Proper Use of U.S. Military Force

Background

On March 17, 2014, U.S. Navy SEALs' rescued a Libya oil tanker that had been hijacked by militia that was opposed to Libya’s government.  Their government had lost control of the major oil ports and breakaway militia was attempting to sell the ship’s oil on the black market to finance their war with the Libyan government.  Navy SEALs' were able to board, capture and disarm the three Libyans who had taken control of the ship and return the ship to Libyan government control.

Analysis

There are times when it is appropriate to use US military power to further our own agenda in the world.  These operations can be debated and usually are, either internally or in public.  For instance, our invasion of Iraq for supposedly having weapons of mass destruction is an example of this action.  If there is an honest and open discussion of options available to us, the U.S., when situations like this arise, then, hopefully, we can make informed decisions about the proper course of action to take.  In the case of the Iraq invasion, the primary reason turned out to be incorrect.  There were secondary reasons for that invasion, but with hindsight those may not be enough to have justified our actions in this case.

But there are other times when we can fill the role of “World’s Policeman” in an appropriate manner.  This case with the Libyan tanker is one of them.  It helps that the U.S. was invited into this situation by Libya and Cyprus.  Some countries are not always able to step up to conduct operations such as this one without assistance.  If an organization like the U.N. is unable or unwilling to help others, then this is a great example of when it is appropriate for the United States to step in and keep the Wild, Wild West of the World from becoming a bully paradise where stronger nations take advantage of weaker nations.

Next Step

Now for your input.  What is your take on this Libyan situation?  When do you think it is appropriate for the U.S. to use military force?  Should we act unilaterally or need an invitation first?  Thank you for your replies.

Yadda, the cat, A Eulogy

Eulogy for Yadda, our cat

He was a feral cat but a good companion over the years, through several moves into and out of houses and apartments, experiencing the ups and downs of life along with his human buddies, my wife and me.

When we first adopted him and his mate, Charlie, we thought Yadda was a female cat because he was so small.  We named ‘him’ Pinata but later shortened it to Yata, or for me, Yadda, because that’s how Texanese is spoken here in Texas.  He grew and grew and when I saw him trying to mate with Charlie, we checked and guess what, he was really a boy growing into cat manhood.  What a shock.  A trip to the vet was next up for him.

We have had many different cats through the years, introducing them to humans - us, sometimes neutering them, letting them grow up if they were kittens, and then finding homes that would love them as much as we did.  But occasionally we would keep them as family.  Yadda and Charlie fell in that category.  They were both very feral and did not ever totally accept the moniker of tamed house cat.  Which is something we can all learn from.  To stay somewhat independent of what is out there in the world and to be our own bosses.

He was a good companion through some tough times that we went through and always stayed with us.  Thanks, Yada, for the memories, we will cherish them and what you meant to us forever.  May you rest in peace, good buddy, and may the mouse-chasing in the afterlife be fun and fulfilling.  Go get ‘em, tiger.