Response to NYT Editorial Stopping Gaddafi

Our hostage excuse is gone with the departure of the ferry, but the US dithers. Using doctored intelligence, we invaded another country, killing over a hundred thousand people to change a regime that no one asked us to. That regime is now attacking its own pro-democracy non-sectarian demonstrators. We haven't even sent humanitarian aid to the Libyan borders. Why aren't we doing more. We don't even seem to be preparing to do more - where is the American navy in the Med. Why isn't it on standby? In Libya, we have a mass democratic movement to get rid of a dictator who has murdered hundreds of Americans and many others and fomented war and strife throughout Africa. "This is our moment, this is our time." Help the people of Libya get rid of this insane despot. They will do the heavy lifting, all they need is a little help. For once, can we be true to our principles instead of our perceived "strategic interests." The Libyan people are begging for us to Take a Chance on Us. We might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Murder in Libya - The World Just Looks On

I'm terribly upset by the impotence of the international community, merely words, no action.  But then I'm reminded that when I look back in only my adult lifetime the number of really major massacres that the international community condemned but did nothing because they were done "internally".  Just think about it:  Pol Pot, Mao's Cultural Revolution, Rawanda, Darfur, Congo, Sebrenica, Prague Spring, Iran Green.  Just look at the actual uprisings against repression that we just ring our hands about and look the other way, or in come cases secretly cheer like the Kurds and Shiites in Iraq, the Hungary Uprising in the 50's, Chechnya, Tibet, a variety of African countries.  I'm sure all of you can add to the list with so many others I've missed.  It's almost serendipitous and very rare when the world does take any real action.  And what may be even more telling is that after these massacres are undertaken and condemned, the world goes back to normal relations as soon as the bad press dies down.  Civilized world is impotent & complicit in most of these.  Gaddafi's sly in that, as an escapee from Libya said, it seemed clear that the government troops were told to avoid hurting too many foreigners, as if to avoid any provocation that might result in real action.  They are also seizing memory cards and sim cards from escapees to try to ensure that the killings are not publicized in pictures.  Cleaning up of the dead in Tripoli seems another effort to reduce the proof.

What's even worse than looking the other way while the massacres go on, its even worse that there is no price for these governments to pay for giving the middle finger to the international community.  Back to business as usual, almost as fast as the trouble fades from the news.  I'm sure the pictures of the SoS's hugging the dear leader are uncomfortable today, but this was done after he deliberated murdered American citizens in Lockerbie and Berlin, among the rest and it will be done again as soon as this is past, if Gaddafi succeeds in holding on.