Questions on the war

[mrlloyd]

Andrew Sullivan has some sensible questions about what seems to be an upcoming engagement in Libya.

I have to say, that on this one I find myself in the 'we must do something' camp. Principally because it seems to me that there does seem to be a good chance of making things better and avoiding a wave of massacre and repression. In stark contrast to

Comments

[bateleur]

Perhaps this marks the start of a long and bloody civil war

Yeah, that's more or less what I'm expecting. :-(

[mrlloyd]

Let's hope you're wrong. Certainly can't rule it out. But, as I write this there's every indication that at least a short and bloody one is already underway.

well

[a_llusive]

intervention won't necessarily make it anything but longer an bloodier, and at the end is often just there's often just a hiatus before another internal attempt to sort things out springs the same issues back.

We really shouldn't do anything to prolong the fighting unless there is a better end we're sure we can effect.

[undyingking]

You left out one unhappy path that I think is extremely likely: namely that whatever regime eventually emerges will be in the pocket of, and publicly compromised by, Western interests.

Our govts are not going to do this out of love of freedom or hatred of Gaddafi, but for a quid pro quo similar to the massively preferential deals they've forced upon the Iraqi govt.

(Any suggestion that a democratic Libya would be able to overturn such impositions would be to ignore the recent discussion about the power limits of same.)

Of course from the interveners pov this is actually a happy path, but I think in overall terms it would be fair to consider it unhappy.

[mrlloyd]

My final suggested condition was meant to address that, but you're right. Ideally an independent Libya would be just that. Able to negotiate it's own price when it comes to selling it's resources to corporations...

[undyingking]

Mm, I saw you'd mentioned that aim, but it seems little more than a pious hope given the track record of the nations involved (including the Arab League, most of whose members are at least as hostile to democracy as Gaddafi is).

Much of my view on this

[a_llusive]

is reflected in this article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/opinion/14douthat.html... )

NYT again I'm afraid

[a_llusive]

but I just wanted to quote from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/opinion/13dowd.html... )

Oh dear

[a_llusive]

We now seem to have military action but ill-defined purpose http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/world/africa/21assess.html?_r=1&hp