"No Intervention!" banner displayed by Libyan insurgents

"We have to get him ourselves." - Libyan demonstrator

"Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her (America's) heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. - John Quincy Adams, then-Secretary of State, 1821 

We are inspired by the desire of the Libyan people to overthrow Muammar Qadhafi. Sadly, Qadhafi has reacted violently to their protests, and a civil war is now being waged.

We hope the insurgents are committed to freedom, and if so, we hope they will prevail.

But they must to do it without our help. This is THEIR struggle, not ours. As the letter below shows, a U.S. military presence may only undermine the insurgency, not help it.

The good news is that the Obama Administration has shown skepticism toward intervention.

The bad news is that the advocates for intervention are prominent and vocal.

To counter their pressure, we need more members of Congress to speak out in opposition.

But they will NOT stand up unless they hear from YOU. Please tell your Representative and Senators to oppose intervention in Libya.

You may borrow from or copy this letter . . .

I want to see the Libyan tyrant Muammar Qadhafi deposed. I also hope the Libyan insurgents are pro-freedom, because I want a better future for Libya. But the Libyan people must secure their own future without the help of the U.S. military. U.S. politicians should NOT impose a "No Fly Zone" or otherwise intervene in Libya . . .

* Cato's Ted Galen Carpenter points out, No Fly Zones in Kosovo and Iraq led to deeper and more protracted involvement. http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=12841

* Imposing a "No Fly Zone" is an act of war, and Libya has done nothing to provoke war with the United States

* Many Arabs, including many Libyans, will view intervention as an act of U.S. imperialism, and nothing will undermine the insurgents more than the perception that they are U.S. stooges

* As we have learned from interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the new boss might be as bad as the old boss

* Intervention is NOT vital to America's security

* Instead, intervention would create new enemies for the American people

Finally . . .

The U.S. faces a longterm fiscal crisis. We could help meet this crisis by reducing our military presence in the world. If the Arab League, Britain, and France want to set up a No Fly Zone in Libya, they can go right ahead. But they shouldn't expect the U.S. to borrow money from the tyrants in China in order to depose the tyrants in Libya.

END LETTER

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Jim Babka

President

DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

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March 15, 2011