Here's to you, Mr. President

While the coincidence of spring break and the NCAA tournament stole collegiate attention spans everywhere, the United States joined the military intervention in Libya. (There was also a massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami; however, that is a topic for another day.)

Sitting in my living room, watching the mid-March Madness presidential press conference, which announced our participation in enforcing the Libyan no-fly zone, I found myself slightly indignant that it had taken our government this long to become involved.

The Indiana Daily Student Editorial Board even called for immediate action and implementation of the aforementioned no-fly zone in response to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s violent assault upon his own people.

Our government seemed content with skirting the issues, dodging questions and remaining unresponsive. I personally wondered how long our indifference toward the dictator’s harsh reprisal would last. I was aghast.

However, in lieu of the recent resolution and declarations of several different political entities, I have to give President Obama some credit.

The result of an administrative slow play is an impenetrable defense against further claims of imperialism and the stigma of playing “world police.”

The most fortuitous of all happenstances was the two endorsements for the no-fly zone over Libya from the last month. Both the United Nations Security Council and more importantly the notoriously stagnant Arab League provided both political protection and diplomatic incentive for the Obama administration.

With a wide-ranging coalition of allies, including a group typically hypercritical of recent American entanglements, Obama has been given the opportunity to place the United States squarely in bed with the rest of the world as a proponent of the universal right rather than what is simply right for America.

Furthermore, I was struck by the initial restraints of isolationism that America has displayed in the preceding revolutions in neighboring states such as Egypt.

By watching these nations overcome the oppression of long-standing dictators as an uninvolved bystander, America has allowed the inherent demand for liberty to stand forthrightly and avoided the caricature of force-feeding our political preferences down so many reluctant throats.

I believe the combination of these two precursors to any American intervention in Libya will provide ample diplomatic coverage to stunt the generation of further anti-Americanism throughout the world. Therein lies the brilliance of President Obama’s hesitance.

I admit my first impressions of unforgiveable indecision and inexcusable inaction were wrong. Consider me Machiavellian, but regardless of the means of intention or simply luck, this columnist is immensely impressed with the ends of this diplomatic gambit.

By not rushing into the fray, America once again seems inarguably on the side of global good.

For that, Mr. President, I salute you.

— smech@indiana.edu