Now Is The Time?

With Libya's government actually shooting at people, there have been some questions about whether the US should do something about it. Certainly a great many people on twitter and other social media sites are asking where the rest of the world is.

Libya still a pariah state; nobody really considers Libya their bestest friend. Nobody's going to bat for him. And Gaddafi is bombing the protesters from the air and bombarding them from sea; in any nation in the scope of Europe that would be unacceptable. It's an atrocity. It's something that people all over the world that they wish they could stop.

So, can the US do something about it? Short answer, yes:

( Cut for Meandering )

So why hasn't the US done anything about it yet? Well, I don't know, but I have a few ideas:

( Speculation )

Are these good reasons? I don't know. I'm wary of using US military power directly in another country's affairs, even for a good cause. But these are options we should keep on the table if things deteriorate further - you can bet others will be thinking about them too.