Image courtesy of US Army Africa under CC BY 2.0
Not being a bona fide scholar of history, ancient, modern, or otherwise, I hesitate to question the quasi-conservative, intellectual giants who are running our foreign policy, as to why we are gearing up to “save” Liberia.
But I will anyway. Because, we are, you know.
If you believe that dropping 20 U.S. marines by helicopter to defend our embassy compounds in Liberia, and putting 4,200 U.S. sailors and marines within spitting distance of this defunct, war-torn land— so they’re handy for evacuating Americans, or some other mission— isn’t a prelude to something bigger, you’re being jerked around again by the Bush Brigade.
That “some other mission” part is especially suspect.
What other mission could (should) there be but evacuating American citizens from danger zones?
In Liberia, there is no peace; they’ve been fighting tribal wars for more than a decade. Besides, I could swear I heard somewhere that peacekeeping was supposed to be the U.N.’s job. Who blew that idea out of the water?
That leaves “some other mission” wide open for interpretation. After Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, it doesn’t take an Einstein brain to figure out what that “other” mission” is.
So here are six dumb questions this informationally-challenged writer would like to have answers to, before we send more American boys into more hellholes to get their asses shot off.
Question l. Why has puny, primitive, war-torn Liberia all of a sudden become so terribly important to America’s “war on terrorism” and our national security?
Sure, it’s where we sent freed slaves after the Civil War to form a country of their own, which they did, and in which they’ve been killing each other ever since. But is that justification for us getting bogged down in more foreign quicksand? If we’re out to oust dictators, we’ve got the whole world to play with. Or does Liberia have something vital to American interests that we peasants don’t know anything about?
Question 2. Why do we suddenly find it necessary to depose Liberian president Charles Taylor, who has been president of Liberia since 1997?
Except for having two U.S. embassies located in that troubled area, it seems to me that we have never given President Taylor, and the horrors of Liberia, much thought, although we must have known all along what a horrendous place it is, and what a tyrant he is.
That’s why our immediate need to get him out comes as a puzzling surprise, the reason for which I don’t understand. But I’m entitled to my suspicions.
Question 3. Why is the U.S. State Department criticizing the rebel group, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, when “democratizing” nations is what the State Dept. has our troops fighting all over the world for?
Every invasion we’ve made in countries has had the objective of deposing its despotic and corrupt leadership and installing a democracy. Never mind that we ourselves are a republic, and that America’s founders went out of their way to express their disdain, and warnings, about the shortcomings of a democracy.
That being so, it seems that “persuading” other, often tribal, countries to institute democratic rule is not doing them any big favors.
Question 4. When West African nations promise to send 1,500 troops to help stop the violence, why do most Liberians say they will be satisfied with only Americans as peacekeepers?
Given the dismal background and bloodletting history of this sad little country it’s not difficult to understand why its population might shun their own African people as “peacekeepers.” But why do they want only American troops?
One would think that the way we treated black people during the slavery years, Americans, especially American soldiers, would be the last people they would want as peacekeepers.
Question 5. Why does President Taylor refuse to resign until troops arrive; and no troops will be sent in until Taylor resigns?
Which will come first, the chicken or the egg? It’s a classic standoff between a dictator and a “rescuing” nation. My uneducated guess is that Taylor never intends to step down, and he will have to be hunted down by our troops, ala Saddam Hussein. And Taylor will be just as hard to find.
Question 6. Does our eagerness to get involved in Liberia’s internal affairs have anything to do in any way, direct or indirect, with Liberian registry of U.S. ships?
This would ordinarily be a strange question to ask but in today’s insane world no question is too bizarre to be taken lightly.
In both peace and wartime, many sovereign nations have had their ships under Liberian registry. This may, in fact, be a non-issue issue, but when massive amounts of men and equipment are moved, and ships are used, there are certain realities that make it desirable for U.S. ships to fly a Liberian flag.
But is U.S. ship registry where the maneuvering stops, or is the coming Liberian invasion part of the equation?
Stay tuned. If some answers come floating in, I’ll pass them along. Then we’ll both know.
“Published originally at EtherZone.com : republication allowed with this notice and hyperlink intact.”