Ravenman: The issue of whether I care has nothing to do with the advisibility of taking military action against regimes that we do not like. In the case of Libya:
1.) Do you or anyone else know what kind of government the rebels are going to favor? I see no reason to take action if a worse government is going to come into power. Gaddhaffi is an asshole, but for the past few years his regime has confined its brutality to its own country. They haven’t been a threat to other countries.
2.) It seems to me from the news releases I’ve read that some people, maybe quite a few, are siding with Gaddhaffi. This seems to be case of some tribes versus other tribes. Is Libya a case of everyone wants the dictator out or a civil war? There is no way in hell I favor getting involved in a civil war.
3.) The record of American interventionism does not inspire confidence in me. Both Vietnam and Iraq were dictatorships, but our wars against those countries accomplished nothing for us and nothing for them. And when the usual conservative suspects come in here screaming: “Iraq is now a democracy!” I have a response prepared for them: Let’s see how democratic Iraq is when American troops leave. When they do, I think you’re going to see another civil war.
4.) The financial situation of this country precludes any other military action now unless it is vitally necessary to the U.S., and, quite frankly, Libya ain’t. We already have the Republicans pushing cuts in Pell Grants, environmental protection, and programs for the poor. If we can’t take care of our people, I’m damned to hell if I’ll support foreign adventures. Going out and getting involved in wars while letting things slide at home is a sure recipe for disaster; just ask Czar Nicholas II.
5.) There’s nothing in the U.S. Constitution that mandates we fight for a type of government. Woodrow Wilson got us involved in WW1 on the slogan making the world safe for democracy and his bungling helped lead to an even worse conflict. You might ask the Indians, Algerians, and Vietnamese how wonderful British and French democracies were after that war. I would argue the world would be a better place had we stayed out and let the European empires collapse into the hell of their own making.
6.) The ensuing government of Libya most likely will not be a Western-style democracy. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems to me a lot of Muslims in the world want their governments based on Shari’a law. That is their perogative, but I’m damned if I’m spending money bringing into power a government that willl stone to death adulterous women, but not do anything to adulterous men.
7.) For us to do nothing to regimes to North Korea, a genuine loose cannon on the international scene, because the consequences are dire and do something to regimes like Libya because we can smacks of cowardice to me. If we’re going to take out oppressive regimes, let’s show some guts and start with China. Only bullies push around the little kids.
Acutally, Ravenman, I wish all tyrants and torturers and thugs would die, but I live in planet reality and it is sometimes better to do nothing than take ill-advised actions that produce nothing useful.