tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752043102302398548.post632567740392829134..comments2023-10-14T08:21:36.173-07:00Comments on Karl reMarks: The No-Fly Zone in Libya: Hijacking the Arab UprisingsKarl Sharrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442368022521436709noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752043102302398548.post-47029492421174320202013-12-04T17:42:42.275-08:002013-12-04T17:42:42.275-08:00Well I reacted more positively than negatively to ...Well I reacted more positively than negatively to the news of the no-fly zone. I still think it was not such a bad thing, but years after, it does appear as a masquerade, as there is much more population slaughtering in Syria, and hardly anything close to the no-fly zone, which by the way, in Lybia, was much more than a no-fly zone.<br /><br />Mr.Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04086050694871978241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752043102302398548.post-80515055906068784062011-03-19T09:27:23.173-07:002011-03-19T09:27:23.173-07:00Well said Carlos.Well said Carlos.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16256801707198970982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752043102302398548.post-65232879949400445432011-03-19T06:59:18.318-07:002011-03-19T06:59:18.318-07:00What principles?
Here we are criticizing the &quo...What principles?<br /><br />Here we are criticizing the "imperialist" west for supporting the dictators in the region, and when the freedom fighters in Libya are being massacred by Gaddafi militias, we are sitting behind our computers talking about sacrificing the gains of the Arab revolts. <br /><br />It is easy for anyone to say for us to say that. Let anyone of us try and stay one day in Libya and then come back and say "sorry Europe and US, we don't want your help". If Gaddafi is using his people's money to kill innocent civilians so be it. If it takes Satan to come up from the bellies of hell to stop this dictator so be it. <br /><br />The issue is to end this genocide, and then it is all up to the Libyans as you are saying. "Thank you world for the help, now it is our turn to run our own destiny, and yes, here's your commission: democracy". <br /><br />That is what we should be worried about, not text book principles, but how the Libyans should deal with this help, this precious thankful help. We should also be worried about how late it is, or how effective it is.<br /><br />If the west did not intervene in Bahrain and Yemen, I agree about the double standards, and yes, we need to ask for intervention. If not the west, then anything that would help the protests. <br /><br />If the west did not intervene, then we would have said that the west is siding with Gaddafi because of oil interests. Did this happen somewhere in the article, and I quote "...while ignoring the situation in Bahrain, where the West’s regional allies are actively participating in putting down the uprising."<br />When Hillary Clinton went to Tunisia and Egypt, the Coalition of the Youth of the 25 January Revolution refused to meet her. The Tunisians protested. <br /><br />The west should do more than no-fly zone, and the Libyans should make use of this and should follow their own interests the same way the Americans and Europeans are.Carlosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752043102302398548.post-64027504576600025832011-03-19T02:37:02.597-07:002011-03-19T02:37:02.597-07:00A very informative and sober take on the situation...A very informative and sober take on the situation. Thanks for bringing this dichotomy (the need for independence, and the need for foreign intervention) to light. It's confusing times for most of us. And, to think, we were convinced the country with most intrigue in the region was ours.. Excellent blog post.StatusInBeirutnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752043102302398548.post-59384580777809549962011-03-19T02:25:57.181-07:002011-03-19T02:25:57.181-07:00Thank you for putting such a controversial issue i...Thank you for putting such a controversial issue in a well rounded analysis. All I can say to everyone reading this blog is.. What he said(KarlReMarks)!Zentensitynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752043102302398548.post-89059881111235239802011-03-18T12:29:49.367-07:002011-03-18T12:29:49.367-07:00Well..a few hours later and i already feel depress...Well..a few hours later and i already feel depressed (if that counts as arab youth impulse discouragement and a sense of hijacking their autonomy..)although the syrian uprisings are extremely interesting. This is definitely a display of a new/old imperialist perspective and action and i agree that it should be our top priority to raise awareness (although feeling of hopelessness persists here too)<br />There are, as always, factors that are beyond ideology and i think those need to be uncovered too. What is really depressing and what (uninnocently) lead to this resolution is that Gadaffi was able to regain power on most of Libya's cities after his fall seemed imminent and inevitable. I can't believe that this just happened because of internal shifts of power. The obvious question is who are the stakeholders here, and who's benefiting from the stalemate situation. why didn;t anyone go ahead and support the people with weapons at least? When did they ever need a UN resolution for that? I can't help but thinking how certain arab countries have an all-win situation here; First if Gadaffi was overthrown-third arab dictator in a few weeks!- that would have been a major push to popular uprising. Unstoppable i think. But now we have a totally different story, with a foreign intervention face to it, many many deaths, and an uncertain future. Second, with libyan oil economy almost halted, who really benefits? who's gaining upper hand? same old arab super oil powers. And the US of course, since Europe is the main victim of the oil cut especially the ones already facing crisis-they're the only ones really hurting so it's not surprising that they run to offer their military assistance. Then we have smug gaddafi hinting that he is ready to open up for new oil contractors, like russia china germany and japan.. That catches US attention, but they don't really care that much. they're hesitant, they want to keep a hand in it but not deep enough to involve themselves: why would they if there's nothing to gain and there are enough powers struggling against each other already.. the only ironically positive thing that might come out of this is that somehow, this stalemate makes stability in our middle east (alternative oil route to europe) more of an urgent priority and with US and gulf countries regaining upper hand over ever weakening europe, and more internal peace of mind (well maybe not!!), they can pressure israel back into peace talks.. already today Haaretz talks about time up for netanyaho.. p.s. sorry about the inhuman perspective. it is politics after all. of course, the humanitarian situation in libya is unbearable and that justifies the intuitive celebrations in benghazi. But how will a NFZ prevent casualties on ground? the only way would be to dismantle Gaddafi's power structure asap.. but that's not the language we're hearing. What is being said is all about protecting those poor helpless victims (who have BY THE WAY died in thousands and consciously risen against the just as bad situation that everyone was so comfortable with for decades before oil cuts..) So far, it's all culturally romanticized authoritarian agency-robbing inapplicable bullshitLinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499956054290290325noreply@blogger.com