Gaddafi Is No Simon Bolivar

Image via WikipediaIt takes a Hugo Chavez to dishonor the original Latin American hero Simon Bolivar. And he can do that. It's called free speech.

Christian Science Monitor: Obama to Pentagon: Give me a list of options to protect Libyans: including a no-fly zone over the country ..... any US action would be undertaken in concert with US allies and partners..... watching for a “trigger” of an eventual aerial campaign by Qaddafi against a rebelling population ...... such a step would essentially require the US to launch an air war on Libya to take out the country’s air-defense systems...... the president said one reason Egyptians are so “enthusiastic" about the new direction their country is taking is that it is the result of the people’s efforts and not something imposed from outside. ..... too much international intervention in Libya could rob the Libyans of that sentiment. ...... the ICC will proceed with a formal investigation of Qaddafi and his inner circle, including some of his sons, for “crimes against humanity” that may have been committed in the violence against Libyan civilians.

Gaddafi is no Bolivar, but the best option for now seems to be for Gaddafi to go to Venezuela to live in exile for the rest of his days. If Hugo Chavez likes Gaddafi, he can have him.

New York Times: Qaddafi Said to Accept Venezuelan Offer for Help: confusion emerged after Colonel Qaddafi’s own son reportedly rejected Mr. Chávez’s plan. ...... d the Arab League had also expressed interest. ..... during his army days Mr. Chávez studied Colonel Qaddafi’s “Green Book,” a collection of the Libyan leader’s thinking on an alternative to capitalism first published in the 1970s. ..... In 2009, Mr. Chávez received the Libyan leader here in Caracas, giving him a replica of the sword of Simón Bolívar, the Venezuelan aristocrat who led South American independence wars in the 19th century. That gesture came five years after Libya awarded Mr. Chávez its annual Qaddafi International Prize for Human Rights. ...... Venezuela, along with two leftist allies in the region, Cuba and Nicaragua, were isolating themselves by refusing to condemn recent violence carried out by Colonel Qaddafi’s forces.

Gaddafi should go into exile. That is the least tumultuous path for all parties concerned.

The Guardian: Gaddafi is in dire need of help from his old comrade Hugo Chávez: Hugo Chávez has said: 'What Simón Bolívar is to the Venezuelan people, Gaddafi is to the Libyan people. ....... Muammar Gaddafi and Hugo Chávez are old comrades in the struggle against imperialism and American hegemony. But the Libyan leader has probably never before been in such dire need of solidarity and help from his Venezuelan friend. ...... revolutionary political views, a shared reputation for eccentricity, membership of the oil-producing cartel Opec, exchanges of extravagant gifts – and a near-unlimited capacity for generating controversy at home and abroad. ....... the first sign of a diplomatic exit from the impasse. ..... alongside Chávez were Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan – wanted for war crimes in Darfur. ..... They also proposed the establishment of a South Atlantic treaty organization to rival US-dominated Nato. ..... a medal called Orden del Libertador, Venezuela's highest civilian decoration. He reciprocated by giving Chávez a set of handmade silver armour. ..... Gaddafi was a colonel in 1969 when he and his fellow "free officers" seized power from the western-backed King Idris. Chávez, a former paratroop lieutenant colonel, staged a failed coup in 1992. ...... the Venezuelan received the Gaddafi International Human Rights Prize from prize-committee member Daniel Ortega, the ex-president of Nicaragua, and dedicated part of it to their common friend Yasser Arafat ...... In 2006, Libya named a new 11,000-seat soccer stadium after Chávez near Benghazi ..... speculation that Gaddafi might go into exile in Venezuela.

