Quote Originally Posted by The Mad Arab View Post
I'm not even talking about backing the protesters, but about at least condemning the murderers. Gaddafi is a criminal that ought to be judged in The Hague. Besides, Iran is an entirely different country with a different history. But for the record, there are very few citizens interested in another theocracy in their country. The chance that another Iran would be born is very slim.

And yet again, it all comes down on "but Islamists!". That's besides the point. If we truly, truly believe in democracy there ought to be some strong statements about what Gaddafi is doing, to hell with the consequences. There are principles we stand for here.
Man, I feel you. I wish we could just lock down the area to stop mercs from coming in, dropping supplies, food, maybe guns and ammo in protester controlled towns and hauling everyone in that government off to be tried in The Hauge.

I feel like I should go with you on this, you are probably one of the most knowledgeable people here about the arab world so I don't doubt you when you say that the public doesn't want a theocracy. But no one wants a budget deficit, and yet that's what we have because we keep electing people that ultimately just go down that path.

That last sentence of yours isn't so black and white. If you can get a democracy by just staying out of it or possibly ruining the democracy by going on a PR spree of "Libya loves democracy and American values of freedom!" I mean, you gotta make a choice and it isn't so clear. Our principles are freedom, liberty and democratic forms of government, you can easily say that the important thing is that those principles at the end of the day (year?) have been implemented or planted, ready to grow. Not that we said publicly we stand for them.

I enjoy your passion and your statements considering I dislike everyone who dismisses any sort of arab movement as the next opportunity for taliban 2.0. But we can't dismiss the fact that the threats are real. If you are really disconnected from the human aspect of revolutions, you can make the claim that any real revolution against tyranny has to be paid for with the public's blood. Cue someone bringing up the American revolution and that Thomas Jefferson quote about the blood of patriots.