Solitudinem faciunt...

Jean Bricmont and Diana Johnstone discuss the NATO intervention in Libya:

Despite the efforts of a few isolated individuals, there is no popular movement in Europe capable of stopping or even slowing the NATO onslaught. The only hope may be the collapse of the rebels, or opposition in the United States, or a decision by ruling oligarchies to cut the expenses. But meanwhile, the European left has missed its opportunity to come back to life by opposing one of the most blatantly inexcusable wars in history. Europe itself will suffer from this moral bankruptcy. Who Will Save Libya From Its Western Saviours?, 'Counterpunch', 16 August

There are no guarantees against this sort of madness, but western governments that are focused on bringing about the achievement of a few broad, well-defined, explicit social and environmental objectives would find it awkward to explain how taking sides in Libya could help their society's well-being...let alone that of any other society. It's clear that there's no internal mechanism to limit the scope of government, whether at home or overseas. Desperately needed is some discipline that would re-orientate government so that it concentrates on outcomes that are meaningful to ordinary people. The accumulation of sovereign debt in the developed countries is the most obvious and ominous symptom; but the pointless, destructive and barely opposed intervention in Libya is a particularly poignant example.