As we know, the Obama administration’s guiding principle in dealing with the world is “Don’t Do Stupid (Stuff).”
Which, unfortunately, is the sort of mindset that can lead to not doing “stuff,” period, even when you really, really ought to.
So I’m pleased when I see us going out and taking action when it’s called for. Such as in this instance:
Late last year, as Islamic State fighters battled to expand their stronghold on Libya’s coast, militants came within 45 miles of the country’s sole remaining chemical-weapons site, unnerving Libyan and American officials who feared that potentially deadly chemicals could fall into extremist hands.
In May, when the fighters struck a mile from the lightly guarded desert facility, killing two security officers at a checkpoint, they decided it was time to act.
The Islamic State’s encroachment on an installation outside the remote oasis town of Waddan, where 500 metric tons of chemical-weapon precursor materials were stored, set off a hurried chain of events culminating in a disarmament operation involving the United States, European countries and the United Nations.
The international effort, which concluded last week when a Danish ship unloaded the materials at a German port for destruction, is one of the rare successes that Western nations can claim in Libya since dictator Moammar Gaddafi’s ouster in 2011 pitched the North African country into lawlessness and civil war….
Well, I’m glad to hear that.
I hope even my more isolationist friends can agree that it’s a very good idea to do such stuff as this, and that we ought to in the future whenever something as obvious as this presents itself.
Right?
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Internationalism can have “rare successes”, as illustrated.
Unfortunately, the “rarity” of successes encourages unaccountability for doing the more commonplace “stupid stuff”. We must never forget that elections are neccesary to assure the ultimate accountability of our leaders to their citizens.
The 114th Congress may soon shed light on another matter of M.E. internationalism (disguised as unilateralism?) that includes some very stupid stuff, in my opinion:
“Congress Investigating Obama Admin-Funded Campaign to Unseat Israeli PM
— State Department purged emails about $300,000 grant to anti-Netanyahu group”
Perhaps foreknowledge of the latest investigation explains (not excuses) Lindsey Graham’s uncustomary use of the F-bomb recently, and even his twitter hint about voting for Trump.
Gale-force wind shifts in D.C. have been Graham’s only compass. He is neither conservate (as Brad has referred to him before), nor liberal. Graham is more rudderless than moderate, more arrogant than principled.
This investigation will only lead a few more congressional wimps to self identify. Are we tired of the State Dept.’s e-mail dramas yet? John Kerry must be having another fit.