No Fly Zone Or Surgical Strikes
If Gaddafi Is Not President, It Should Be Easier For Him To Leave
Sound Military Options
Nicaragua, Ortega On The Radar
Make Surgical Strikes, Take The Guy Out
Kick Ortega Out
The Fuck With Mugabe
The Chinese Communist Party Can Keep The Power If They Agree To Pluralism, Federalism
This Is Also About Women's Rights
The Saudi King Is No Exception, He Has To Go Too
Democracy: An Israeli Plot?
China: 2 PM, Sunday
Bomb Gaddafi's Tent
Khameini, Gaddafi, Caecescu
Et Tu, China?
When They Open Fire
Iran: Brute Force Does Have An Answer
Iran, Bahrain and Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia
Arab Democracy: What The US Needs To Do: Stay Deeply Engaged
Arab Dictators Are Shaking
Egypt: A Revolution, Not A Reform Movement
How Many People Could Mubarak Kill?
Arab Dictators Will Fall Like A House Of Cards

Related articles

• Hugo Chavez Says Qaddafi Has Agreed To His Peace Proposal (businessinsider.com)
• Hugo Chavez Plan a No Go for Rebels (pamil-visions.net)
• Chávez proposes 'committee of peace' to mediate between west and Gaddafi (guardian.co.uk)
• Chavez Says U.S. Is Preparing An Invasion Of Libya (huffingtonpost.com)
• One media's straw man is another gullible's truth (redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com)
• The anti-imperialism of idiots: Libya and Egypt (antigerman.wordpress.com)
• NEW WIKILEAKS: 'Internecine Warfare' Between Qaddafi's Children Is Escalating (businessinsider.com)
• Venezuela: Chavez discusses mediation with Gadhafi (foxnews.com)
• Factbox: Venezuelan and Libyan leaders' friendship and gifts (reuters.com)
• Chavez refuses to condemn "friend" Qaddafi (cbsnews.com)

No Fly Zone Or Surgical Strikes

Image via WikipediaA no fly zone would be big and complicated. Surgical strikes would be swift and momentary. The goal would be to decapitate the regime.

When law enforcement shoots down a criminal with a track record of violence, with a propensity to violence, in an act of criminal violence, is that a violent act? Or is that law enforcement?

When crimes against humanity are being committed, you don't just wait and watch. You take action. You take all kinds of action, you keep open the military options. And surgical strikes would be a game changer.

The Libyans who have taken the rest of the country will take over Tripoli as well. They will do it themselves. But a little help can go a long way. The threat of surgical strikes has to be maintained by NATO. The idea is to make Gaddafi think twice before he unleashes brutality upon peacefully protesting people. That would be all. The Libyan people will complete the revolution themselves.

If Gaddafi Is Not President, It Should Be Easier For Him To Leave
Sound Military Options
Nicaragua, Ortega On The Radar
Make Surgical Strikes, Take The Guy Out
Kick Ortega Out
The Fuck With Mugabe
The Chinese Communist Party Can Keep The Power If They Agree To Pluralism, Federalism
This Is Also About Women's Rights
The Saudi King Is No Exception, He Has To Go Too
Democracy: An Israeli Plot?
China: 2 PM, Sunday
Bomb Gaddafi's Tent
Khameini, Gaddafi, Caecescu
Et Tu, China?
When They Open Fire
Iran: Brute Force Does Have An Answer
Iran, Bahrain and Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia
Arab Democracy: What The US Needs To Do: Stay Deeply Engaged
Arab Dictators Are Shaking
Egypt: A Revolution, Not A Reform Movement
How Many People Could Mubarak Kill?
Arab Dictators Will Fall Like A House Of Cards

Related articles

• You: As Gaddafi holds on, Libyan opposition considers next move (washingtonpost.com)
• As Gaddafi holds on, some Libyans seek foreign intervention - Washington Post (news.google.com)
• Libyan rebels call for foreign military help - Sydney Morning Herald (news.google.com)
• Gaddafi warns "thousands of Libyans will die" if NATO or UN intervenes (hotair.com)
• Libya: Gaddafi warns 'thousands will die' (telegraph.co.uk)
• "LIBYA: Pro-Gaddafi Forces Go on the Offensive, Retaking Strategic Towns and Oil Facilities near Tripoli... then Turn East" and related posts (reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com)
• Libya crisis: Gaddafi unleashes warplanes to bomb his own cities (dailymail.co.uk)
• Libya: Gaddafi rebels celebrate victory after fending off six-sided attack on Zawyia (dailymail.co.uk)
• Texting from the Front: On Scene in Libya's Civil War (time.com)

If Gaddafi Is Not President, It Should Be Easier For Him To Leave

Image via WikipediaGaddafi has been responding to Barack's call for his resignation by saying he is not president, what office is he to resign from? Good, if you don't hold a political office, it should be easier for you to leave the country. Don't resign. Just leave.

