Mama and papa stopped by for a visit on their way home from church this afternoon. We were all in the living room. HGTV was on and my partner and mama were watching House Hunters International. Papa and I talked politics as usual. We talk about either politics or boxing. I don’t think he saw the Solis-Gamboa fight last night, but it wasn’t on On Demand yet.
Anyway, we were talking about Libya. Even though were on opposite ends of the political spectrum, both of us wondered why Reagan didn’t just finish the job in Libya. He authorized the bombing of one of Qathafi’s residences. We managed to injure his sons, but he wasn’t taken out. I don’t get it. If you authorize the bombing of the house where your enemy lives, isn’t that an OK to kill the guy? And if you don’t succeed at it, shouldn’t you keep trying until you do?
I wish Reagan had finished the job. Maybe Lockerbie wouldn’t have happened. Maybe what’s going on now with Qathafi forces killing civilians wouldn’t be happening. Maybe there would be no rebels because there wouldn’t be a psycho dictator to fight.
It’s depressing to think about what might have been avoided had Qathafi been stopped permanently back then. It is what it is though. And now, we’re in the middle of it while other Middle Eastern countries are imploding.
Papa and I both said, “Poor Obama” (even though he didn’t vote for him). I mentioned in a previous post that dude can’t catch a break. Whatever happens with regard to our involvement, I really hope the psycho is taken out. Once and for all. Papa believes it will happen this time. Fingers crossed.
March 27th, 2011 at 5:08 PM
Amen Spinny. There are evidently ten thousand complicated reasons for failing to define aims and finish the job in foreign policy — and I wish we’d learn from the multiple instances in history where too much focus on “proportionality” or “world opinion” or “calibrated diplomacy” yielded half-work that came back to haunt us.
I like your Dad. 🙂
March 27th, 2011 at 5:15 PM
Half-work is the perfect way to describe it.
I do too! 😉
March 28th, 2011 at 12:13 AM
While America is fixated on Libya there is another coming fast up behind…..Libya is inconsequential in the grander scheme…there are more worries than we can imagine…waiting….waiting…..(shades of Casablanca…sorry could not resist)
March 28th, 2011 at 5:11 AM
OOPS! Forgot the link…sorry..after all it is Monday…..
http://lobotero.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/libya-is-the-least-of-our-worries/