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[Ampersand]

The War Powers act that requires constitutional consent was passed under the Nixon administration, and was promptly ignored by every President since, on the grounds that it is not believed to be constitutional. That is, the Constitution outlines the Commander and Chief as the sole authority over the military, not the congress, and that any requirement for the president to ask the Congress for permission would require an amendment to the constitution.

That said, I am of the opinion that this action was necessary. If we are to be the shining beacon of freedom in the world, we cannot sit idly by as insane dictators slaughter their people. No thing in the world is black and white, definable along a left-right divide. The fact that this matter is being turned into one is massively disappointing, particularly after the media, a variety of congressmen and women, the United Nations, the Libyan people, and according to at least one poll 70 percent of Americans, are in favor of, or have pressed the administration for intervention.

Particularly shocking to me is the sudden whiplash like shift in tone on CNN, where for the past several weeks they've been broadcasting nothing, but calls for intervention, and tearful phone calls with Libyan people asking for intervention, only to turn around and question if we should be intervening when we finally do.

[GlyphGryph]

I was actually surprised by the turn-around listening to NPR this morning as well.

I feel like a lot of people are afraid though, that we've done too little, too late, in the wrong way, and we're dead set on compounding our errors.

I'm not entirely sure I disagree.

[RedKing]

I'm surprised too. Saw a recent public opinion poll that showed only 1 in 3 Britons supporting the no-fly zone, with something like 43% opposed. I could have sworn that just a few weeks ago, the vast majority of the Western world was in support. The media doesn't surprise me as much. They're jackals, always looking for a way to sensationalize a story and give the impression that they're asking the tough questions and/or imparting some kind of hidden wisdom.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away....or DOES it? New information you'll be shocked to learn! Tonight at 11."

"Is eating and drinking water regularly REALLY a good idea? Find out after these messages."

"The media: Are they too critical? We take a hard look, coming up later in the program."

[GlyphGryph]

Hmm, also, apparently this was perfectly acceptable since congress DID ratify the action 66 years ago when they agreed to abide by the decisions of the Security Council. It's all perfectly legal and on the up and up.

Ah well, forget my protestations, the Republicans are assholes. Why hasn't the news mentioned this in the reporting?

[Ampersand]

Because you unfairly expect fairness from an unfair system.

[Criptfeind]

Why hasn't the news mentioned this in the reporting?

Hah hah hah hah hah hah?

[Bouchart]

Does anyone see the irony in a Nobel Peace Prize recipient racing off to bomb Libya?

[Phmcw]

Lybyan protesting against Russia and China for opposing airstrike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEQLj3zQSdE&feature=player_embedded
In the city of mistata and in the city of Zintan.

[Nadaka]

Does anyone see the irony in a Nobel Peace Prize recipient racing off to bomb Libya?

No more so than the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize endorsing the torturing of prisoners in Guantanamo.

What is more ironic is giving a nobel peace prize to a man whose only act on a national or world scale was keeping John McCain out of the white house.

And he didn't exactly race off to bomb libya, he took his damn time, probably too much time.

And wasn't willing to endorse the UN/NATO process until after France and England did.

[PTTG??]

Does anyone see the irony in a Nobel Peace Prize recipient racing off to bomb Libya?

Kissingger also won it, and he gave orders to bomb Cambodia.

Can we please make up our minds as to if the US should or should not be the policemen of the world? For the weeks leading up to this, all I heard was "where's the US? Why won't they help?" and now all I hear is "how dare the US involve itself in foreign countries' domestic issues!"

At least this time we have UN backing...

[Sowelu]

"Where's the US?" was coming mostly from the rebels.  "How dare the US" is coming mostly from within our own country.

[Virex]

Does anyone see the irony in a Nobel Peace Prize recipient racing off to bomb Libya?

Yeah somehow the sequence of events seems messed up here

[Ampersand]

I'd hardly call what is happening in Libya a war. We are at war with Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya in the same way we are at war on Poverty, Cancer, and AIDS.

World War 1 was a War. World War 2 was a War. States in direct conflict with other states, both actively attempting to destroy each other. Iraq and Libya are international policing measures, Afghanistan, a nation building effort to put down an a violent non-governmental organization.

The International community put a line in the sand and Khadaffi crossed it twice. We are called to action on moral grounds, on legal grounds, on principle.

[Sowelu]

Yeah...people do complain about us being the world's policemen, but sometimes you just plain need a cop and are glad to have one around.

(Mind you, police usually have someone else helping to foot the bill)

[olemars]

I wonder what crawled into Germany's pants. They're so worried about getting pulled into any kind of action related to Libya that they're recalling all german military vessels and air crew they have in the mediterranean.

I know they've got some... bad memories about Libya but this is almost neurotic.

Instead it seems like bastion of neutrality, Sweden, is ready to contribute a squadron of JAS Gripen.