to stop him. What is that called? Would I be in the wrong to protect my wife? Do these types of things occur at a larger scale? What do you do?
I thought you guys changed your presidency but your foreign policy seems to be unchanged.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it isn't the president that needs to be changed?
Well, when my husband's uncles tell the stories of liberating one of the Nazi concentration camps, it is hard for me to think that no war is worth it. Of course it is evil. War is hell. But sometimes you have to fight to overcome something more hellish. I think that's what Krishna told Arjuna.
ReplyDeleteThe wars that aren't worth it are the ones you don't win. My mother always said, "Never start a fight, but always finish one."
M&S --I am sorry that your brother was one of the casualties of Vietnam whose name, I assume, is not even on the memorial.