No More War

The strikes against Libya might seem like a noble endeavor taken up by the United States and its allies to aid freedom-seeking rebels determined to rid themselves from the shackles of Gaddafi's authoritarianism. But the consequences will be detrimental to Libya and its people.

In the short term, the strikes have effectively pushed fence sitters into Gaddafi's camp. The West truly is invading. Gaddafi's decades-long claims that he was a pillar against the West's neo-imperialist interests are coming true. He has instantly gained credibility.

Should the U.S. enable regime change to occur, the prospects of a peace in a post-Gaddafi Libya has been compromised. No longer can the Libyan rebels claim that they own the overthrow of Gaddafi. Gaddafi's ouster wouldn't be determined by the will of the people, but would be precipitated by the West's invasion. Thus, should the rebel leaders take over, their legitimacy would be seriously compromised. As a result, Libya is likely to see violence in order to control its oil reserves for many years to come.

But the ill-advised war in Libya is not the only error the U.S. government committed this week. The House rejected a vote to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year instead of starting the withdrawal in 2014 (H. Con. Res. 28). In fact, only 93 representatives voted to end the war, which remains a pointless stalemate.