Reading Juan Cole in contrast to Justin Raimondo on this is something fascinating. Talk about having angles! One is forced to concede that the talk is talk and only time will reveal what happened and what is happening. Well, even then, reveal is too generous. Much truth will never be "revealed". More like time will show which narrative came to dominate and carry the day. What seems to be at stake is another form of tyranny versus a possible democracy. I'll bet it ends up (talking years here) with the window dressing of the latter but the authoritarianism of the former.
The anti-interventionists-on-principle take that principle seriously and without exception other than in the case of actual ongoing genocide. So called humanitarian interventions - advocating for them - is to advocate for something whose end result cannot be known and which history has shown can be an unmitigated disaster for countless tens of thousands of people. The very people that the purported intervention was aiming to protect. So, remaining consistently against western backed military interventions is prudent. Advocating for such is imprudent.
The nastiness is on all sides. Qaddifi's regime, NATO and the rebels. Qaddifi's regime's heinous actions are a matter of record. Now we await the unfolding of history to learn exactly how NATO and the rebels have and will behave. One can hope for the best but that is still only a hope that could not have been assured before promoting an intervention.
If that is so, that the details of such will remain sketchy and largely forgotten I hope for as much detail as can be obtained by bloggers, journalists, informers etc.. Not necessarily for the sake of criticizing the rebel cause mind you but rather to emphasize the obvious: Massacres and atrocities are not one sided during a revolution (legally sanctioned or otherwise) - even when it is assisted by NATO. Further such revelations might possibly have an beneficial impact on the future behavior of whatever political body comes to govern Libya.
© 2025 All Rights Reserved
Reading Juan Cole in contrast to Justin Raimondo on this is something fascinating. Talk about having angles! One is forced to concede that the talk is talk and only time will reveal what happened and what is happening. Well, even then, reveal is too generous. Much truth will never be "revealed". More like time will show which narrative came to dominate and carry the day. What seems to be at stake is another form of tyranny versus a possible democracy. I'll bet it ends up (talking years here) with the window dressing of the latter but the authoritarianism of the former.
Awesome! Hilarious. Go Juan Go!
Ron,
Joseph Massad provides the most detailed discussion of this issue that I've read. He discusses six outcomes that will all advance Israeli interests.
"State of recognition - Whether the UN grants the PA status as a state or refuses to do so, either outcome will be in Israel's interest."
link to english.aljazeera.net
The anti-interventionists-on-principle take that principle seriously and without exception other than in the case of actual ongoing genocide. So called humanitarian interventions - advocating for them - is to advocate for something whose end result cannot be known and which history has shown can be an unmitigated disaster for countless tens of thousands of people. The very people that the purported intervention was aiming to protect. So, remaining consistently against western backed military interventions is prudent. Advocating for such is imprudent.
The nastiness is on all sides. Qaddifi's regime, NATO and the rebels. Qaddifi's regime's heinous actions are a matter of record. Now we await the unfolding of history to learn exactly how NATO and the rebels have and will behave. One can hope for the best but that is still only a hope that could not have been assured before promoting an intervention.
If that is so, that the details of such will remain sketchy and largely forgotten I hope for as much detail as can be obtained by bloggers, journalists, informers etc.. Not necessarily for the sake of criticizing the rebel cause mind you but rather to emphasize the obvious: Massacres and atrocities are not one sided during a revolution (legally sanctioned or otherwise) - even when it is assisted by NATO. Further such revelations might possibly have an beneficial impact on the future behavior of whatever political body comes to govern Libya.