After the sabre rattling comes the hardware. When will we ever learn. I understand the humanitarian arguments for helping the besieged population in Libya. But how many times have western countries jumped into a conflict for seemingly the best of reasons and then crept out with their tail between their legs.
The weaponry available to the world community today is awesome, with long distance cruise missiles and pinpoint accuracy bombing. In recent conflicts the media have portrayed war almost as an arcade game. It's easy from the comfort of a living room, in front of an HD TV, to forget that the occupants of the tanks and personnel carriers soon to be left burning in the deserts of Libya are some mothers son or daughter.
Machiavelli recommended that war abroad brought peace at home. It should give people pause for thought that with so many troubles at home why pick a fight abroad? It's not as if there aren't plenty of other places where the same humanitarian arguments apply. Or is it that oil supplies are greasing the wheels of war? When war rolls it is usually downhill all the way. Peace be with you, eventually.
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