100 cruise missiles were dropped on Libya at $1 million each in one day - Can we fire cruise missiles and teachers and survive?
By louisehartmann
A US fighter jet crashed in Libya this morning. Military officials claim that the crash was caused by mechanical failure and not by anti-aircraft fire – and both pilots have been rescued with only minor injuries. Meanwhile – US led airstrikes continued in Libya for the third day in a row – but may be winding down as the New York Times reports that all the initial objectives of the campaign have been met – and command of the operation will soon be handed over to European allies.
But hopes of a quick resolution in Libya are fading – as Gadhafi’s forces and rebel forces are in a stalemate – and a long civil war now seems likely. World leaders are speaking out against the operation in Libya. The Chief of the Arab League questioned that tactics used in the bombing campaign – and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin argued that the bombings were “medieval crusades”. But at least the British have received the consent of their people for military action. The British Parliament voted overwhelmingly in support of the mission in Libya – yet here in the US – John Boehner has Congress working a short week – and there has been no debate over this new war. In one day over the weekend – the US government dropped more than 100 Tomahawk cruise missiles on Libya at about $1 million each – that’s $100 million down the drain…in one day!
On the other hand – NPR receives about $5 million annually from the federal government through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. So Republicans are more than willing to debate defunding NPR for a week – but when it comes to a war that costs the taxpayers 20 times more in one day that NPR costs all year – let’s take the day off!
President Obama has overstepped his command – our elected representatives have neglected their duties – and America has flung itself into a third war with no clear objective or exit strategy. We’re starting to look more like the militaristic empire – than a beacon of freedom and democracy around the world.
Comments
#2
A draft would be a wake up call to america...........the fact itself would 'scare straight' our youth and their parents.
#3
I agree..I have said for a long time if we had a draft there would be more protest to these military actions
#4
Draft? War? Really?
I haven't heard that we had troops on the ground in Libya. Did America declare war?
People, let’s get the facts straight here. This is NOT war, NOT an American Army marching across Libya, nor, for that matter, the end of the world.
And as to our children: isn't it in the best interest of our children that they inherit a World that will NOT be dangerous for them? That they inherit a world free of strife and constant terrorist attacks? Isn't that what we want for our Children and Grandchildren?
For certain, if NATO (I stress that acronym) would not have acted here, gadaffy would have won, slaughtered his citizens and then would have mounted a war of terrorism against the west in the very near future. And the Rebels who are seeking Democracy, they would most certainly of resented the Imperialist west for not supporting them in their time of need and would only of fostered hate and more violence in the way of more terrorism in the future, for our Children and grandchildren.
Don’t people think these things through completely before they make these knee-jerk pontifications?
#5
"President Obama has overstepped his command – our elected representatives have neglected their duties – and America has flung itself into a third war with no clear objective or exit strategy. We’re starting to look more like the militaristic empire – than a beacon of freedom and democracy around the world."
This has got to be the biggest bunch of nonsense ever from Thom!
We support Democracy BY STANDING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING IT, not with Dictators! If NATO would not of acted at all, this would of been a colossal disaster for Democracy world wide! The people who SUFFER REMEMBER! And to not have acted here, would have sent a clear message to al quaida and other terroist groups - WESTERN DEMOCRACY has let you down, but we have the answer – JOIN US!
Where is the CLEAR thinking on all this?
If Thom continues in this vein. I’m looking for a new blog!
#6
"Military officials claim that the crash was caused by mechanical failure and not by anti-aircraft fire – and both pilots have been rescued with only minor injuries."
Another mis-stated fact! In fact, the Pilots were rescued by Pro-Democracy forces, who then brought the pilots into their home, given something to drink, and then handed to friendly pro-democracy forces who then handed them to Coalition forces who in turn whisked them away on an Osprey aircraft!
Funny how facts presented IN-CORRECTLY, colors the tone of the discussion! Rebel pro-democracy forces fighting gadaffi who rescues AMERICAN pilots, but then the media makes it look like they were rescued just in time by un-stated rescuers!
