War is good for business. Peace is good for business. At least according to two of the Two Hundred Eighty-Five Rules of Acquisition that compose the sacred code on which all of Ferengi society is based. You just have to love the writers of Star Trek sometimes!
Last evening, I listened to President Obama tell the nation why America is participating in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya. Skeptics on the left and the right will assuredly be pissed off by this recent decision of the executive branch. The left will abhor any military engagement and the right will hate any Obama Administration action. I think the President probably waited too long to do what we are doing now (we should have stepped in to assist a couple of weeks ago and not let Qaddafi’s forces gain any upper hand), but ultimately the Administration decided to back the same forces of change in both Tunisia and Egypt that have sandwiched Libya. Very few in the broader Arab world can complain about preventing a potential slaughter of civilians in Benghazi and fewer still will shed many tears at Colonel Qaddafi’s departure.
It would be nicer and more convenient if the United States held a coherent, regional strategy. But consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds. America is now interested and involved and is doing the right thing alongside the political cover of the UN. We are the chicken and not the pig in bacon and eggs in this situation. The Obama Administration appears inherently conservative (I am shocked I am using “conservative” in the same sentence as Obama Administration, but yes, it appears to be so in this case) on many foreign policy issues so this slight delay and ultimate handover of control to NATO should not come as a surprise to Washington watchers.
Ultimately, if a war does not drag on for years on end and if there is a peace that follows and Libya does not evolve into Iraq, this situation is good for business. I do not think Libya is Iraq. The Libyan people back the intervention and the insurrection is part of a broader trend. There is an arc in northern Africa extending from Tunisia to Egypt of well over 100 million people who will ultimately have the opportunity to have some sort of self-government. Although a peaceful transition to a democratic society where millions of people will finally have the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labors and enter the middle class is by no means assured, I believe the chances are far better today than they were one week ago.
In the meantime, someone will benefit from rebuilding after the bombing raids. Someone will make money from the explosion and flowering of new commercial efforts that will burst force and erupt once the shackles of the Qaddafi regime are thrown off. As the Ferengi have noted, “War is good for business.” Perhaps they should have said “Peace is even better.”
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