Juan Cole vs. Vijay Prashad: A Debate on U.S. Military Intervention in Libya. Part 1 of 2

DemocracyNow.org -
As President Obama defends the U.S.-led military attacks on Libya, Democracy Now! host a debate between Juan Cole and Vijay Prashad.

Watch Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvrfaBZ7VVo

University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole has just published an article titled, "An Open Letter to the Left on Libya." Cole defends the use of military force to prevent a massacre in Benghazi and to aid the Libyan rebel movement in their liberation struggle. In opposition to U.S. intervention in Libya, University of Trinity Professor Vijay Prashad warns the United States has involved itself in a decades-long internal Libyan struggle while it ignores violent crackdowns by U.S.-backed governments in Bahrain, Yemen and other countries in the region.

For the video/audio podcast, transcript, and to sign up for the daily news digest, and for today's entire show, visit http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/29/a_debate_on_us_military_intervention

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• libya
• military intervention
• no-fly zone
• Juan Cole
• Vijay Prashad
• debate
• democracy now
• amy goodman

[mmantech]

@AndrewMann552 it is sickening to behold such an intellectually bankrupt so called "left wing" here in america. i think alot of the so called "left" are secret agents of american imperialism trying to cause confusion on the genuine left.

[00Juwan00]

@AndrewMann552 East never had a monopoly on hating tyrnat 1st student hangings in 70s was in Tripoli's Fateh university then Benghazi's Garyonis. 1969 coup promised end to monarchy, but abolished constitution, parliament, political parties to build a 'revolutionary society' and in 70s some even 80s ideologues abroad cheered as Libyans struggled against cult of brutes. No intervention=revenge sprees (now in Zawya and Zwara) on larger scale. Again for most of Left ideology trumps Libyan lives.

[00Juwan00]

@AndrewMann552 'particular understanding of Libyan history' also ignores fact population only 6 million vast majority on coastline=when meet any Libyan abroad quickly find we are related. Borders esp East West vs desert South meant nothing in ottoman times. Libya was 3 federal states when man from Algeria was embraced by Libyans as leader. Modern Libya with communications + moving for uni and work=more intermariage+nation state ID.

[00Juwan00]

@AndrewMann552 his 'particular understanding of Libyan history' ignores fact rebel capital of Benghazi has population two 3rds originally form West (last few deacdes). Highest profile leader Mahmoud Jibril from a 'western tribe' as are most I see on Arabic TV. My dad's side from West, I lived there except 2 years in East, country naturally united against 42 year dictator who squandered wealth+allowed no opposition (every family has ppl who were in prison/executed, even G's cousin).

[00Juwan00]

@AndrewMann552 No thats you people, like the idiot who proudly says he identified Gaddafi as a 'reactionary' from the 80s (when he parted ways with you guys ideologically). He was the handsome revolutionary hero who funded your pet causes when he was hanging of 'reactionary' students on live TV from 1977, usually on April 7 'day of students' to commemorate 1976 crushing student uprising after his 'revolutioanry committes' overode student union vote. No wonder you share a vocabulary.

[dmolmalowski]

@AndrewMann552

I have great respect for Ms joya and i think that it is a shame what she has gone through however her views are in the minority.

The polls that i am on about have come from an org called d3 systems, other polls have come from world public opinion and the asia foundation. Oxfam have also found that afghans consider post taliban rule to be less violent than the period of taliban rule

[AndrewMann552]

@dmolmalowski Please cite your polling sources. Afghanistan's top feminist activist Malalai Joya for example, has been very vocal on how the current Afghan government is no different than the Taliban when it comes to women's rights since it's composed of warlords who are just as brutal. People living inside the affluent areas of Kabul or US military zones are certainly comfortable, but that's the extent of Karzai's control. It's like judging Iraq by living standards in the Green Zone.

[dmolmalowski]

Again the fact still holds that those two nations were better off with a US intervention than they would have been if there was none whereas iraq and vietnam would have been better off if they US didnt get militarily involved.

[dmolmalowski]

@AndrewMann552

In order to judge whether or not an intervention is right one must see if the alternative is worse or better, one does not judge an intervention by comparing it to a perfect scenario, this is childish.

The current afghan government is not as bad as the taliban, poll after poll shows that most afghans prefer their lives now than they did under the taliban, korea likewise is much better by not falling under the control of the extremist communists in the north.

[AndrewMann552]

@dmolmalowski Let's see: The US intervened in Korea and propped up a dictatorship that lasted for decades, in Afghanistan we propped up warlords who are just as bad as the Taliban...I don't see the silver lining here.