the frustration of Libya

I agree with a friend who just wrote: it’s very frustrating to sit here watching Libya, knowing that Qaddafi just needs one more push.

And not only aren’t our Western governments doing anything, it might not even be a good idea for them to do so. It’s a question I’m still wrestling with, and currently I’m leaning towards “do nothing substantial.” These Arab people’s revolutions need to be free of even the hint of neo-colonial support; they need to be completely homegrown, in order to be what they are.

Besides which, as I also agree with my friend who wrote, Iraq effectively undermined the US/UK ability to do anything militarily in these sorts of cases.

But logistical and intelligence support can both be very useful, and maybe we can give them plenty of both. I don’t know.