jenny erikson
Jenny EriksonHere’s the thing about humans: We’re not necessarily good people. In fact some pretty evil Homo sapiens have walked the planet over the years. Did anyone see The Last King of Scotland? That Idi Amin guy was not exactly good for the Ugandans. Other super bad dudes have included Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Attila the Hun. 

Because I’m an equal opportunist, I feel compelled to also add Jezebel, Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and Andrea Yates to the list. It’s apparent that evil comes packaged in either gender.

There’s been an evil dude in power in Libya for more than 41 years. Muammar Gaddafi has been the totalitarian ruler of the middle-eastern state since a military overthrow in 1969. Life is not kind to the average citizen under Gaddafi’s rule (it never usually is when one lives under a dictatorship), and recently Libyans have protested the oppressive government regime.

Gaddafi’s response was to call the protesters “cockroaches” and claim they were “serving the devil.” Oh, and he had his minions kill anyone they found opposing him. After the funeral service for those massacred by Gaddafi, the tyrant ordered his peeps to use artillery, swords, or even hammers to attack the mourners. In other words: Crush any and all dissent.

Not cool, evil dictator dude, not cool.

The United Nations warned Gaddafi to stop the attacks on the civilians, or else military action would be taken. Like the predictable oppressor he is, Gaddafi did not stop killing his people. So last Saturday we joined in with our European allies and Arab partners and bombed some strategic military sites in an operation dubbed Odyssey Dawn.

On Monday, President Obama sent a letter to Congress explaining his actions. It pretty much sums up the above, but with more legalese and no Last King of Scotland references. He concludes:

For these purposes, I have directed these actions, which are in the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.

I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution. I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action. 

It sounds amazingly similar to what President Bush said exactly eight years ago as he authorized strikes on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. An evil dictator exploits and massacres civilians, and force is needed to remove the threat and restore control of the country to its people.

What do you think: Is the U.S. going to war?