Well, I haven't commented on Libya, nor any of the ongoing agitations in the Mideast - possibly that's because I feel I got it all wrong and a sea change is indeed in the works and sclerotic nay saying pricks like myself now must go all humble - but I don't think that's it. That a species of widespread discontent is afoot is certainly not going to be disputed - just how widespread this discontent is, what it means and what it may lead to - these remain open questions and I continue to look with a jaundiced eye on anyone talking as if something definite and beyond suspicion is in play here. I find it more than a little startling that people who opposed the Iraq war, consistently rail against the excesses of American defense spending and, in the case of Obama and catamites, have spent much of the last two years apologizing for American power and talking down the special, unique and verily indispensable role Great Satan plays in policing the world - I find it quite odd that these same people can hardly keep themselves from rushing into Libya to save or protect or build up or tear down god knows what exactly - seems every besotted peasant shaking a stick in the Muslim street is now some freedom loving, democracy craving hero that we are duty bound to save or support or bond with or reach out to no matter the cost to us in blood and treasure and the almost certain inevitability that the Muslim world will continue to hate us regardless of the outcome. Let's forget that a mere two years ago Libyans rushed out into the street in wild celebration over the release of the Lockerbie bomber - let's forget that they similarly celebrated 9/11. Let's forget that on a per capita basis Libyans form the largest block of outsourced jihadists fighting in Afghanistan. Let's forget the lessons of Iraq - with Saddam we rid Iraqis of a much worse despot than Qaddafi and set them on the path to democracy if they're willing to make it work - and our reward? - they kick us out, demand we pay war reparations and cozy up to Iran and China. Hell, China had 30,000 people working in Libya compared to about 600 Americans - why is no one calling for China to come to the rescue? America gets virtually no oil form Libya, we have no significant business interests there - China has much more at stake in Libya - when is someone going to ask why they're quietly milling about in the background doing nothing?
Of course, having said all that, I'm not necessarily against America taking the initiative in Libya - by and large I see more bad than good coming of such a thing - but I can notice a bit of a strategic upside to it, especially vis a vis China - not that I actually believe we have the resources for a serious involvement - but I could see myself supporting a totally brutal and realist based operation there - and by that I mean we understand clearly the terms under which we go in and the terms under which we get the fuck out - but we don't have the resources so if doesn't matter. I do think we should give strong consideration to calling out China here - although one could see how that might backfire - still, to not be thinking in those broad strategic terms would be a huge mistake - unfortunately I've seen little indication that the Obama administration is thinking in those broad strategic terms - their actions throughout, starting with stirrings in Iran, has been confused bordering on incoherent - as Niall Ferguson said a few weeks ago, it's as if Obama truly did believe that all he had to do as president of the United States was go to Egypt in 2009, give a light as air touchy feely Muslim outreach speech that sufficiently conveyed just how not like George Bush he was and therefore would not be forcing Western values on anyone but would be getting tough with those Westernized Israelis so that wounded Palestinian pride could be washed clean of Zion dirt - and that everything in the region would then work out peachy fine. The man's foreign policy has been worse than incompetent, it has been delusional - incompetence can be fixed, the diseased roots of delusion run deep and are not easily untangled.
But then Obama made it clear from the beginning of his presidency that he didn't consider America to be special - indeed, he's acted as if America had more to apologize for than be proud of - not surprising then that someone like that would fail to place emphasis on enabling a strategy based on the special characteristics of America. And now he's supposed to authentically embrace democracy promotion in the Mideast? the man who made his political career off opposing the Iraq war? This is farcical. I love how liberals say all this upheaval is the result of us engaging in the false stability of supporting despots etc - as if there was a choice? Are you fucking morons somehow under the impression that America wouldn't have preferred to be dealing with open democracies? The only alternative to dealing with the loony autocracies of these fucking countries was to go in their and force democracy on them - which is what we did in Iraq - which you fucking liberals opposed!!! The hypocrisy is shocking.
