Libya And All The Lively And Fascinating Backchat.
The Rabble site, where NDP "foreign policy" is conceived, midwifed and nurtured, weighs in with Gaddafist propaganda, Vietnam analogies, "blowback," shadowy neo-cons, "the Muslim Street," favorable references to the lurid and antisemitic website Counterpunch. . . the lot.
Margaret Wente, who everybody says is "right wing," is now indistinguishable from an NDP agony aunt at tea-time. Here, she asks all the usual rhetorical questions that you're supposed to ask when you're trying to change the subject. And here, Cath Carlson answers them all, except this one: How can I possibly believe that Canada is doing the right thing in Libya when there are no CF-18 pilots mowing my lawn right now? Hypocrites!
Meanwhile, a war-mongering Yankee downed-pilot imperialist infidel Zionist crusader is mobbed by Libyans: "I hugged him and said don't be scared, we are your friends," said Younis Amruni, 27, as locals formed a queue to shake the hand of the airman and thank him for his role in the Libyan uprising.
Within hours after the first fly-over by Canada's fighter jets concluded without a hitch, NDP leader Jack Layton was already war-weary. He wants an "exit strategy." Here's my suggestion for an exit strategy: When the Gaddafists are crushed and the Libyan revolutionaries say our work is done, we move on. Not a minute before.
Margaret Wente, who everybody says is "right wing," is now indistinguishable from an NDP agony aunt at tea-time. Here, she asks all the usual rhetorical questions that you're supposed to ask when you're trying to change the subject. And here, Cath Carlson answers them all, except this one: How can I possibly believe that Canada is doing the right thing in Libya when there are no CF-18 pilots mowing my lawn right now? Hypocrites!
Meanwhile, a war-mongering Yankee downed-pilot imperialist infidel Zionist crusader is mobbed by Libyans: "I hugged him and said don't be scared, we are your friends," said Younis Amruni, 27, as locals formed a queue to shake the hand of the airman and thank him for his role in the Libyan uprising.
Within hours after the first fly-over by Canada's fighter jets concluded without a hitch, NDP leader Jack Layton was already war-weary. He wants an "exit strategy." Here's my suggestion for an exit strategy: When the Gaddafists are crushed and the Libyan revolutionaries say our work is done, we move on. Not a minute before.
posted by Terry Glavin at 9:55 AM
10 Comments:
LIBYA;
No matter who gets crushed, the children witness the violence -- their losses -- and how do they throw their feelings away and pretend it never happen. And then, how can we crush the children's memories of this horror.
Everytime Brian (partner) hears a siren he remembers, with fear, his life as a child in London during the second world war.
Counterpunch, indeed, runs lurid characters on their site-- Israel Shamir and that Craig Roberts character come to mind. But they feature tip top analysis. Impugning them wholesale is akin to blasting the Propagandist for defending verifiable nativists such as the English Defence League or offering up a platform to the Mark Steyne's of the world who call for an increasing birthrate among white Europeans women, so as to stop impeding mongrelization. Besides, most people regard Patrick Cockburn, writer of the article oin question, as a fine journalist. A lifelong friend, here's what Christopher Hitchens said about Patricks latest two post war Iraq books.
"No serious student of Iraq has failed to incur a debt to the intrepid and intelligent Patrick Cockburn." -- Christopher Hitchens
Of the raft of books about the calamitous mismanagement of the intervention in Iraq, The Occupation is probably the most readable and certainly the only one that—even if only in the driest possible way—manages to be amusing. (Christopher Hitchens )
The Liberals, NDP and Bloc all support the Libyan combat mission, in major part because it is UNSC-mandated. They all opposed (starting at different times) the Afghan combat mission, also–and repeatedly–UNSC-mandated, and with much more complete SC member support: usually unanimous: not 10-5, with Russia, China, India, Germany and Brazil (most of the other big fellows) abstaining on Libya.
Go figure.
I hardly see how the return of the Taliban would be much better than the wrath of Qadhafi in terms of civilians needing protection–and we’re very likely to kill some Libyan ones with our Hornets, something the gov’t would not risk in Afstan:
Keep figuring.
Maybe it’s just that the combination of a long real war and over 100 dead CF members is more than most of the country can stomach. How long will we stay involved in Libya if the operation does drag on?
Mark
Ottawa
I hear you, Carolyn. My ma lived and worked in London through the blitz, a young Irishwoman; my dad crossed the Irish Sea to put on the uniform of the enemy (the British) to fight the Nazis, which is how my parents met and why I was born in the UK, which just goes to show how complicated things are and makes you wonder what horrible memories the Libyan kids will have if the good guys lose, which they will, without the UN no-fly zone.
Memphis: Tip-top analysis my ass. Plus you have your Cockburns confused. Patrick is not Alexander. Try harder please.
Mark: The NDP was confused by quite strong out of the blocks on Afghanistan; it was only when the "mission" beame a thing that required the application of solid socialist principle and internationalist working-class solidarity that the NDP went all George Galloway in bellbottoms and a tye-died shirt about everything. To be fair.
I am not waiting for the NDP to begin recruiting conscripts for a Mackenzie-Papineau battalion to Libya, believe me. Not that it's even necessary. but I'm beginning to wonder if even the Yanks are necessary, except to et out of the way and maybe lend the rest of us some of their stuff.
Do you mean that the Canadian Forces should do whatever the rebels ask?
C'mon, Nav. You can be saucier than that. Your question barely registers as annoying. Try harder!
I think it would be a good idea if we followed France's lead and recognized in the rebels a kid of provisional government, at least as Libya's "interlocutors" for now, accelerating our formal recognition in tandem with their demonstrated ability to organize themselves, and calibrating our engagement with them by their continung commitment to a democratic Libya.
Given what they've asked of us so far, I see absolutely no good reason why we shouldn't give it them - which we are, more or less, at last - and there is every reason to think we should have complied with their reasonable requests weeks ago (it's not like they've asked for much, after all).
Recognizing a provisional Libyan government would free us up to consider their further requests the way we'd consider requests from any government in distress.
But the Rabble piece links to a very perceptive article about post Qaddafi by Patrick Cockburn not Alexander. It's not me mixing up my Cockburns.
You're quite right, Memphis. Counterpunch is the gasbag Alexander Cockburn's show. Patrick is his kid brother, and it was a piece by Patrick the Rabble numpty linked to. I will however continue to impugn Counterpunch because it's a disgrace, and it would be a disgrace even if you weren't lying about the Propagandist "defending" the EDL or "offering up a platform to the Mark Steyne's [sic] of the world who call for an increasing birthrate among white Europeans women, so as to stop impeding mongrelization," whatever the hell that comes from.
No one has explained how hundreds if not thousands of Benghazi's population would not by today be decomposing in mass graves if the international coummunity (a.k.a. the West) had not steped in – late, but not never. I heard Mr Adbul Bari Atwan opine (B.B.C. T.V. News 24 19.03.11) that this action should have come "from the Arabs". Indeed. Still, if you were threatened by death in all its unglorious forms would you look down your nose at whom ever came though the door to rescue you?
Well done Canuks! Up and at them!
By the way:
"The UN Security Council and Libya: No Invocation of the Responsibility to Protect"
Mark
Ottawa
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