Unarmed people power drums Libya's jihadists out of Benghazi

[Pooky 3,786]

I agree - we need to butt out of meddling with their governments. The constant interference of the West is what's gotten us to this point, and all the tax money we spent only benefited private interests while hurting American interests. Let people determine their own governments and their own ways of life. The U.S. can do business and make friends, maybe donate some aid money for health or education etc. if it feels like it, but other than that, butt the hell out. The U.S. government is out of line using taxpayer dollars to try to run their countries (especially when it can't even run our own country properly.) Once it butts out, the international esteem and good will for the U.S. will soon return to what it once was, before the U.S. government started trying to impose its will on everyone else by hook or by crook.

Only it won't happen that way. Before the US started supporting the various Arab Middle East states (including Egypt and Libya), these states received their support, especially their military support, from the Soviet Union.

Syria still has close ties to Russia, but now also to China. Strategically, the US is unwilling to allow China to increase its global political and military influence such that it begins to exert pressure on friendly nations that matter.

China already has involvement in Iran and Pakistan. The shenanigans in the South China Sea are just a forewarning that the PRC are ready to begin flexing their muscles. With The Assad regime in trouble in Syria, and no guarantee that it will survive, or that what might replace it will be as friendly, China would jump at the chance of replacing the US as benefactor/sugar daddy to the nascent Middle East democracies, especially if they have oil.

And if you thought the US lacked the occasional moral scruple about where the money ended up, then you don't even want to imagine how the Chinese will make sure things go the way they want.

Closing out US involvement abroad may have popular support here, but can the US afford to leave an influence vacuum in its wake, for any nation with money to fill?

[mawilson 2,133]

"we love American people, we love your democracy, we love your freedoms, we love your music. It's your government that we don't like."

I'm not thrilled about it either.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I'm not thrilled about it either.