Thoughts on Libya
John Grant ·
Aug 25, 2011 at 12:58pm
I was hoping to write something on Libya, but I cannot top these articles. I will take Dirty Harry's advice and recognize my limitations, at least in this instance.
Ricochet's John Yoo and Andrew McCarthy have a friendly duel on how we should view America's intervention.
Boston University historian Richard Landes is not optimistic about the future of democracy in Libya.
If someone knows of an articulate defense of the position that the future of democracy is bright in that troubled country, I would be very interested to read it. I share Professor Landes's scepticism, but I would like to be disabused of my gloomy view.
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Dec '10
Re: Thoughts on Libya
Thank you for posting this, John. Yoo seems to be of the "it can't get much worse" school, where McCarthy takes the tragic view. I'm in the McCarthy camp myself.
McCarthy mention's Qaddafy's atrocities and after scrolling through the pictures of jubilant Libyans reclining on gold mermaid sofas (?) and dancing in the streets of Tripoli, I have to ask, "Was Qaddafy so bad for the Libyan people?" Like so many of the region's thugs, I now know more about him than I ever hoped to, and I know he was an enemy of the West, but what were his offenses against his own people?
Mar '11
Re: Thoughts on Libya
The most optimistic view I have heard on Libya is Richard Miniter in the latest Ricochet podcast. All others are more pessimistic, which is probably right.
Jan '11
Re: Thoughts on Libya
For anyone who hasn't seen Prof. Landes' stunning films on the Al-Durah affair, and more generally on "Pallywood", hop over to Second Draft:
http://www.seconddraft.org/
May '11
Re: Thoughts on Libya
I'm agnostic on Libya, but I sure do hope to see a "Mission Accomplished" banner hanging over DNC Headquarters.
Jul '10
Re: Thoughts on Libya
Not only must I side with Andrew McCarthy on this matter, but I can find no improvement on his comprehensive response. On the most critical issue, the nature of the government of Libya going forward, there is only speculation and apprehension. W's plans for Chalabi in Iraq, weak as they were, represented a sounder approach than anything we've seen out of bumbling Barry.