Tuesday 30 August 2011

Libyan Legacy

I am sure there are many people in the world who wish their nation could have a second chance.My Father began ranting about going to Washington and cleaning house way back in the 1970s. I just assumed he was a kook, but I was not aware till now what a constitutional scholar he was. The second amendment was created to preserve a militia, and if you are a good citizen, you are given the task of abolishing the government when it is out of control. The ancients set it up with checks and balances, but they still allowed room for a situation they could not predict. They had to equip a new nation with a system of government that would outlive them. They had to define Patriotism.
Shift to Libya, or Egypt or whichever country is beginning with a new start. Everyone is talking about a power vacuum, and fearing retribution and retaliation. I am sure the loyalists in America feared reprisals as well. Families divide in civil type wars like this. DO they want to become like Afghanistan? do they want the nations to change, but the war to be their legacy?
Many evil things are done in a war. Simply removing Ghaddafi is not enough. His whole tribe has had power for so long, and the people they incarcerated with fear and reprisals may want revenge. The number one thing they need to do is remember without food and clean water there will be no one to enjoy this new found freedom. Being free to speak your mind is only helpful if you have something to say, and live long enough to say it.
Recognizing the new government is not enough. Releasing their funds stolen under the outgoing regime is not enough. They need a constitutional convention. They do not need an oral one, they need something written down they can refer to. It also must have teeth to back the words up. Those words will be more important than even the greatest citizen. They will need to be fair to every citizen and not have regard for political, social, or religious bias, and it must apply equally to men and women and all who live within its borders.
This will be interesting to watch. A new nation will be born. They may even change the name of Libya. Good luck to the people who gain power. That is a sacred trust, and the world is watching. China must be quaking in their sandals to see freedom spreading where oppression has had decades of strongholds. 
There is an old Chinese saying "may you live in interesting times." We sure do.
Blessings

No comments:

Post a Comment