You have committed crimes against humanity. If you are not president, chances are you are a warlord. Maybe you pretend to be some kind of a tribal leader. Whatever it is that you are, you need to get out of there. Leave the country.

The country wants to turn itself into a modern democracy. The country wants to get itself a proper constitution. The country wants to elect itself a proper president. You just leave. There are people waiting to greet you in The Hague.

Related articles

• >Libya Protests: Obama Says Muammar Gaddafi Must 'Leave Now' (dmaaacc502.wordpress.com)
• "Muammar Gaddafi is not a president to resign, he does not even have a parliament to dissolve ... [I..." (shortformblog.tumblr.com)
• US says Gaddafi is 'delusional' and unfit to lead (guardian.co.uk)
• Factbox: Western leaders call for Libya's Gaddafi to go (reuters.com)
• US says Gaddafi is 'delusional' and unfit to lead - The Guardian (news.google.com)
• Exile an option for Gaddafi, White House says (reuters.com)
• US, UN, UK, EU freeze Gaddafi's assets - Tehran Times (news.google.com)
• "Time to Leave, Obama tells Gaddafi" and related posts (defence.pk)
• Muammar Gaddafi Resign His Presidency? (socyberty.com)
• Gaddafi says Libyans "love me" (reuters.com)

Sound Military Options
Nicaragua, Ortega On The Radar
Make Surgical Strikes, Take The Guy Out
Kick Ortega Out
The Fuck With Mugabe
The Chinese Communist Party Can Keep The Power If They Agree To Pluralism, Federalism
This Is Also About Women's Rights
The Saudi King Is No Exception, He Has To Go Too
Democracy: An Israeli Plot?
China: 2 PM, Sunday
Bomb Gaddafi's Tent
Khameini, Gaddafi, Caecescu
Et Tu, China?
When They Open Fire
Iran: Brute Force Does Have An Answer
Iran, Bahrain and Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia
Arab Democracy: What The US Needs To Do: Stay Deeply Engaged
Arab Dictators Are Shaking
Egypt: A Revolution, Not A Reform Movement
How Many People Could Mubarak Kill?
Arab Dictators Will Fall Like A House Of Cards

Sound Military Options

Image via Wikipedia

Times Of India: US flexes muscle, sends warships to Libya: The United States began moving warships toward Libya and froze $30 billion in the country's assets as the administration declared all options on the table in its diplomatic, economic and military campaign to drive colonel Muammar Gaddafi from power. ...... conferring with allies about imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. Such a move would likely be carried out only under a mandate from the UN or Nato, but Hillary's blunt confirmation that it was under consideration was clearly intended to ratchet up the pressure on Gaddafi and his dwindling band of loyalists...... USS Kearsarge had left the Red Sea to transit through Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, close to Libya. USS Kearsarge has armed helicopters and harrier jets on board as well as around 700 Marines ..... USS Enterprise had also been kept on 'high standby alert' in the Red Sea ...... A no-fly zone would require removing "the air defense capability first" ..... Anti-regime leaders said they have formed a military council in Benghazi, which has become the hub of efforts to topple Gaddafi. The council, comprising officers who joined protesters, will liaise with similar groups in other freed cities but it was not clear if there were plans for a regional command.

For America to send ground troops into Libyan territory would be a huge mistake. For one, America can't afford it. Two, I doubt the UN would authorize such a move. Three, that would send a very bad signal. It is for people power to oust dictators, that is not the job of the US military.