Much different than stating they were rescued by the Pro-Democracy rebels who showed hospitality! This is how Propaganda works folks - so whose side is Thom really on here?
#7
Insanity, tragic, The lies, the greed and want of power. The making of slavey. Wars, A degenerative disease. A lack of knowledge! The rise and the fall of Ccivilizations.. To use war to end all wars only brings about war. To fight by the sword is to die by the sword. The cause and effects , Possession is the motivation and what do you get, a nation of slavey. The pity of it all!
#8
RAVI BATRA The Coming Revolution against Political Corruption and Economic Chaos: The New Golden Age. Come on Thom! Revolution is inevitable, when are you going to abandon your dead theory of taking over the Democratic Party?
Where is Ravi Batra? He used to be on regularly!!! WTF, who is running the ship over there? You need more progressive guests on for longer discussions. Derrick Jensen, Noam Chompsky, Chris Hedges, Peter W. Galbraith?
One must always challenge one's own belief system with those who are more progressive than one's self. That is the only way to continue to grow and learn.
PUSH LEFT! not back to the right.....
#9
I would rather not fire anyone or anything. However, the missles, since they are built already, have presumably been paid for (or at least are on the past due list).
I wonder why no one can see that one of the options for getting rid of Khadafi (sp?) is through diplomatic pressure channels rather than military. Similar to the way others have been removed -- Egypt, etc. We do not have a clear picture of who will step in, so we are not ready to have him step out. So while we stop him from killing his people, we have given ourselves time to see who steps forward to lead, hopefully more than one person or faction.
I do not expect to see many Arab states flying missions over Libiya, but I do think the reason we need them on board is because they don't like Khadafi any more than we do, and they may have more influence to move him out of the way, and let a new government take over. But right now they do not have one to put in place.
#10
I would rather fire john boner, excuse me boehner, than fire a cruise missle.
#11
A well thought out draft ,with absolutely no exemptions, would probably put an end to these three missions we are conducting now, not to mention any future assignments. Congress would do all it could to keep their children out of harm's way, and depending on the size of our standing military with a draft,we should be able to do away with any need at all from corporations that drain taxpayers money in the name of war.
#12
Fascinating how the knee jerk enthusiasm for the draft arises.
What about those of us who on moral or religious grounds decide that killing or condoning or cooperating with killing or training to kill is simply unacceptable?
As a Buddhist- I think I have only accidentally killed 1 moth since I formally took refuge- and there are plenty of us who feel this way.
I thought the US was meant to be a place where individual conscience was celebrated.
All I see is people falling over each other to gain the right to impose on the conscience and free will of others.
#13
Whether \a war is declared or not is just a matter of semantics.
However even a pacifist like me can see that the would be rebels in Libya were ina dreadful position and some sort of response to that need is not entirely inappropriate.
I think the idea of a great danger of a war of terror being launched by Gaddaffi is a little far fetched especially when compared with the many wars of terror inflicted on the 3rd world by the US in the last 50 years.
#14
The military doesn't want to reinstate the draft. That would downgrade the quality of the average soldier in the military. By having volunteer forces you have individuals who not only are better trained but more easily brainwashed into supporting the moral justifications given to fight these wars.
And let's face facts. The executive branch of our govt has merely been a shill for the military-industrial complex since the end of World War II. The president who warned us about it, did so in his farewell address, and his successor who had the courage to stand up against it, was assassinated. Obama had the pulse of the nation and uttered wonderful platitudes that expressed the wishes of many of us, but he's not going to step on their toes. He wants to live to see another term.
#15
Barliman "The Khmer Rouge was the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, but during this short time it was responsible for one of the worst mass killings of the 20th Century. The brutal regime claimed the lives of more than a million people - and some estimates say up to 2.5 million perished."
Where were the Buddhists during this time frame? Literally killing fields of thousands! And where was the rest of the world?
