This makes no sense

[LuckyTaxi]

I don't know the whole gist of it and i hate politics as it is, but this doesnt make sense to me.
We stick our nose in other ppl's business and commit our troops to places in the middle east and stuff.
but in liberia ppl are dying due to the intense fighting and they're actually calling for our help.
yet we don't respond, but we send our military forces to the middle east.

 

[Fencer128]

Hi,

IMHO what it appears to come down to is this. It not all about oil - it's mostly about terrorism (war on terror). The US government, for what ever reason you wish to believe, attacked Iraq under the auspices of a "terrorist threat".

Liberia has so far not been labelled as a terrorist threat. That's not to say the world/US won't intervene for any number of other reasons - but as to why it's not at the top of the news agendas right now:

1. It's not a perceived terrorist threat.
2. The government hasn't told the population to "care" about it.

If the government stood up and started telling everyone how a destablised Liberia threatens our international security - all of a sudden people would be standing up and shouting for military action. The few people who know the situation and what needs to be done are too few to be heard or noticed by many citizens or prioritised to the level they need to be by the media.

It's a balancing act also, troops are committed in Iraq and elsewhere. Weigh all these reasons appropriately when deciding why nothing's been done as yet and whether/how much will be done in the future.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Fencer128
Hi,

IMHO what it appears to come down to is this. It not all about oil - it's mostly about terrorism (war on terror). The US government, for what ever reason you wish to believe, attacked Iraq under the auspices of a "terrorist threat".

Liberia has so far not been labelled as a terrorist threat. That's not to say the world/US won't intervene for any number of other reasons - but as to why it's not at the top of the news agendas right now:

1. It's not a perceived terrorist threat.
2. The government hasn't told the population to "care" about it.

If the government stood up and started telling everyone how a destablised Liberia threatens our international security - all of a sudden people would be standing up and shouting for military action. The few people who know the situation and what needs to be done are too few to be heard or noticed by many citizens or prioritised to the level they need to be by the media.

It's a balancing act also, troops are committed in Iraq and elsewhere. Weigh all these reasons appropriately when deciding why nothing's been done as yet and whether/how much will be done in the future.

Cheers,

Andy

I pretty much agree, but there is also the consideration that you cannot just drop troops into a country where two sides are actively fighting. It's like walking into a bar room brawl. Who do you fight? Who do you trust not to punch your lights out? If Iraq is a trap, then Liberia it twice that. To drop troops into the middle of civil war would be slaughter. After things settle down, yes, but now is a horrible time.

 

[Fencer128]

I pretty much agree, but there is also the consideration that you cannot just drop troops into a country where two sides are actively fighting. It's like walking into a bar room brawl. Who do you fight? Who do you trust not to punch your lights out? If Iraq is a trap, then Liberia it twice that. To drop troops into the middle of civil war would be slaughter. After things settle down, yes, but now is a horrible time.

Hi,

That's why I mentioned "other reasons". It's Hobson's choice though - becuase failure to intervene will mean both sides slaughtering a number of each other, which is what we wnat to avoid - whereas intervening means being attacked by both sides (at least in the short term) so there will be noticable casualties.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[LeadMagnet]

1: they are not a threat
2: No American instests worth protecting
3: nothing to gain

 

[Moonbeam]

It's not in PNAC.

George Bush is ready to kill the next idiot advisor that wants him to start a war.

He punched the tar baby and is stuck over in Iraq. His other arm isn't long enough and it's stuck too. As well as both feet. Plus the head-butt didn't help either.