I have never advocated that the US send ground troops into Libya.

Nicaragua, Ortega On The Radar

Image via WikipediaKick Ortega Out

Time: Mideast Unrest Spreads to Nicaragua — Virtually: Under the banner "We Will Not Remain Quiet: No More Reelection," some 16,000 Nicaraguan youth activists joined forces Friday to protest the reelection bid by President Daniel Ortega. ...... "Down with Mubarak, Gaddafi, and Ortega!" ...... Ortega, who admitted to receiving personal financing from the Libyan leader before returning to office in 2007, has publicly offered Nicaragua's "total solidarity" to his longtime ally Muammar Gaddafi ..... Last year, Ortega was awarded the Muammar al-Gaddafi International Award for Human Rights. ..... Facebook demonstration ..... a society where social networking websites are becoming increasingly widespread and influential. ...... the virtual march was one of total rejection and repudiation of the candidacy of Daniel Ortega, which is illegal and illegitimate. ....... the only place young people feel they can demonstrate safely against Ortega is in cyberspace..... "Every time a protest march is organized, the Sandinistas call for a countermarch that ends in violence." ...... Baez started the initiative with invitations to 500 of his Facebook friends. It quickly went viral, growing to more than 100,000 invites ....... Nicaragua now has 3G technology in corners of the country that don't even have roads, electricity or running water

Image via Wikipedia

Related articles

• Mideast Unrest Spreads to Nicaragua - Virtually (time.com)
• Nicaragua prez call Gaddafi to expresses support (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• David Harris: Dear President Chavez, Prime Minister Erdogan, President Morales, and President Ortega (huffingtonpost.com)
• Dictators Unite! Castro and Ortega back Muammar Qaddafi (ironmill.wordpress.com)
• Venezuela's Chavez gives lukewarm backing to Gaddafi (reuters.com)
• Why Daniel Ortega Will Go On Ruling Nicaragua (time.com)

Make Surgical Strikes, Take The Guy Out

Image via WikipediaEconomic sanctions would be stupid. This butcher has declared war on his own people. Don't declare war on Libya, economic, military or otherwise. Make a few surgical strikes and take the guy out. Decapitate the regime and the game is over. You know where he is.

That would fit the definition of nonviolence. Violence is to stand by and watch as this guy sends warships and gunships to shoot at crowds like they were shooting at dogs. The guy crossed the line about a week ago.

Take the guy out. This game will be over within an hour of this guy's departure.

He has already killed 1,000 people. He will kill a few thousand more. There is no point at which he will say enough. Because vacating the throne or leaving the country are not options for him. He has already made up his mind to commit suicide.

End the game. Enough. It is getting uglier by the day.

A regime has the option to not accept the demand of peaceful protesters. But it does not have the option to unleash animal brutality upon peaceful protesters. A regime that viciously attacks peaceful demonstrators has no claim to sovereignty upon the land it might be laying a claim on.

Gaddafi is illegitimate. He does not rule any country. He is a mad dog. Take him out. If you don't take him out, you are being violent upon the peaceful people of Libya. The first 1,000 deaths might be on Gaddafi's hand, but the second thousand deaths will be on your hand. Don't wait no more. Take him out. You know where he is. Make the surgical strikes.

This guy will not stop on his own. Just like a mad dog has to be put to sleep, this guy has to be put to sleep. That fits the definition of non-violence.

