Thursday, March 31, 2011

Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - 10 blunders and miscalculations of Laurent Gbagbo of ivory Coast

concerning gloria's points on why the action on libya occurred, i find
there is a large distinction that should be made and isn't. gloria calls
her points "reasons," as though they explained why the decision had been
made. they are considerations, points that any policy maker might
debate. no doubt anyone could draw up another list of 10 considerations
for not intervening. a "reason" is the factor that determined the
decision, not a consideration that might have been debated and rejected.
for instance, the "reasons" she cites are all cynical realpolitik, as
though those were the only reasons why any political decision is made:
what if stopping a slaughter were a reason. what if unseating a
tyrannical and dangerous regime and potentially having it replaced by a
progressive democratic regime were a reason.
have you read samantha power's book on America in an Age of Genocide.
Read it and tell me that the above considerations couldn't have been
factors.
lastly, no one has responded to my argument that taking control of
libyan oil is not a rational issue. if gaddafi chose to punish a country
by not selling them his oil, that would just open up a space for another
seller. the oil pool is part of an international market, and no one can
control the overall flow to individual countries. to make this clearer:
if libyan oil were not to go to country x, but were shifted to country
y, then then oil that would have gone to country y would just go to
country x.
the only politics that can be worked around oil is to impede the overall
flow; and when it is reduced by one oil producing country sufficiently,
it is increased by all the others.
ken

On 3/31/11 12:56 AM, Emeagwali, Gloria (History) wrote:
> 1. Building his political platform around a narrow, xenophobic,
>
> ethnic- based constituency incapable of meaningful coalition building;
>
>
>
> 2. Underestimating the wide support of Alassane Ouattara - and the impact of
> his electoral campaign on various regions of Cote d'Ivoire across ethnic and
> religious boundaries;
>
> 3. Underestimating the shrewdness, commitment and military capability and
>
> determination of Soros Guillaume and the New Forces;
>
> 4. Biting the hand that saved him from defeat in 2002- France;
>
> 5. Undermining his support from women by his assassination of
> unarmed female protesters;
>
> 6. Transforming university students into paid thugs and indisciplined gangsters-
> and giving encouragement to his wife's band of assassins and
>
> Duvalier style 'tonton macoute';
>
> 7. Undermining regional support by xenophobic and genocidal
>
> campaigns against West Africans from at least six countries;
>
>
>
> 8. Recklessly destroying the political capital accumulated in his
>
> early days - when he seemed to be an anti-colonial pan Africanist;
>
>
>
> 9. Associating himself with fanatic rabble rousers such as the
>
> so-called young patriots - who started to believe their own
>
> genocidal and irrational, xenophobic rhetoric;
>
>
>
> 10. Utilizing the services of indisciplined mercenaries committed to
>
> CharlesTaylor -style mayhem, rape and murder.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dr. Gloria Emeagwali
> www.africahistory.net
> www.esnips.com/web/GloriaEmeagwali
> ________________________________________
> From: Emeagwali, Gloria (History)
> Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2011 11:21 PM
> To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com; nigerianid@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Why Libya?
>
> Ten reasons why.....
>
> 1. To divert attention from the unrest in Bahrain, Yemen and potentially Saudi Arabia - and complicate
> the possibilities for military assistance to the pro-democracy forces there.Omogui's article is fantastic on this issue.
>
> 2. To facilitate access to oil in the post Gadhafi era- from the oil wells of grateful Benghazi -
> given the rising demand from China and Japan and Germany, poised to abandon nuclear power.
>
> 3. To divert attention from the high unemployment, inflation and massive economic crisis in the West compounded by the
> temporary demise of Japan, the major supplier of electronics parts etc for the auto and computer related industries.
>
> 4. To replenish and fuel the military industrial complex with its voracious appetite for new wars.
>
> 5. To advertise the new generation of fighter jets, tomahawk cruise missiles etc for sale. Note the clear sales pitch in
> CNN and other media reporting..
>
> 6. Gadhafi's consistent hostility towards the State of Israel, the major ally of the West.
>
> 7. War -making helps to beef up the portfolio of American presidential aspirants and incumbents.
> (Not necessarily the case in Sarkhozy's France?)
>
> 8. Hillary Clinton is thinking about her illusionary Bosnia war escapade and wants a real war.
>
> 9. The total idiocy, lack of foresight and inflexible stubbornness of Muammar Gadhafi and his heir apparent-
> determined to stay in power at all costs.
>
> 10. The Iraq war started on March 19, 2003. Today is March 19.
>
>
> Dr. Gloria Emeagwali
> www.africahistory.net
> www.esnips.com/web/GloriaEmeagwali
>
>
>
>

--
kenneth w. harrow
distinguished professor of english
michigan state university
department of english
east lansing, mi 48824-1036
ph. 517 803 8839
harrow@msu.edu

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