Out of sight, out of mind? The world simply did not care, or simply did not want to save the lives of millions of Buddhists. You know who stopped it - The Vietnamese! Communists!
You may not condone killing, but when the killing veres towards the Millions, and based on your religion you cannot or will not intervene, than your religion has a problem: Morally and Ethically. Don't forget, hundreds of thousands of those dead in those killing fields were Buddists! My god man, how can you reconcile this with any supposed ethical and religious religion? Do not all the Religions of the world have a moral responsibility for their fellow man and human being?
This is what is happening in Libya today. A homicidal maniac who threatens to murder thousands! Are we to stand by and let it happen? Are we to allow another killing field of thousands?
President Obama is correct on this issue. And the rest of the world can act as they did with the Buddhists of Cambodia if they want to; I, for one, believe that we should act when it is Right to act.
#16
Who to fire? Well, we should start with Obama, who, as a constitutional scholar, knows that what he is doing is wrong. And John Boehner, who is too lazy to even show up at congress. The republicans scream like enraged little cartoon characters whenever they think of teachers and other hard-working people having the right to engage in collective bargaining, because "We can't afford to pay teachers," and they scream even more hysterically about public radio getting a few measly million dollars per year. But they cheer like drunken football fans for the idea of dropping $100 million worth of bombs on Libya. As far as the "justification" that the Libyans need our help goes, well, lots of people need our help, but our military industrial complex only helps countries that have natural resources that our corporations want to steal. In the Bible that republicans claim to love, Mathew 23:23 says, ""Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! (Republicans and Obama and other republican democrat members of congress) You... neglect what is more important in the law — justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!"
And while we're firing people, how about "firing" Ann Coulter, who says that nuclear radiation is good for us. I don't see her moving downwind from a Japanese nuclear power plant. What a hypocrite!
#17
Let's see... The area under control of the rebels sits on top of the largest pool of oil in Africa. Not much of it has been coming to us,,,yet. As i understand it the rebels started this civil war. I'm sure many of them believe they are fighting for democracy and freedom, and there is no doubt that Ghadafi is crazy scary, but I believe it is naive to think that we would allow a new government to form that wasn't ameenable to putting corporate interests first. In Yemen and Bharain the despots there are killing peaceful demonstrators for democracy and we don't lift a finger. We are spending hundreds of millions of dollars killing Lybians, doing far more than the lie of a "no fly zone" and the Hypocrite Obama is doing what he previously said was unconstitutional, even after he swore an oath. I don't think we could be doing more to create terrorists than dropping bombs and cruise missiles on people.
#18
Jon Stewart was so funny, he said something like we could fire teachers out of cannons and get 20 for the cost of 1... or something to that effect. It was really funny (on hulu from Jon's March 21st Daily Show)
#19
Our military is nothing but a very poorly compensted group of mercinairies. If the draft were reinstated, then I would declare myself gay. Loud and proud...
#20
Yeah you don't need an education to push buttons.
#21
Once again the super rich and their standing armies behind them are once again taking us all to the cleaners. It seems our unhappy leaders of great wealth have nothing else to do but bring about the lowest practice of degenerating mankind with its brutal, barbarian cruelty that is incomprehensiible, not to menton divid and conquer.. Meanwhile the world is on the blink of self-annihilation. One has to wonder at times if civiliztion has been a mistake. We work so hard to build a working society, to share with each other the game of life and to bring about happiness wonder and love in the world. This is what we should be reflecting to the rest of the world, How well love can work. Imagine !
#22
I would like to fire an ectoplasmic slime ball of epic proportion at Mr. and Mrs. G.H. Walker Bush, their progenitors, and their heirs and assigns forever.
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Lots and lots of action.... Very little in the way of actual well thought-out plans.
Our President has once again chosen to pursue the path of corporate expedience as opposed to that of fundamental morality and his constitutional duty to the citizens of America.
Reinstate the draft with zero exemptions and see how long these three adventures last.