Regarding the Middle East crises that are occurring, I wanted to write a blurb on freedom. Something I've been reading and thinking about quite a bit lately, because I think we forget that freedom isn't one entity at one time with the swipe of one movement one day. You don't just win it like a lottery prize. Its a process. And at minimum it has two essential phases: freedom from and freedom to.
It is only a first step to be free from slavery, imprisonment and oppression. It is another step altogether to have a vision, en masse, of what kinds of rules you want to agree to obey, after freedom from. Choosing to have freedom to write however you want, move and pray however you want, believe whatever you want, vote however you want, and also have rules w/ enforcement to educate all, take care of the health of all (at some level), build the roads for all is a vision a leader, or group of leaders, has to propose and dream up essentially. A people need to manifest this vision together with a common purpose in mind. It takes immense will and determination for people who have been oppressed for generations to have this kind of faith, optimism, and collective charismatic agreement to make new wise rules for the benefit of all and have the infrastructure and finances to secure that these rules be enforced.
Seems like an impossible task.
Why can't anyone look at how long it took us, the United States, to pull ourselves together with a vision? The American revolution started in 1763. George Washington didn't take office as president of the United Statues until 1789. That's 25 years of of not having it together.
In short, we may be able to help Libya be free from Gaddafi by brute force. For better or for worse. For richer or for poorer. We also know it won't solve the more long term needs of what people want to agree upon as a set of rules.
We can't bomb that into anyone.
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