Kick Ortega Out
The Fuck With Mugabe
The Chinese Communist Party Can Keep The Power If They Agree To Pluralism, Federalism
This Is Also About Women's Rights
The Saudi King Is No Exception, He Has To Go Too
Democracy: An Israeli Plot?
China: 2 PM, Sunday
Bomb Gaddafi's Tent
Khameini, Gaddafi, Caecescu
Et Tu, China?
When They Open Fire
Iran: Brute Force Does Have An Answer
Iran, Bahrain and Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia
Arab Democracy: What The US Needs To Do: Stay Deeply Engaged
Arab Dictators Are Shaking
Egypt: A Revolution, Not A Reform Movement
How Many People Could Mubarak Kill?
Arab Dictators Will Fall Like A House Of Cards

Related articles

• Bomb Gaddafi's Tent (democracyforum.blogspot.com)
• Latest in Libya: Gaddafi forces Military Men to strike back at Libya Unrest (genzpad.com)
• Libya: Gaddafi's Last Stand (time.com)
• Liberated from Gaddafi, Eastern Libya Looks to the Future (time.com)
• Khameini, Gaddafi, Caecescu (democracyforum.blogspot.com)
• Libya: Who is propping up Gaddafi? - BBC News (news.google.com)
• Gaddafi's speech: the highlights (newstatesman.com)
• "Libya unrest: Gaddafi strikes back as rebels close in on Tripoli" and related posts (defence.pk)
• You: Some now question U.S. deal that brought Gaddafi back into diplomatic fold (washingtonpost.com)
• Some now question US deal that brought Gaddafi back into diplomatic fold - Washington Post (news.google.com)

Kick Ortega Out

Image via WikipediaThis revolution for democracy that started in the Arab world has to push out every single dictator in the region, but the fire also has to go to China, to black Africa, to Russia, and now looks like to Latin America as well.

The rats are coming out of their holes. Let them come out. One after another.

2011 is the year for democracy. 2011 has the option to become the biggest year for democracy the world ever saw. We have to make it happen. 2011 could end up being that year, which when it ended, there was not a single autocrat left anywhere. That can happen. But that will not happen on its own. We have to make it happen. And by we I mean people everywhere have to pitch in.

Kick Ortega out too. If he is with Gaddafi, he is not with us. We don't need him. Get out into the streets. Kick this guy out. We have no need for him.

Washington Post: Nicaragua prez call Gaddafi to expresses support Nicaragua's leftist President Daniel Ortega says he has telephoned Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to express his solidarity. .... Ortega says he has called several times this week because Gadhafi "is again waging a great battle" to defend the unity of his nation. ..... Human rights groups say more than 200 people have died as Libyan security forces crack down on protesters

The Straits Times: Gaddafi Latin American allies show solidarity, caution Gaddafi has responded over the years by awarding the Muammar Gaddafi International Human Rights Prize to Castro, Ortega, Chavez and Evo Morales of Bolivia.

The Fuck With Mugabe
The Chinese Communist Party Can Keep The Power If They Agree To Pluralism, Federalism
This Is Also About Women's Rights
The Saudi King Is No Exception, He Has To Go Too
Democracy: An Israeli Plot?
China: 2 PM, Sunday
Bomb Gaddafi's Tent
Khameini, Gaddafi, Caecescu
Et Tu, China?
When They Open Fire
Iran: Brute Force Does Have An Answer
Iran, Bahrain and Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia
Arab Democracy: What The US Needs To Do: Stay Deeply Engaged
Arab Dictators Are Shaking
Egypt: A Revolution, Not A Reform Movement
How Many People Could Mubarak Kill?
Arab Dictators Will Fall Like A House Of Cards

Image by Presidencia de la República del Ecuador via Flickr

Related articles

• Nicaragua prez call Gaddafi to expresses support (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Nicaragua prez call Gaddafi to expresses support (sfgate.com)
• Dictators Unite! Castro and Ortega back Muammar Qaddafi (ironmill.wordpress.com)
• Gadhafi's LatAm allies show solidarity, caution (sfgate.com)
• Libya, Day 9: "My Heart Is Burning With Sorrow" (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
• Fidel Castro says US plans NATO invasion of Libya (dailycaller.com)
• Fidel Castro says US plans NATO invasion of Libya (foxnews.com)
• Fidel Castro says US plans NATO invasion of Libya (salon.com)
• Castro: unrest in Libya pretext for NATO invasion (cbsnews.com)
• Mass Exodus of Foreigners from Libya as Gaddafi Threatens Crackdown (themoderatevoice.com)