Chris Hedges Libya: Here We Go Again

[EFerrari]

Monday 5 September 2011

Here we go again. The cheering crowds. The deposed dictator. The encomiums to freedom and liberty. The American military as savior. You would think we would have learned in Afghanistan or Iraq. But I guess not. I am waiting for a trucked-in crowd to rejoice as a Gadhafi statue is toppled and Barack Obama lands on an aircraft carrier in a flight suit to announce “Mission Accomplished.” War, as long as you view it through the distorted lens

of the corporate media, is not only entertaining, but allows us to confuse state power with personal power. It permits us to wallow in unchecked self-exaltation. We are a nation that loves to love itself.

I know enough of Libya, a country I covered for many years as the Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times, to assure you that the chaos and bloodletting have only begun. Moammar Gadhafi, during one of my lengthy interviews with him under a green Bedouin tent in the sprawling Bab al-Aziziya army barracks in Tripoli, once proposed marrying one of his sons to Chelsea Clinton as a way of mending fences with the United States. He is as insane as he appears and as dangerous. But we should never have become the air force, trainers, suppliers, special forces and enablers of rival tribal factions, goons under the old regime and Islamists that are divided among themselves by deep animosities and a long history of violent conflict.

Stopping Gadhafi forces from entering Benghazi six months ago, which I supported, was one thing. Embroiling ourselves in a civil war was another. And to do it Obama blithely shredded the Constitution and bypassed Congress in violation of the War Powers Resolution. Not that the rule of law matters much in Washington. The dark reasoning of George W. Bush’s administration was that the threat of terrorism and national security gave the executive branch the right to ignore all legal restraints. The Obama administration has made this disregard for law bipartisan. Obama assured us when this started that it was not about “regime change.” But this promise proved as empty as the ones he made during his presidential campaign. He has ruthlessly prosecuted the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where military planners speak of a continued U.S. presence for the next couple of decades. He has greatly expanded our proxy wars, which rely heavily on drone and missile attacks, as well as clandestine operations, in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya. Add a few more countries and we will set the entire region alight.

http://www.truthout.com/libya-here-we-go-again/1315225388

[sabrina 1]

1. 'Set the entire region alight'

This was the dream of Michael Ledeen, who even some Republicans viewed as insane.

If anyone knows Libya, it is Chris Hedges.

[EFerrari]

4. What I don't understand is how he could have supported the thing

in the first place, knowing as he should that "humanitarian intervention" is a catch-all.

[sabrina 1]

12. Well, in a way I do. I supported it in the beginning. The truth is

it began at the time of the Egyptian and Tunisian rebellions and it seemed like a peaceful, unarmed protest in the beginning. I think he, like so many others, was fooled and the Globalalists used the Arab Spring to piggy-back off and it worked.

But it wasn't long before people began to notice some disturbing things, such as the reports of the abuse of African immigrants. It's hard to be wrong, but there was no question after a relatively short time, that outsiders were pulling the strings there.

I guess he wanted to believe that the Arab Spring was spreading across the Arab World. Can't fault him for that considering the timing.

Shows how devious they are though. Playing on people's emotions and using their good-will to start wars.

It's truly a crime. I am very fearful for the lives of the immigrants, and wonder why NATO, the 'protectors of civilians' are not protecting THEM.

Chris Hedges probably does regret being fooled in the beginning, but he's human too. At least I don't feel so bad for being fooled if even someone with his vast knowledge was also :-)

[EFerrari]

14. That's the real evil in having these things called "humanitarian interventions".

Because, most of us would help someone at risk if we could. That positive impulse is used to manipulate public opinion in the most cynical way.

[amborin]

2. ny times article today discussing rebels murdering black Libyans...and how they did so months ago

also in Benghazi

[sabrina 1]

10. Is NATO protecting them? Isn't that why they claim to be there?

To protect civilians?

They are busy greedily dividing up the spoils of war. In PARIS of all places! Libya's future being discussed in Paris by Western heads of state. Some 'grassroots rebellion' this was.

[amborin]

16. totally agree...

another misguided exercise in imperialism that will come back to bite us as they all have...in addition to causing misery to the affected populations....

[Union Scribe]

18. I'm sure a member of the internet revolutionary guard will be along

to tell us this is all a big misunderstanding.

[nashville_brook]

3. k and r!

[Octafish]

5. More oil. Less people.

Gadaffi was "our man", just like Saddam Hussein was.

[BeFree]

6. You would think, that by now..

Chris would be cognizant of Empire and it's demands upon Obama.

But not even he can come to grips with the reality.

[EFerrari]

8. Yep. Very surprising coming from him. n/t

[sabrina 1]

9. You underestimate what he knows.

I doubt there is anyone in this country today who knows more than he does.

He had hopes, as we all did, that electing Democrats would help stop the Imperial wars. We did not realize that using a Democrat to expand the Empire, was what would happen. Not everything thinks in Machiavellian terms, especially honest people, like Hedges.

But we are all a little wiser now, including him. The question is what do we do about it?

[BeFree]

11. What to do?

First, call it what it is: Empire

Sabrina, y'know I luv ya, but surely even you knew in 2008 that Obama got where he did because he promised the PTB that they would not lose money if he were elected?

The only thing we can do besides calling Empire what it is, is get more congresscritters sitting in DC who are Kucnich and Sanders types. Until we do that, we are screwed.

[sabrina 1]

15. I guess I wanted to believe that getting rid of Bush

would begin the restoration of our Democracy, BeFree. It really did take seeing the way things have turned out to make it obvious that we really are an Empire.

Sorry if I sounded defensive. I kind of understand Chris Hedges wanting to believe that the Libyan rebellion was an expansion of the Arab Spring to another country. I did support it too at first, until I began to notice a few very disturbing things.

I completely agree with that the only thing we can do is elect hundreds of Progressives to Congress and write off the WH election as far as donations of money and time. I do now see that no real progressive can ever get close to the WH unless they pretend to be on board with the Empire overlords. And then, I would worry about their survival if they tried to change anything. It's truly sad to have to come to that conclusion though.

I love you too, BeFree and always love to see your great comments :-)

[Safetykitten]

7. ..."which I supported, was one thing". Oh Chris, really? Now you are surprised?

[tblue]

13. Shock Doctrine

This won't end well for the Libyan people. I'm frightened for them

I remember thinking when they were celebrating in the streets, "Sure, you rejoice now...."

[killbotfactory]

17. Workers of the World Unite!**

**Offer void in Arab states