The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Those Meddling Neo-Cons Again!

Posted on | July 16, 2011 | 17 Comments

Because I voted for Libertarian Bob Barr in 2008, I can’t use Instapundit’s signature “They told me if I voted for John McCain” riff, but would someone please tell me how the U.S. stance toward the Libyan rebels is less meddlesome than the Bush-Cheney regime-change policy in Iraq?

ISTANBUL — The United States formally recognized the rebel leadership in Libya as the country’s legitimate government on Friday, allowing the rebel government access to $30 billion in Libyan assets held in the United States. It is not yet clear how and when the money would be released.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at an international gathering held to discuss the Libyan conflict that Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s government no longer had any legitimacy, and that the United States would join more than 30 countries in extending diplomatic recognition to the main opposition group, known as the Transitional National Council.
“We will help the T.N.C. sustain its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya,” Mrs. Clinton said, “and we will look to it to remain steadfast in its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Whatever happened to the “No Blood for Oil” crowd? Where’s Code Pink, Michael Moore and the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition?

Is it now the settled policy of the United States that we are arbiters of the “legitimacy” of governments in other nations? If so, how are such things decided?

Of the multitudinous autocratic governments in the world, which autocracies are on America’s Secret List of Soon-to-Be-Illegitimate Regimes? Because I’m noticing a distinct lack of State Department interest in whether the governments of Cuba, Venezuela or Iran are “legitimate.”

Nobody’s shedding any tears for Moammar Qaddafi, but we just can’t go around the world willy-nilly declaring foreign governments “illegitimate.” Well, actually I guess we can do that — we have done it before and are in fact doing it now — but it doesn’t seem an altogether wise policy, if there is no rhyme or reason why we intervened militarily on behalf of the Libyan rebels, but wouldn’t lift a finger to aid the anti-Ahmadinejad protesters in Iran.

And let me express a fond hope that Republican presidential candidates will speak out about the seemingly random, illogical, unprincipled, opportunistic and thoroughly hypocritical interventionism of the Obama administration. Because otherwise I might have to consider voting Libertarian again in 2008.

Category: Libya

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