The long-advocated national-level solution of political unity does not, in fact, seem possible. Instead, a confederation of the three regions built on the original disposition of tribes and natural borders could probably assure a deeper stability. Regional governments could better…
The next president, like it or not, will have his or her hands full with the Middle East. The starting point for getting anything right is to reject the proposition that we will always get it wrong; that it is…
The Libya decision will be revealed, predictably, to have been a very American decision – instrumentalizing military force on behalf of political-economic popular sovereignty (i.e., “freedom”) against a vulnerable tyranny, in cooperation with allies, with “respect for the opinions of mankind.” It entailed risks and real human costs while shifting them from one group to another – as would every other decision. It may even have been the “wrong” decision from other perspectives. If so, that conclusion would not necessarily imply that there was a simply “right” or “better” decision to be made, or that the American president can be asked or expected to give every or any other perspective higher or equal priority.
Realistically, a merely more rather than ideally realistic policy may be as much as is really achievable, and for any realist president will remain the ideal.
Qadhafi decided against WMD long before the Iraq war. Osirak was a complete failure. And so on.
…but they’ll niver tick our
The British press has been reporting on Libya more extensively than American outlets, which makes sense considering the greater ongoing involvement of the U.K. in the NATO-led operation. Two articles suggest that we may, but then again may not, soon…
At Juan Cole’s joint, the good professor details what the Libya No-Fly Zone has accomplished in just a few days. He concludes: Pundits who want this whole thing to be over with in 7 days are being frankly silly. Those…
By the light of my tallow candle, as I push hard on the pedals of my bicycle-powered generator, I bravely lash out at the world oil complex and its malign interference in the internal affairs of Libya. As for my…
Team Obama: Game Theorists: There are days when you wonder why they bother. In two paragraphs, the New York Times – by helpfully conveying Team Obama’s message exactly as intended – inadvertently demonstrates why the Obama policy is a self-cancelling…
