Libya: Rank Imperial Hypocrisy

The cynicism and hypocrisy on display over the vote in the United Nations Security Council, whose permanent members constitute a den of thieves if ever there was one, for an assault on forces loyal to Gaddafi in Libya is rank, even by the odoriferous standards of that body. The very same day the United States was, yet again, accused of a drone strike resulting in the mass murder of civilians in Pakistan. The very same day, just kilometers from where the United States’ vaunted Fifth Fleet is stationed, US allies Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were gunning down protesters on the streets of Manama. Just this morning nearly 30 protesters were killed by US ally Yemen.

For years since Muammar came in from the cold in 2003 European and American arms exporters have been selling weapons to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars to the Gaddafi regime. Italy, France, Germany and Britain sought to lift the arms embargo in 2004 and they got quite a return for their efforts. Those planes bombing the Libyan revolutionaries are French Mirages, and now France will send their own against the ones they sold yesterday. And then there is the oil….

I support the overthrow of Gaddafi by his own people; he should go the way of Ceausescu. I do not support the overthrow of Gaddafi by the most criminal regimes in the world, US and European imperial powers. France bombing North Africa? No thanks, seen that movie before. The United States bombing an Arab country? Way past time to end the sequels in that franchise too. There is not an instance in the last 100 years and longer, and if readers can come up with one please do share, where imperial powers have played anything but a pernicious role in the region. Just look at where those weapons Gaddafi is using to roll over the towns held by revolutionaries come from. We are to trust those same mother fuckers with saving the Lybian people? Not for a single moment.

I wish the workers movement was in a position to independently help the Libyan revolution. I wish the popular revolts in the region were able to as well. But the left can’t take responsibility for a situation where we have little or no power. Yes, I know my wishes mean nothing to those under the most dangerous, do-or-die assault from Gaddafi and they need real assistance. If we were in a position to give genuine assistance we would do so, happily. The assistance given by the imperial powers may provide a temporary reprieve from the counter-revolutionary onslaught of the regime, but that assistance is not genuine. It comes with a huge price tag; the independence of Libya.

There is much more to say on this and the situation is deserving of far more than a rant, but it’s 7 AM and a rant seems the most appropriate response I can give at the moment. Victory to the Libyan Revolution! Death to Imperialism!

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