In recent weeks prominent Republicans like Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, John McCain and Mitch McDonnell have called for US intervention in Libya. As a Conservative I view this attitude as madness. It seems as if the elites of the GOP, including Mrs. Palin, are under the influence of Wilsonian Progressivism. There is no US vital interest to intervene in Libya. The battle is between the forces of Muamar Qaddafi and a coalition of Islamists and tribesman. It is a battle of two evils and one that we should hope drags out and cripple Libya for decades. The fact that so many so called Conservatives haven’t abandoned the ridiculous and progressive “Freedom Agenda” of the Bush years shows the GOP hasn’t learned their lesson at the foreign policy level.
A good many people across the political spectrum—including some members of the Obama administration—are pressuring the president to intervene militarily in Libya. Much of the commentary has focused on establishing a no-fly zone, but there have been calls as well for enforcing a no-drive zone, or for arming or otherwise assisting regime opponents.
Those making this case appeal to a mixture of morality and realpolitik. They argue that by intervening we will prevent the slaughter of innocents and at the same time demonstrate our willingness to make good on expressions of support for freedom and security.
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There are many reasons to avoid making Libya the center of U.S. concerns in the region. Libya is far from the most important country in the Middle East—both in terms of political influence and its impact on the oil market. American policy makers would be wiser to focus on what they can do to see that Egypt’s transition proceeds smoothly, that Saudi Arabia remains stable, and that Iran does not.
Intervening militarily in Libya would be a potentially costly distraction for the U.S. military. It is already overextended in Iraq and Afghanistan. The last thing it needs is another vaguely defined intervention in a place where U.S. interests are less than vital.
Read the rest: The U.S. Should Keep Out of Libya
I normally don’t agree with Richard Haass, but he is spot on here. The US military is already involved in two conflicts and is stretched out globally. We don’t have the money and would have to borrow from the Chinese plus others to pay for this useless intervention. I just laugh at how these hypocritical Progressive Democrats like John Kerry (D-Mass) are now all gung ho for a military adventure. These were the same people who undermined Iraq. This shows the only reason the Democrats opposed the Iraq War, which was in reality a Progressive action, was because a Republican undertook it. Now the Democrats who have lead America into the majority of its wars in the last 100 years, some of which were questionable (the exceptions were WWII and Korea), are back to their Progressive interventionist ways.
The Republican Party should resist this Progressive interventionist nonsense. The Republican House of Representatives should demand a resolution to authorize the use of force and force a debate on this subject. If Obama launches an attack without Congressional approval, they need to hammer him without mercy. Instead, the elites of the GOP have the “spread Democracy at the point of the gun” ideology, which is not a Conservative foreign policy view, and will support Obama. They will be enabling another useless intervention where there is no economic gain for this nation.
A Conservative foreign policy is based in reality, one that would be to protect America’s economic interest, support our allies and stand up to Islamic Imperialism. Bush’s Freedom Agenda was not Conservative, it was rooted in Progressive ideology. His claim that freedom at home depends on freedom abroad was utter nonsense. Freedom at home depends on a strong 2nd Amendment, limited federal powers, constitutional based court appointees, economic liberty and powerful a military. What type of system other nations, including allies, have is not our problem. I will take 10 Pinochets over 100 Hamid Karzais. Woodrow Wilson was an evil racist and vile man. No true Conservative should ever embrace his twisted and sick ideology.
If the Republicans are going to run in 2012 on spreading democracy at the point of a gun, they will not win. Many Conservatives are tired of this Progressive Woodrow Wilson Ideology infesting GOP leaders. We need a foreign policy version of the Tea Party. It’s time for Conservatives to rise up and destroy the Wilsonian foreign policy establishment of the GOP.
