Gaddafy dead

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by hi_im_god

i'll be math's bleeding heart.

i don't think there's anything good about the way this played out. if american soldiers took a live war criminal into custody i'd expect them to deliver him to medical care before trial.

i understand that the libyan rebels are a disorganized militia. i probably don't understand at an emotional level what it's like to live under a murderous despot. i'm sure whoever put the bullet in his head thought he was doing it for a very good reason.

but what he executed along with ghadaffi was the rule of law. and any chance for libyan society to have an accounting for the last 42 years.

south africa had truth and reconciliation. libya had this.

i don't know how anyone thinks this is good for us in the long run.

i don't know either. i sure don't miss hussein, but i still think it was a mistake for us to go there and do what we've done. and i think our actions will have repercussions that will affect us, and others, for years to come. if nato wanted to go so dammed bad, fine-but we shouldn't just move in lockstep just because nato said so.
having allies is all well and good. but not when we lose sight of our own best interests because of what an ally thinks is in his best interests. it's how we got involved in vietnam. surely we've repaid our debt to france by now for them helping us out vs george the third?!

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i don't know either. i sure don't miss hussein, but i still think it was a mistake for us to go there and do what we've done. and i think our actions will have repercussions that will affect us, and others, for years to come. if nato wanted to go so dammed bad, fine-but we shouldn't just move in lockstep just because nato said so.
having allies is all well and good. but not when we lose sight of our own best interests because of what an ally thinks is in his best interests. it's how we got involved in vietnam. surely we've repaid our debt to france by now for them helping us out vs george the third?!

I agree, Iraq was a disaster, we had no business invading there, our government lied to us. But I can't equate Libya with what Bush did invading Iraq?

I agree, we need to stop trying to be the superpower of the world. But we don't need to refuse to help when situation is ripe, especially if it is with technology rather than troops. And having footholds in areas of the country that are ripe for nuclear proliferation doesn't hurt. It is no longer just two superpowers facing off regarding nuclear or biological threat.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i don't know either. i sure don't miss hussein, but i still think it was a mistake for us to go there and do what we've done. and i think our actions will have repercussions that will affect us, and others, for years to come. if nato wanted to go so dammed bad, fine-but we shouldn't just move in lockstep just because nato said so.
having allies is all well and good. but not when we lose sight of our own best interests because of what an ally thinks is in his best interests. it's how we got involved in vietnam. surely we've repaid our debt to france by now for them helping us out vs george the third?!

The US being part of the NATO force that assisted the rebels is really a moot point. It is really almost meaningless moving forward because it is unlikely that the assistance we provided be remembered for long. I don't think our involvement was a mistake per say but there is a great deal of uncertainity going forward. I dont believe the US was forced or coherced into this action. On the contrary I believe Obama wanted to be seen as a bit player here despite the vast majority of our money and tools being used under the guise of NATO. It was a pretty safe bet for him as virtually no country supported Qaddafi and his military/air force wasn't something to fear.