New allies and their Libyan cause
By Pearl Wong
In the last couple of weeks, headlines that once appeared with World War I and WWII events have cropped up throughout the Internet. Phrases like, "Allies are wrong to bomb Gaddafi forces" or "Obama says allies succeeding in Libya" bring a haunting past to our current state of events. A new war has just begun; and for now, there is no need to follow Constitutional procedures to formally declare war. President Obama believes that we are sending troops to mediate the gross violation of human rights under Colonel Gaddafi's regime.
While the situation in Libya is serious, I can hardly believe the "Allies" are actually concerned for the citizens of Libya – both supporters of Gaddafi and the rebel group. Colonel Gaddafi's oppressive regime has been in power for decades; and since 1979 the Allies have done nothing in regard to the human rights issue in Libya.
Therefore, and forgive me for being cynical, I highly doubt this new war is about ethics or social justice. Instead, as it always seems to be, we have launched ourselves into a third war – that we cannot win – for money. To be more precise, we are risking the lives of our military troops and the lives of many Libyans on the ground for what lies underneath their feet: oil. Perhaps I am reducing this situation into something entirely too simplistic. Certainly, the rebel forces in Libya stand to gain from the Allies' intervention and military commitment; and I am all for human rights. However, it is no secret that Colonel Gaddafi's unstable regime has become costly for the Allies. With crude oil priced over $100 per barrel, oil-dependent nations are certainly worried about the potentially harmful impacts of rising energy costs.
Not to mention, the economy aside, the leaders of the western world have certainly taken a very long time to decide to help the battered rebel force. Where were the US and the UK when Libyans were violently killed for peacefully protesting against their oppressor in early February?
The motives behind our leaders' actions are, at the very least, questionable. There is no doubt that new warfare can prop up a weak economy – just read up on how the US recovered from the Great Depression. Certainly, no one wishes for the people of Libya to suffer any further. However, we should be careful before we fully commit ourselves to yet another costly war. We must ask ourselves: how exactly are we going to pay for all this? And how long are we going to be in Libya?
No doubt Obama would like to establish a democratic state there, and we all know how long that could take (see Iraq War). Aren't there equally important human rights problems we face domestically (see DOMA)?
Surely, with all the problems on our plate, we can do without another open-ended war and, in addition, if we have money to go to war, then we must have money for further research and development of solar and wind energies.
Pearl Wong is a junior political science major.