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75 shot by "govt. 'armed gangs'." (1) As in Libya, the police and/or army is massacring its people. This is their tactic to retain power -- they resort to direct violence, attempting to intimidate their own people by shooting into crowds or shooting whomever they have a whim to.
We do not necessarily need to regard this as abnormal behavior, or call it "abnormal." The Syrian government has maintained public order, for years. During those years life in Ssyria was what would have been termed "normal." How could these persons doing the shooting have become suddenly abnormal? They are the same persons as they were the day before. They may be showing their true colors. But they are no more abnormal now than they were before.
In 1932 the Germans were respectable persons. In a few years a raging menace.
Sen. Lindsay Graham now suggests we bomb Tripoli to make Ghaddafi's inner circle "wonder if this is their last day." (This is more or less the meaning, I might not have an exact quote) Is that abnormal? He is suggesting to kill various persons. This does not bother him.
He is a Republican and he is from the South. And he doesn't mind killing people.
Is there any reason to believe that Sen. Lindsey Graham is any different from Ghaddafi, or Syrian President Bashar? --- except that he is "our" guy and not "their" guy? If there is any distinction between one killer and the other --- what is it? Who can specify what that is? Sen. Graham is saying this just because he feels like it. He does not know Muhammar Ghaddafi (I am presuming this in my mind). Nor has Ghaddafi attacked Americans --- on our soil. There is no indication he will do that, so what gives Graham the right to?
Candy Crowley interpreted Graham's comments to suggest that he wants the inner circle around Ghaddafi to (you know -- peel off or) defect.
I do not get that either. Defect to what, exactly? Being Graham's friend? --- now that Graham has tried to kill them they will be friends? That is how a dictator thinks. Or maybe they will turn more pro-U.S. after escaping by happenstance from the bombs our side dropped?
I think he's a Southern-fried asshole, actually! OK; That's what I think. That's my impression about Graham, from hearing his pasty face utter a few words on international T. V. or on CNN. But I am not going to try to kill him, I have no business doing that.
I think it would be better if someone showed a little sense. In our (U.S.) lack of a precise and principled policy (not to mention our lack of having a few more marbles in our heads), we should have limited ourselves to protecting civilians. That was the whole idea, as the govt. obtained an agreement with the Arab League to "protect civilians." We had the right idea, but I think that now we are going too far. If we have to move to protect civilians that is fine; but do so in a principled manner.
As a nation, we need to decide who we are. It is because we don't know or did not do it that we decide to fudge and change things all the time.
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(1) The sequence of words enquoted taken off the television screen, as a caption displayed by CNN
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