I am frankly stunned at the chorus of voices calling for intervention in Libya. Everyone from Nicholas Kristof to Christopher Hitchens to David Frum to Fareed Zakaria is joining the "do something" chorus. They are even using the classic slogans of the Iraq war, banging on about "credibility" and "reputation" and "democracy" and "responsibility to protect."
This is just unbelievably dangerous. Though most of the warmongers only propose a no-fly zone, it is still a terrible idea. No-fly zones have a way of turning into land wars. I would have thought that two bloody, failed wars in the Muslim world might convince people to think twice about proposing yet another use of military force in a Muslim country most of us know nothing about. America has no significant interests there, there is no international support, and we know very little about the Libyan rebels. We don't know if the rebels are united or would fragment after taking power, or if they have significant jihadist support, or even whether they would welcome American assistance, or take it and then attack us after Gaddafi was toppled. Let's mind our own business for once.
It's worth noting, by the way, that the American public is overwhelmingly opposed to intervention. It's unfortunate in this case that American foreign policy has absolutely nothing to do with the desires of the American people.
This is just unbelievably dangerous. Though most of the warmongers only propose a no-fly zone, it is still a terrible idea. No-fly zones have a way of turning into land wars. I would have thought that two bloody, failed wars in the Muslim world might convince people to think twice about proposing yet another use of military force in a Muslim country most of us know nothing about. America has no significant interests there, there is no international support, and we know very little about the Libyan rebels. We don't know if the rebels are united or would fragment after taking power, or if they have significant jihadist support, or even whether they would welcome American assistance, or take it and then attack us after Gaddafi was toppled. Let's mind our own business for once.
It's worth noting, by the way, that the American public is overwhelmingly opposed to intervention. It's unfortunate in this case that American foreign policy has absolutely nothing to do with the desires of the American people.
Well said.
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