Rethinking U.S. Foreign Policy

[Minor Axis]

Can Buy Me Love- Newsweek.

The story of how Gaddafi bought his way out of the International doghouse by buying those eager for his oil. And guess who was El Presidente at the time?

It was a deal none of them could resist. Libya’s oilfields would be fully opened up to the West, and U.S. and European banks and corporations could resume tapping the country’s revenue stream. And Gaddafi would publicly renounce his putative nuclear-development program (much of which had never even been uncrated). Having invaded Iraq in search of nonexistent weapons of mass destruction, the Bush administration could claim that in Libya, at least, its efforts were bearing fruit. The plan seemed to have something for everyone—everyone, it eventually turned out, except the Libyan people.

 

[Zorak]

Not entirely true.

Libya has one of the best education systems in the undeveloped world, but because of the economic sanctions - many Libyan's were leaving university to find they had no job.

This was not a case of gadaffi "buying" the west. He relented and appeased the west, and as a result, stopped his country sliding into bankruptcy and offered a lifeline to his people.

 

[Minor Axis]

That is one way to look at it. My emphasis was on the West's foreign policy. How about that- good, bad, undecided?

 

[Zorak]

That is one way to look at it. My emphasis was on the West's foreign policy. How about that- good, bad, undecided?

I think in that case, the Gadaffi situation was dealt with in a non-violent manner that ended up helping us, helping Gadaffi, and helping the common Libyan.