Obama and Libya

Obama Signed Secret Libya Order Authorizing Support For Rebels

President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, government officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

I’m not surprised President Obama issued a secret missive supporting the Libyan rebels. Neither am I surprised that the MSM and liberals are making excuses for the President’s actions. When Bush took similar actions these same people were practically calling for President Bush’s head with some still insisting he be criminally tried. Media and liberal hypocrisy aside, I don’t really care that Obama did this. I don’t condone it but ultimately really don’t care. It’s old political hat for governments world wide and only note worthy in this case because of the President’s continuing affectation of being a man of “change” when he is nothing more than another part of the old, broken system ruining the country with its corruption, arrogance, and lack of transparency and accountability to the people of the United States.

As for President Obama’s speech on Libya, it was a failure. Nice tap dancing, but too little, too late in explaining himself to the American people and Congress.

For the people of Libya: Sic Semper Tyrannis

Operation Odyssey Dawn

Odyssey Dawn: The military operation – World news – Mideast/N. Africa – msnbc.com A brief overview of some of the military assets involved in establishing and enforcing the No-Fly Zone in Libya.

US, UK and French attack Libyan leader Gaddafi’s military sites

Earlier this afternoon over 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from both US and British ships and submarines struck more than 20 integrated air defence systems and other air defence facilities ashore

I know many people are opposed to military action or intervention of any sort in Libya because they believe it is not our concern. I can understand that sentiment even as I disagree with it. War is not something to take lightly and without consideration regardless of the situation. In the case of Libya, I personally feel the establishment of the No-Fly Zone is necessary given the history of the Gaddafi regime both within its borders and internationally. The United States has a long history, haphazard and sometime erratic in application though it be, of supporting democratic efforts and movements around the world. For me, Operation Odyssey Dawn is no different than those previous efforts.

Arizona Lawmakers Reject “Birthright” Immigration Bills – Baja Arizona

Arizona lawmakers reject “birthright” immigration bills – Political Hotsheet – CBS News

Republican lawmakers in Arizona intended to put their state at the forefront of a national debate this year over “birthright” citizenship laws, but the state Senate on Thursday rejected a whole series of conservative immigration bills.

Good. Unlike SB1070 which did not try to usurp the Constitution as some pro-illegal alien activists still attempt to claim, these bills were clearly challenges to the birth right citizenry guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. They wrongly approached the problem of anchor babies and children of illegals by trying to pass a law at the State level rather than taking the issue to the Federal level where the Congress could debate on it (even if political extremists and pro-illegals would attempt to vilify such debate) . If a change was made it would then go to the citizens of the United States for referendum as called for when making constitutional amendments. Unlike SB 1070 addressing the Federal government reneging on it’s constitutional duties this is one requiring an actual change to the Constitution.

Baja Arizona

I’d laugh myself silly except there are some whack jobs taking this serious. But then Arizona has been attracting the wackos long before I was born and raised here so I can’t claim to be all that surprised at a left loony group has got some attention. Besides, Arizona can’t let all the right wing wackos have all the fun so it was about time some lefty wackos cropped got in on the action. Meanwhile, moderates get to sit back and laugh at their stupidity.

Basically the recent losses in the November elections and strong anti-illegal immigration laws have brought out leftist extremists that want to turn southern Arizona into Baja Arizona. They claim it is because the rest of the state is racist but reality shows that it is simply the extreme lefties in the state refusing to accept that their ideas, particularly their more extreme ideas, are widely rejected by Arizonans on issues such as taxes, immigration, and economic policies. If they had policies and people Arizonans could trust they’d get voted into office. Besides I find it more telling by their chosen flag their real goal is in support of the the inane and racist reconquista movement not because Arizona isn’t liberal enough for them.

Ask these same people if northern Californians, who are fed up with the craziness of southern California, could secede and form their own state are you’ll hear them scream “No!” and then whine about it not being fair or just or some other such mealy-mouthed garbage. I know, I’ve asked some (precisely two people who live in Tucson FWIW) who claim to support the idea of Baja Arizona and that’s exactly what they said. Of course they were the only two people of the thirty or so I know in Tucson who supported the idea. Of those thirty only six heard of the “movement”.

You’d think if Arizona wasn’t leftist enough they’d go back to the West’s main haven for liberal progressives: California. It’s only a few hours drive away after all. Just sayin’…

Egypt, Libya and Beyond

Libya No Fly Zone

The United Nations finally passed a resolution establishing a ‘No-Fly Zone’ in Libya. The resolution itself was not unanimous with the usual suspects (Russia, China, India who fear being taken to task for their own human rights abuse and oppressive policies of certain ethnic, cultural and religious groups)  abstaining. But that’s par for the course of most resolutions at the UN. While I’m pleased it was finally established, I fear it may well be too late to protect the Libyan people or the anti-Gaddafi forces who wish to oust the dictatorship from the Gaddafi’s military.

The question for the Obama administration is will this now become their equivalent of the Bush Doctrine that the left (including the President) maligned so much? Will it be implemented with equal regard in so called allied nations in which the governments are cracking down on their citizenry through violence such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, et al? Already we see right-wingers using the same anti-war tactics used by the left to malign the decision.

 

Egypt

Egypt’s march to reform and democracy continues, albeit slowly and not without some difficulties. Tomorrow a referendum is being held on Constitutional Amendments. Naturally the power vacuum had left Egypt divided with different groups, often at odds, trying to fill that power vacuum.

 

Africa

Whether fearful of the people sweeping away their dictatorships or holding them accountable for their corruption a large number of African nations are cracking down, sometimes violently on pro-democracy and pro-reform movements in their nations. The usual culprits are a part of this crowd: Mugabe (Zimbabwe), dos Santos (Angola), and Gbagbo (Ivory Coast).

 

Sadly world political leaders, even those in the West, still do not truly comprehend the anger and determination of the people of the world to be free of corruption and abuse of power. These so called leaders think a few placating words and a few shekels while implying threats if that isn’t enough for their lowly peons to accept. Meanwhile, the underlying problems that have sparked the anger and rebelliousness of the world wide population have not been addressed. While each regions problems are unique to them they all have a target to blame for these problems: their governments. Governments that fail to work in the best interests of their citizenry above their own selfishness and greed are doomed to fail as the people realize they’ve been betrayed by those who claim sovereignty over them. That betrayal, that greed, that selfishness, is ultimately what drives all revolutions.