In the past week, the situation in Libya has gotten worse. Libya's longtime ruler Muammar el-Qaddafi has refused to step down and continues to kill his own people.
This has led to a lot of debate about whether or not military force should be used. Many feel that force is the only thing that Qaddafi will respond to, and the United States is the country that should be leading the charge against him.
The Spectrum does not agree with this sentiment. Contrary to popular belief, the United States does not need to act as the world's police force. While Qaddafi's actions are egregious to say the least, and we certainly condemn them, the last thing the United States needs is to stick its nose in another country's business.
Consider the situations we have already gotten ourselves into in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq has already displaced Vietnam as the longest-running conflict in American history.
Additionally, the Afghanistan situation has gone on far too long. It seems like once the United States commits troops to a given country, it's impossible for them to ever leave.
If that seems far-fetched, consider that the U.S. still has some troops stationed in Germany. Considering that World War II was resolved some time ago, that hardly seems necessary.
If that weren't enough, consider the United States' reputation as a country that gets involved too much in other countries' problems. The world community largely resented the invasion of Iraq, and people tend to view the U.S. as a nation with a strong sense of entitlement that needs to involve itself with every conflict.
Sending troops to Libya would only inflate this problem. It would create a lengthy conflict, and it would lead to anti-American resentment in other countries. When looking at this, it becomes clear that not getting involved on a military level is the smartest thing the U.S. can do.
As this debate has raged on, many have proposed the multi-lateral "no-flight" zone, in which other nations would agree to not fly aircraft over Libya. The problem with this solution is that it would be difficult to enforce without the use of a military presence. Again, it would lead to the U.S. playing too large of a role in the situation.
The Spectrum supports the Libyan people and is certainly sympathetic to their plight. We just don't think the best way to solve the problem is for the U.S. to send in troops and get involved in another potential quagmire. As grim as it sounds, the best move for the U.S. is to stay on the sidelines and let the situation run its course.
