tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post4665606042535388785..comments2024-03-20T10:14:19.071-04:00Comments on The Shipler Report: Wars of ChoiceDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305265860388931637noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post-66426273899188534692011-05-24T22:07:59.942-04:002011-05-24T22:07:59.942-04:00David, I was encouraged by your remark: "It ...David, I was encouraged by your remark: "It is an axiom of war that the final results cannot be known until many years after the fighting has ended." I am taking the liberty of suggesting that you might like my recent book "The Illusion of Victory" (MUP 2011) which explores this idea in some detail Hope to hear from you. IanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post-65650754612044820172011-03-28T12:55:01.108-04:002011-03-28T12:55:01.108-04:00I'm speculating, but I wouldn't dismiss th...I'm speculating, but I wouldn't dismiss the humanitarian factor as one of several. Remember that Bill Clinton has lamented failing to act during Rwanda's genocide in 1994. It's reasonable to imagine that his lingering regret has influenced his wife's current advocacy of military action in Libya. One wonders what conversations they had during Rwanda, and then recently. But it's not pure altruism, either. Standing by while Qaddafi used heavy weapons against his own people would not have gone down well in the Arab world, given the popular uprisings now aimed at shaking off dictators. Both the U.S. and Europe have keen interests in cultivating improved relations with what you might call the Arab future, and that future is now in the streets, not in the palaces. Finally, yes, Qaddafi has been a wild card, despite his amenable positions from the U.S. perspective in recent years. And although his oil contributes only a tiny percentage of the world's production, disruption is a concern. So I'd say this action is a blend of humanitarianism and realpolitik. That doesn't mean it's necessarily wise, however. It carries huge risks.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00305265860388931637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post-42715832558581559842011-03-27T00:09:45.839-04:002011-03-27T00:09:45.839-04:00Would you take a stab at why we/the allies really ...Would you take a stab at why we/the allies really joined this conflict? The official justification, protecting Libyans from slaughter, sounds like a cover. Is it that everyone hates Qaddafi, not just Europeans and Americans, but Arabs and Africans, too, and we just couldn't pass up this opening to get rid of him. Or what?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post-69956075121333150192011-03-26T09:54:40.640-04:002011-03-26T09:54:40.640-04:00Larry, I see the same "awakening" that y...Larry, I see the same "awakening" that you do. It's exciting, and I'm relieved that the U.S. is not reflexively supporting every dictator who has cooperated with us, which included Qaddafi in recent years, as you know. But we're not pushing hard in Bahrain, for example, which is vital to our naval deployment in the Gulf, and not even in Yemen. The outcome in all these countries, including Egypt, is far from certain--meaning that it's far from certain that the overthrow of autocracies will ultimately result in open, pluralistic political systems. In some cases, that may not be what protesters want: Yemen, for example, looks like a struggle for influence among an array of tribes, and that may also be the case in Libya. In other words, stay tuned.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00305265860388931637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post-72258476555566841952011-03-25T17:42:36.217-04:002011-03-25T17:42:36.217-04:00Hi Dave,
It is interesting that you ended your art...Hi Dave,<br />It is interesting that you ended your article with " the history books are still open" Another perspective on Libya and the other rebellions in the Middle East is the concept of an "awakening" taking place. If this is true then I think our action in Libya and lack of support for other dictators put us on the right "side" of history so far. No burning American flags etc. and not much sign of the over feared Al Qaeda. Look forward to seeing you and Debbie this summer.<br />Larry WardwellAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com