Sunday, March 13, 2011

On doing something about Libya

Okay, I confess. I know very little about the situation in Libya, having been steeped in state politics, where our intrepid representatives are taking care of really important things like debating the value of daylight saving time and making sure future presidential candidates were really born in the United States.

So I haven't kept up with the intricacies of Middle East policy and current events. About all I know is that people are fighting for self-governance, and many are dying for their cause at the hands of a brutal dictator.

Through it all, I've heard a pretty constant undercurrent of noise from the media aimed at the Obama administration: "For God's sake, do something! Establish a no-fly zone. Send soldiers to help the rebels. But don't just sit there!"  They're compelling sound bites, to be sure, and I was about ready to get on the bandwagon myself.

It's never a good idea to make big decisions without hearing all sides. This morning, Maureen Dowd lays out some excellent arguments for proceeding cautiously in Libya -- accompanied by some really satisfying jabs at Paul Wolfowitz, who was Bush II's Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2005.

So I'm turning in my I-Know-What's-Best hat for now, and leaving the hard stuff to President Obama and his capable administration.

After all, Obama was born in the United States and everything.

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