Having said that, I worry about the war in Libya.
I wonder whether President Obama sought to "dialogue" with
Gaddafi, and if he did, just what was said. Isn't it possible we could've
bought Gaddafi off with the right combination of threats and bribes, for the
cost of, say, a dozen cruise missiles? Lives might've been saved. I'll walk this far with Dennis Kucinich.
We need a Department of Peace to study creative
alternatives to war, a department with a broader perspective, even, than
the State Department.
I worry about the president's assertion of authority to launch military action without express Congressional approval, just as I worry about the precedent he's setting. What will we do if power elites in Syria or Bahrain threaten to do what Gaddafi threatened?
Obama gave a good speech--and while I'm giving him the
benefit of the doubt in Libya--his position falls short of setting forth an
Obama Doctrine, and that's what's needed. Maybe it's time to help pro-Democracy youth throughout the Middle East throw off their chains.
Just maybe. It's an idea fraught with peril and moral hazard. Obama is right to tiptoe up to such perilous waters and take a good, deep look before diving.
More soon.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).