Being against military intervention, like Pres. Obama is advocating, is why I came to DU

[bigtree]

. . . in 2003.

I know this seems like opposition to what the President wants regarding Syria is just more of the partisan bickering that sometimes goes on here, but, it's an issue that I come to with the utmost sincerity and respect for Barack Obama. It's certainly not about racism, for me, as some here have suggested. it's an issue that has consumed most of my internet activity for about a decade. It's the reason I bought a computer; built a (now defunct) webpage; wrote and self-published a 'book', marched and protested . . . supported this president.

Just thought I should put that out there, because much of the debate here has centered on people's motives. To me, this issue is fundamental to our nation and its future. I hope our discussions can recognize all of that and resist descending into personalization and snide characterizations of motive; on any side of the issue.


. . . pressing 'post' now (now that I've gone and made myself a just little self-conscious).

[dkf]

1. Me too. Only thing I've ever protested against was the Iraq war.

[polichick]

2. I think a lot of us found our way here because of those feelings about war.

[bigtree]

3. .

[L0oniX]

4. I also came here somewhat because I hate war and have protested it since Nam. n/t

[ProSense]

5. Did you support the no-fly zone in Libya?

I ask because too many people seem to take the case for military action in simplistic terms. For example, look who supported the no-fly zone (a Senate resolution in support of a no-fly zone before the action was taken) :

SENATE RESOLUTION 85--STRONGLY CONDEMNING THE GROSS AND SYSTEMATIC VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN LIBYA, INCLUDING VIOLENT ATTACKS ON PROTESTERS DEMANDING DEMOCRATIC REFORMS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES -- (Senate - March 01, 2011)(PDF)
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2011-03-01/pdf/CREC-2011-03-01-pt1-PgS1068-4.pdf#page=1

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. KIRK, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

<...>

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) applauds the courage of the Libyan people in standing up against the brutal dictatorship of Muammar Gadhafi and for demanding democratic reforms, transparent governance, and respect for basic human and civil rights;

(2) strongly condemns the gross and systematic violations of human rights in Libya, including violent attacks on protesters demanding democratic reforms;

(3) calls on Muammar Gadhafi to desist from further violence, recognize the Libyan people's demand for democratic change, resign his position and permit a peaceful transition to democracy governed by respect for human and civil rights and the right of the people to choose their government in free and fair elections;

(4) calls on the Gadhafi regime to immediately release persons that have been arbitrarily detained, to cease the intimidation, harassment and detention of peaceful protestors, human rights defenders and journalists, to ensure civilian safety, and to guarantee access to human rights and humanitarian organizations;

(5) welcomes the unanimous vote of the United Nations Security Council on resolution 1970 referring the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court, imposing an arms embargo on the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, freezing the assets of Gadhafi and family members, and banning international travel by Gadhafi, members of his family, and senior advisors;

(6) urges the Gadhafi regime to abide by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 and ensure the safety of foreign nationals and their assets, and to facilitate the departure of those wishing to leave the country as well as the safe passage of humanitarian and medical supplies, humanitarian agencies and workers, into Libya in order to assist the Libyan people;

(7) urges the United Nations Security Council to take such further action as may be necessary to protect civilians in Libya from attack, including the possible imposition of a no-fly zone over Libyan territory;

(8) welcomes the African Union's condemnation of the ``disproportionate use of force in Libya'' and urges the Union to take action to address the human rights crisis in Libya and to ensure that member states, particularly those bordering Libya, are in full compliance with the arms embargo imposed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 against the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including the ban on the provision of armed mercenary personnel;

(9) welcomes the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council to recommend Libya's suspension from the Council and urges the United Nations General Assembly to vote to suspend Libya's rights of membership in the Council;

(10) welcomes the attendance of Secretary of State Clinton at the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva and 1) urges the Council's assumption of a country mandate for Libya that employs a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Libya and 2) urges the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations to advocate for improving United Nations Human Rights Council membership criteria at the next United Nations General Assembly in New York City to exclude gross and systematic violators of human rights; and

(11) welcomes the outreach that has begun by the United States Government to Libyan opposition figures and supports an orderly, irreversible transition to a legitimate democratic government in Libya.

[bigtree]

7. no

I oppose ALL U.S. military intervention in Libya (absent a threat to, or an attack on, our nation or one of our allies) . . . or in any other nation for that matter.

(for some reason I read your query as 'did you oppose' . . . sorry for any misunderstanding.)

[leftstreet]

6. The Democrats were against war before they were for it

They PUMMELED the GOP in 2006 and 2008 as the anti-Bush, anti-war party

[LittleBlue]

8. The Iraq War made me a progressive

My generation is deeply distrustful of Republicans because of George Bush.

Now Obama is throwing that all away. I cringe when he says he can't wait for UN inspectors, reminds me so much of Bush.

[rug]

9. Issues of war and peace are not determined by party or personality.

[gulliver]

10. Everyone is against military intervention.

And everyone is against barbaric attacks on civilians. The only question is what happens when the two positions conflict.

[bigtree]

11. we get corralled into false choices like the one you present here

. . . blocked into a course of violent action by our own reliance on that violence to effect political goals and capitalistic intentions.

We are not operating in some vacuum of motive and opportunity in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, or anywhere else our President and Congress have employed our nation's defenses for their overtly political ambitions.

Our government isn't deploying these weapons and violence (in the vast majority of cases) out of a primarily humanitarian motivation. If that was the case, we could list countless, many recent instances around the globe where military force would be applicable, under proponents own logic; instances where our government has declined to use our military forces.

It's no accident that the laws (in the U.S. and international) governing and proscribing the use of our military forces dictate the requirement for some actual threat to ours, our our allies security before sanctioning the use of force.

I believe that if we dedicate our nation to a guileless and altruistic foreign policy which relies on the strength of our diplomacy, we can better address these issues of civil conflict within other nations without the contradictory and counterproductive introduction of our own compromised, self-interested, cynical, opportunistic, political manipulation of our devastating military defenses.

[bigtree]

12. .

[bigtree]

13. .

[Catherina]

14. Rec'd with respect after years of witnessing your principled consistency, & support of the Pres n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

15. I came here around the same time...

I used to believe I was a republican. The run up to the Iraq war caused me to start re-evaluating my position on everything. I came here via the Top 10 Conservative Idiots. Iraq was wrong, and so will Syria be, should we go down that rabbit hole.

[Zorra]

16. k & r nt

[woo me with science]

17. K&R