Revolution!

[End Master]

We don't really have too many political threads around here for various reasons, but the stuff that's going on in Libya right now I think is pretty interesting.

Anyone been keeping up on it? Ghaddafi's basically been bombing the shit out of his own citizens with jet fighters and refusing to back down. He's already lost control at this point, but he's obviously bound and determined to take as many protesters down with him.

They're already talking about war crime trials in the U.N. There's conflicting reports on whether he fled the country or not though.

Wondering how he'll go out, like Hitler with a bullet to his head or executed proper like Saddam? Escape in exile like Idi Admin?

[Locke]

The writing seems to be on the wall there (if not quite as clearly/cleanly as it was in Egypt recently) but like Mubarak, facing what increasingly looks like the inevitable, Gaddafi apparently prefers to trade the lives of hundreds of his countrymen for a few more days of titular rule. I'm sure it's not as simple as that, but I can only wonder from my perspective what the rationale is.

I've been a little disappointed with the US's response to everything (recent events, not just Libya, where the crackdown dictates our pose). There's some concern about human rights, loss of life, and so forth, which is nice, but particularly the "official" responses have varied and seemed largely concerned about how best to preserve "our interests" in the area (I'd have gone with our purported ideological interests, but I get the feeling, what with all the emphasis on stability, that it's more about the oil).

That's nothing new, of course (though you'd think the politicians would learn that supporting these regimes eventually backfires), but it takes this sort of thing to remind me. It's been awhile since I opposed all things "liberal" on principle (I used to buy into the whole Democrat/Republican thing, before I really "got" the government and became disillusioned), but it really bothers me whenever Hillary steps up to speak for the country, because I'm (nominally) a citizen, and I don't believe anything she says.

[JJJ-thebanisher]

The writing seems to be on the wall there (if not quite as clearly/cleanly as it was in Egypt recently) but like Mubarak, facing what increasingly looks like the inevitable, Gaddafi apparently prefers to trade the lives of hundreds of his countrymen for a few more days of titular rule. I'm sure it's not as simple as that, but I can only wonder from my perspective what the rationale is.

I've been a little disappointed with the US's response to everything (recent events, not just Libya, where the crackdown dictates our pose). There's some concern about human rights, loss of life, and so forth, which is nice, but particularly the "official" responses have varied and seemed largely concerned about how best to preserve "our interests" in the area (I'd have gone with our purported ideological interests, but I get the feeling, what with all the emphasis on stability, that it's more about the oil).

That's nothing new, of course (though you'd think the politicians would learn that supporting these regimes eventually backfires), but it takes this sort of thing to remind me. It's been awhile since I opposed all things "liberal" on principle (I used to buy into the whole Democrat/Republican thing, before I really "got" the government and became disillusioned), but it really bothers me whenever Hillary steps up to speak for the country, because I'm (nominally) a citizen, and I don't believe anything she says.

I agree with everything you said, particularly the false left/right (demo/repub) paradigm. Essentially though, in my opinion, what happens in the middle east is none of our business.

[End Master]

Yeah, every time the US gets involved in these third world revolutions, civil wars, etc, we just get accused of being imperialistic westerners, lose valuable troops and piss off everyone in the process. I think we need to let these countries sort themselves out rather than wasting manpower that we really can't afford right now.

Or let the UN do its job if someone insists on getting involved, but as we all know the UN is pretty much useless apart from wearing blue helmets and sucking cocks.

As for ol' Krazy Kaddafi from the last few reports, it looks like he's going total scorched earth policy, threatening to destroy the oil fields, hiring foreign death squad mercs, and vowing to die before giving up. He really is like a comic book or movie villain at this point. I'm half expecting him to go out Tony "Scarface" Montana style.

I just wonder if he still has his all female bodyguard troop with him.

[JJJ-thebanisher]

Yeah, every time the US gets involved in these third world revolutions, civil wars, etc, we just get accused of being imperialistic westerners, lose valuable troops and piss off everyone in the process. I think we need to let these countries sort themselves out rather than wasting manpower that we really can't afford right now.

Or let the UN do its job if someone insists on getting involved, but as we all know the UN is pretty much useless apart from wearing blue helmets and sucking cocks.

As for ol' Krazy Kaddafi from the last few reports, it looks like he's going total scorched earth policy, threatening to destroy the oil fields, hiring foreign death squad mercs, and vowing to die before giving up. He really is like a comic book or movie villain at this point. I'm half expecting him to go out Tony "Scarface" Montana style.

I just wonder if he still has his all female bodyguard troop with him.

This post is so completely full of good things. I laughed, agreed and learned crazy shit all at once.

[End Master]

And so ends the reign of one of the old school tyrants. Not surprised he got gunned down rather than going through the charade of a trial.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/20/world/africa/libya-war/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYN0z...ipcontrinter=1