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| Reuters Pictures A supporter of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi holds a sign outside Bab Al-Aziziyah, Gaddafi's heavily fortified Tripoli compound March 19, 2011. Thousands of Libyans packed into the compound on Saturday to form a human shield against possible air strikes by allied forces. The sign reads, "God is with Muammar and people around him". |
by Pearl Thevanayagam
(March 20, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The collective invasion of Libya by the UK , US and France under UN resolution once again reiterates the fact that the West only intervenes when their own interests are at stake. The pathetic crocodile tears over the plight of Libyans does not hold water since the same West turned a blind eye to the plight of Tamils fleeing for their lives in their thousands just two years ago. Shuttle diplomacy was in name only and they dragged their feet over whether they should intervene and by the time the media leaked out reports of atrocities by the government forces, the war was over. The LTTE was annihilated selectively and the government triumphed to start another indefinite period of reign.
Did it send its troops to Philippines when the archipelago of islands was striven with internecine warfare? Did it care when time and again Bangladesh was devastated by floods? Apart from Bob Geldoff’s Band-aid Bangladesh remains relegated to the backwoods of civilisation and poverty spells its destiny.
The poor nations without resources which cannot boost the economy of the West are only fed crumbs from the West and even these crumbs are in the form of heavy interest loans and dictat on how the country should run its economy from World Bank and IMF, the global loan sharks, to which these countries are indebted until the world comes to an end.
Who said racism is a thing of the past? What does it say of the UK’s policy that non-EU workers are not welcome and it has given short shrift to those eligible to work here under highly skilled migrant workers’ scheme. It has cut down drastically the numbers allowed to come to UK under this scheme. And it has put a ceiling on students from non-EU countries and increased their qualifying criteria to be proficient in English. Technically they cannot come here to learn English. Au pairs from France and Portugal are more than welcome because of their skin colour more in tune with the Whites. And we thought eugenics disappeared with Hitler!!!. Brazenly it recently announced that migrants from two more EU member countries would be given full benefits and they need not wait for the past stipulated two years before they are entitled to these privileges.
Iraq and Libya’s oil is far more the West’s target than the civilians’ life under Saddam Hussein and Colonel Gaddafi respectively. That they were nurtured and pampered by the US primarily and other western nations is not easily forgotten. Since Gaddafi seized power from King Idris in 1969 he had ruled Libya with panache and brazenness which did not go unnoticed but ignored given the fact that Libya’s oil is a much needed resource for the West and its opulent lifestyle. That the UN suspended its sanctions against Libya in 1999 despite Libya’s direct hand in the Lockerbie bombing which killed 270 people and in 2009 the Lockerbie bomber was freed sends us all the message the West has absolutely no interest in civilians.
Afghanistan is the conduit for Iran’s oil pipeline and it has vast reserves of untapped natural gas and billions worth minerals including gold and Lithium. Ergo the West’s invasion of the country which is still reeling from repeated and constant attacks on civilians. Afghanistan is a conscience on the wWest which it cannot shake off that easily. Yet troops are pouring in in the name of protecting the Afghans. From whom is a question nobody knows the answer to. The Western concept of democracy is far worse than a country’s own dictatorship.
Would Libya be better placed if Gadaffi is overthrown and rebels given interim puppet administration by the West? Why does not the Western media condemn this invasion which has absolutely nothing to do with protecting the civilians but everything to do with extending the West’s tentacles over oil rich countries.
Until the countries depleted of their resources by the marauding West conform to its capitalist ideology they remain pariahs and are vulnerable to being dominated by their policies which affect their economy, education, health and overall administration.
From the time the colonisers invaded countries and in the name of civilisation conquered them and subjugated the people and relegated them to undesirable and polluted reservations where toxic dumps are situated to the modern day warfare conducted in the name of democracy the West’s attitude has not changed one iota.
When will we ever learn?
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