Forgive Me Father

I Can't Stop Scratching My Head

At what we think we are doing in Libya. Aside from the shock and awe of blitzkriegging the place without much discussion, i.e. Congressional approval and clue in....you didn't obviously
get the commitments lined up to follow up or follow through with the 'no fly zone' enforcement on what looks like a Rice-Clinton replay of Powell's embarassing UN moments because still six days later (starting Friday) no one wants to step forward in the bloody battle to follow with Khadaffi's billion dollar Gold reserve to hire half the African continent as mercinaries.
Hillary's talk last night left me with Shivers. I like these people and I am scared!

First of all, the case to the American people concerning why exactly Khadaffi 'has lost all legitimacy to govern" fell far short of an explanation. What did he do besides being brutal in
putting down an uprising that caused him to 'lose all legitimacy' ? How many of his people have turned on him, how many like him and how many find the opposition a bit off their meds? He's been there forty years, what did he do recently except feel threatend by the uprisings around him so decided to crack down on opposition? They did the same thing in Iran and we didn't say there the leader lost all legitimacy.
If this conclusion is because the Libyan UN contingent defected, or everyone in the Arab Leage says so, then we need to hear from the UN guy as to why and from someone in the Arab League.

Also, Hillary's tone is off base. It comes off as arrogant and bullying and plays into the hands of people accusing us of conspiring with imperialist aggression. The 'crusader' term flung is ridiculous because neither Hillary nor Obama are of the same religious fundamentalist cloth as Bush and it is a more secular administration than we have had in a while- but the conspiracy with imperialism moniker has to be addressed.
My humble suggestion:
the next public appearance anyone makes on this has to have an Arab translator simultaneously translating standing next to Hillary or Rice or Obama explaining, preferably with someone, anyone, from the Region or a former government official who defected (sought asylum) what exactly Khadaffi has done to suggest he has lost legitimacy to govern as recognized by the people bold enough to oppose him. Further, a plea to explain to the people why it is in THEIR interest (not the US interest) to oppose him and not support him should be articulated. Something like- Good people of Libya who have a long and honorable history which predates Khadaffi's administration, you have over the past forty years been victims to such an undemocratic unegalitarian pillage of your country's resources that Khadaffi has earned over fifty billion dollars in oil revenues which he has stockpiled for himself and to support his regime while you barely survive, your businesses are barely solvent, he has kept you in poverty while amassing luxury and riches for himself without sharing, etc.... He now threatens to use over fifty billion in stockpiled gold reserves in your central bank to convine you that you have to die for him rather than using that money to develop infrastructure, build roads, universities, industrial development to raise your lifestyles. He has kept you his peasants, he has oppressed you brutally, he has created a culture that values military oppression over economic development. We are here to assist you and we encourage you to assist yourselves and grab the ring in this moment of your history.
Love, Barach, Suzie, Hill. and Faoud. Something like that. Works much better than the Bullying Blonde Biatch act.