On the BBC World Service today, a Libyan rebel plead for the establishment of a no-fly zone, tactical air strikes, and “everything short of having foot soldiers on our land, because we can do [that]“. He continued, “as Libyan people we shall not forget any good deed that will come from any country in the world. We as a country are quite rich with resources: oil, and everything. And we will remember who our friends are! And will definitely reward them greatly.”
His plea shows how much of a national security and energy independence issue this is, beyond being a humanitarian and human rights crisis. If you have isolationist tendencies, or know those who do, please consider this and pass it on. If you won’t do it for the blood, do it for the oil.
This is what I said to my Senators when I called them:
This is Joshua McGee in El Monte, California. I am calling to ask the Senator to support intervention in Libya through the establishment of a no-fly zone.
I am a longtime supporter of the Senator’s. I realize that this could face opposition from isolationists. A Libyan protester on the BBC pleaded today that they, quote, “shall not forget any good deed that will come from ANY country in the world. We as a country are quite rich with resources: oil, and everything. And we will REMEMBER who our friends are!”
I believe that this is not just a human rights issue but a national security and energy independence issue. If we don’t step up to the plate and another country does, this could drastically affect energy and, therefore, security balance in the world.
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Just sent you one of those security briefings. They give a good illustration of what can go on.
Energy price stability, just what what happens if we get involved. Especially if Iran starts complaining. And, by the way, the price of gasoline is determined by what folks working in the futures market think crude might sell at about 60 days from now. Don’t believe me, watch the profits of the oil companies head for the space station in the next few weeks. Why, because they work on long term contracts and not on the spot market.
As far as intervention, we need to stay out of this. It’s not our country, let those people settle it although if France wants intervention, well good luck to them. Our hubris has gotten us in two wars that seemly have no end to the conflict or the stream of body bags coming home.
However if you’d like another view of why we keep getting into these wars I suggest you look up the name of “Smedly Butler.” He’s a retired U.S. Marine Major General and wrote a book about how these wars are a racket. This time it’s for oil of course. And I was astounded to learn he blew the whistle on a possible coup that would have deposed FDR!! The general’s views on these wars are true today as they were then.
Finally, we can’t afford to keep putting our noses into other people’s businesses, no matter how hard it might seem. And we sure as hell can’t afford to keep doing things like that.