Friday January 10, 2025
SNc Channels:

Search
About Salem-News.com

 

Mar-29-2011 20:16printcomments

Our Involvement in Libya (Truth in Advertising?)

It is the citizens of the world who ultimately have to pay the price for any action such as this...

Obama during Libya speech
Obama during Libya speech - Courtesy: cbc.ca

(HARRISVILLE, N.H.) - When the news of the most recent wholesale atrocities perpetrated by Gaddafi regime on the people of Libya first broke, I wondered whether the world powers would step in to stop the slaughter we all knew would come. Like many others throughout the world, I was relieved to see that U.S., British, French, and some of the Arab countries had decided to intervene in a multilateral effort.

The initial announcement that this would be a “Limited Campaign” with the sole intent of “protecting Libyan civilians” made political sense and in my opinion, intervention certainly was the right thing to do. I felt that we went about this effort in the right way and that the world, for once, had agreed upon what needed to be done and why it needed to be done. The problem I had with this was in how it was projected to the people of the United States.

It was not very long after I had begun to feel good about what we were doing when I heard both our President and secretary of State make a statement to the effect that “Gaddafi must go”. Now to me, a “Limited Campaign to protect Libyan civilians” implies a police action of sorts while ousting a regime is implies that we now were, in essence, declaring war on the existing government of yet another country. There are those who would say, “Of course the Gaddafi regime must go because until it does, Libyan civilians will never be safe”.

That is a statement, based on history, that is impossible to argue with. I think most individuals with any level of common sense knew from the beginning that this had to be. Still, I have to believe that our government also knew from the beginning that we would be getting involved in yet another war rather than just a “Limited Campaign to protect Libyan civilians”.

Once again, misleading information was fed to U.S. citizens. Once again, the government was deciding not just which information was good for its citizens but how much information was good for its citizens.

Folks, we are the people whose children are being sent to fight in these wars and potentially die in these wars. We are the people whose children have to potentially take the lives of other children from other countries and then learn to live with those actions later. We are the people whose taxes pay to snuff-out those lives. I am not saying that military intervention is never justified. I am simply saying that our government should recognize that we have a right to know the truth of any situation and we have a right to know it “up-front” and “crystal-clear”. I do not care if it is more politically expedient to announce that we are getting involved in a “Limited Campaign to protect Libyan civilians” than to say we are getting involved in a “war against the government of Libya”.

It is the citizens of the world who ultimately have to pay the price for any action such as this... a price paid in human pain, suffering, and death and yes, sometimes it is worth paying that price. However, the people of the world certainly have a right to know exactly what kind of pig is in the poke they are being asked to buy before agreeing to the purchase... but that is just my opinion!

_________________________________

Writer Robert Collinsworth is an American who isn't hesitant to talk about the good side of his country, and that is a welcome thing in this day and age. Salem-News.com admittedly, is very critical of both American politics, as well as those of other nations that we perceive is being wrong in their motives and actions. At the same time, within these structures we criticize, are many outstanding people who make each day a better place for all those around them. They embody and personify the American spirit that is sometimes fleeting, but always present.

These are some of the things Robert takes into account when writing commentary that is designed reach people, to "get them thinking" in his words, and indeed it does. Salem-News.com's goal is for all people to be on the same page, we appreciate Bob's more conservative approach toward that same goal."

You can write to Bob Collingsworth at this email address:
colli2@webryders.net




Comments Leave a comment on this story.
Name:

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.



Bob Collinsworth March 30, 2011 6:06 pm (Pacific time)

Anonymous: This is an opinion piece. It's intent is to get people thinking by voicing my opinion. They may end-up agreeing with me or they may not end-up agreeing with me. Either way, I have accomplished my goal by getting them thinking. I see it worked for you! By the way, I am not foolish enough to believe that world powers do not desire to have control of ever more oil. I just think that in this instance, humanitarian concerns took top priority. Go in peace my friend. Bob


Bob Collinsworth March 30, 2011 10:10 am (Pacific time)

Hi J+: I may well be the world’s most cynical cynic but I believe that in the name of all that is merciful, President Obama had to stand with Britian, France, and the several Arab countries to stop what would almost certainly have been a blood-bath of innocents. I just wish that he, the Secretary of State, and Congress has been open and honest about intentions, goals, and probable outcome. The U.S. citizen deserves that much. I would think that if the only reason we go involved in this was oil, we would simply have let Gaddafi Continue his mad rampage against his own people. As cynical as I am, I must believe that our involvement was based, at least primarily, on humanitarian reasons. Bob


J+ March 30, 2011 7:20 am (Pacific time)

The United States is clearly involved in the Libyan situation rightly - for the wrong reasons. While always opposed to the Iraq invasion, I was not one of those screaming about an "oil War." This time I'm not so sure, given the many concurrent revolutions turning violent in Africa/the Middle East, many with the same casualties. With gas at $4/gallon, and public discontent with Obama growing daily, the current invasion seems calculated by his political pundits to burgeon his military credentials/image of 'resolve,' and help distract from the domestic stagnation. In my estimation, it is not working as intended. This might be the proverbial nail in his election coffin, no matter the righteousness of the stated goal.


Anonymous March 30, 2011 7:13 am (Pacific time)

watch this video, and you might understand why I cant take the news from this website very seriously anymore..ah well.
http://www.infowars.com/alex-jones-al-qaeda-created-by-cia/


Anonymous March 30, 2011 7:08 am (Pacific time)

Well, lets see how Humanitarian this is. 1. Depleted uranium will now effect the people in Libya, like it did in Iraq. People dieing sooner, and deformed babies. 2. Innocent civilians are, and will be killed by the scores, same as Iraq. 3. Just yesterday, the globalists set up a central bank and started getting the oil. This was not about humanitarian reasons, it was about natural resources, and any one with a half a brain knows it. 4. The U.S. is using Al quaida to fight, just as the U.S. did against the Russians, and other wars, which now proves al CIAda is a U.S. operative, born and birthed by the western globalists/U.S./Israel etc. Which now proves all wars in the middle east are about globalization and resources. The author of this article should do some homework.

[Return to Top]
©2025 Salem-News.com. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Salem-News.com.


Articles for March 28, 2011 | Articles for March 29, 2011 | Articles for March 30, 2011
googlec507860f6901db00.html
Sean Flynn was a photojournalist in Vietnam, taken captive in 1970 in Cambodia and never seen again.


Special Section: Truth telling news about marijuana related issues and events.



Tribute to Palestine and to the incredible courage, determination and struggle of the Palestinian People. ~Dom Martin