Obama to Libyan Rebels: Hey, good luck with that!

The good news: The UN has finally decided to take decisive action involving Libya! They are now engaged in talking about maybe implementing a no-fly zone.

The bad news: The UN got involved at all.

A few weeks after the initial uprising in Libya which were followed by rapid gains, Qadaffi has all but won back control of his nation. Through the enlightened strategies of firing upon his own people, calling air strikes against protesters, and executing peaceful protesters he has nearly restored his benevolent dictatorship to pre-revolution conditions.

There is but one stronghold left, a town by the name of Benghazi. It is packed with fearful rebels who vow to fight to the death, but the situation is grim. The easy progress Qaddafi's well funded troops have made proves yet again that air superiority is often all that is required for victory.

The United Nations could possibly approve a no-fly zone, though it means that both Russia and China would have to at least abstain from the vote. Unfortunately, it is far too late for that to be helpful. Simply ordering a few air strikes to punch holes in runways and force any planes out of the sky will do little for the beleaguered rebels now. Perhaps even more tragically, it could very well have been a guarantee of victory had it occurred only a few weeks ago when the opposition forces were advancing on Tripoli and Qaddafi was on the ropes.

Morale is very important in any battle, and the knowledge that foreign nations such as the US back your enemies could very well have been enough to cause another round of defections. Very few people wish to be on the receiving end of that kind of stick.

As it is, the Libyan people now see first hand that for all the US governments posturing about supporting democracy, they will get no aid when it comes to overthrowing their dictators.

I will be the first to say that we cannot be the World Police. Not every dictator deserves our attention, and we do not have the ability nor authority to remove every person who oppresses his people.

But, when the people of a nation are already in active revolt against a brutal, anti-American dictator and are actively appealing for our help, should we not also weigh the valuable thanks that would result from us tipping the scales in freedom's favor? When other Arab nations saw a dictator toppled by his own people, it could very well have acted as a catalyst for change across a region that has troubled us here and abroad.

As it is, this entire debacle shows that the best way for a dictator to remain in power is to slay all those who oppose him because he can do so without fearing any reprisal from the West. It also shows that the opinion of the White House (e.g. Obama's declarations and calls for Qaddafi to step down, the comments about a "tightening noose") carries no weight behind it. Finally, it shows the people of the Middle East and beyond that if they want freedom, they better be prepared to die, because there isn't any cavalry on the horizon.