Originally Posted by Iconoclast
Well, derr. What did we expect. The Gaddafi regime is a regime. Our Obligation is not to support "regimes" in the first place. If we are amoral enough to sell the arms we are amoral enough to look the other way.
There is a world of difference between peddling influence and support in various diplomatic forms, and selling the awful power of WMD.
True, we may now wish that we did not sell the WMD. A mistake of the past.
But now facing the reality of use of those weapons in a massacre of a civil population we cannot escape our obligation to neutralise the weapons. Hence the no fly zone so that the weapons (aircraft) cannot be used.
The ONLY reason Libyan neighbours will get involved is to stop revolutionary contagion. Other than that no one gives a toss. It is also the ONLY reason the West is interested. We do not want any interruption for oil supplies - do we!
There is an inverse correlation between resources and morality. Understand that and you understand all of history.
I think you grossly misjudge the tens of thousands who have already fled to islands off the west coast of Italy, and to Italy itself by boats.
There is reported hundreds of thousands in transit over the Egyptian border.
These are refugees, not revolutionaries carrying contagion.
These are refugees who strain Italy and Egypt.
Contagion is simply spread by reading a newspaper these days.