The commentary below by The New Republic‘s Leon Wieseltier reflects the frustration and anger of many pro-democracy activists around the world at U.S. President Barack Obama’s shameful refusal to help Libyan freedom fighters.
Barack Obama’s policy toward the Libyan struggle for freedom is no longer a muddle. It is now a disgrace.
Here is what his administration and its allies have told the world, and the Libyan dictator, and the Libyan rebels, in recent days. The director of national intelligence declared before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a chilling example of self-fulfilling prophecy, that “over the longer term Qaddafi will prevail.” The secretary of defense continued to insist that the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya is too much for America to do, and to frighten the public with the warning that it would constitute a military operation, as if all military operations are like all other military operations, and therefore the prelude to the sort of wars that would require us, as he put it in an earlier outburst about Iraq and Afghanistan, to have our heads examined. Of course nobody is suggesting that a single American soldier step foot on Libyan soil: Gates’s exaggeration of the logistics and the implications of a no-fly zone, which the Libyan resistance is begging for, is the purest demagoguery, a way of inhibiting the discussion of what really can be done in this plainly just cause…
It may be, as Clinton said, that the consequences of a no-fly zone would be unforeseeable, but the consequences of the absence of a no-fly zone are entirely foreseeable. They are even seeable. We see them daily, most recently in the massacre at Zawiyah. And in a press briefing prior to the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, the secretary general of the alliance began by intoning that “the whole world is watching” and then announced that “NATO has no intention to intervene in Libya.” He did not grasp the heartless illogic of what he said—though if his remark could be construed as saying that the whole world is watching NATO have no intention to intervene in Libya, there was some truth to it. And he followed with these unforgettable observations: “If these systematic attacks against the Libyan people continue it may amount to a crime against humanity. And many people around the world may be tempted to say let’s do something to prevent this massacre against the Libyan civilian population.” Some of us may indeed be so tempted. But “on the other hand,” Rasmussen continued, “there are a lot of sensitivities in the region as far as foreign military intervention is concerned, or what might be considered a foreign military intervention.” Get it? We will not act to prevent a crime against humanity because by doing so we will offend—who, exactly? Not the Libyans who are clamoring for Western assistance, or the Egyptians who looked to us for unequivocal support in their fight for freedom, or the Iranians who made a similar mistake. No, we will offend only a certain doctrinaire Western notion of what the contemporary Arab world thinks about the West, a notion that the democratic upheavals in the Arab world are making manifestly obsolete. We will offend not their assumptions, but our assumptions about their assumptions… [read the full text here]
25 thoughts on “Obama’s disgraceful policy toward Libya uprising”
It is typical of President Obama to appear thoughtful, prudent and remain blame free. Perhaps his advisers too are telling him that if he intervenes in Libya, he may well be setting precedence in other countries like Saudi Arabia where potential protesters would expect air cover. If U.S takes action in Libya and Quadaffi prevails, you can count on a nuclear Libya in the aftermath. Gas prices are already hurting Mr. Obama’s bid re-election. If gas price continue rising and hit $5 a gallon or more, no sitting president would be safe – at all. In this age of sleek politicians and public figures, the self will always come first. This is by no means the era of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman, where real men with backbone, action and the “the buck stops here” motto ruled.
I really regret for spending my valuable time in a freezing cold for his inauguration. Bush would have acted by now to save the lives of the brave pro-democracy fighters. This guy has not done anything tangible since he assumed power. What a shame.
Even though Libya Is sovereign state why would the US/NATO/or someone else get involve in Libya’s Affair besides start as peaceful uprising
then the rebels came using weapon against and gave Gaddafi a reason to
defend him self. Are we thinking The US/UN/NATO/ to change our govt in
Africa that will not happen because it’s not in their interest to do so.
Also this organizations Like UN/EU/AU/NATO ETC. they are all working to
make US happy anyway ..
We all know President Obama is very weak in the foreign policy aspect of the United States. His so called foreigh policy advisors are under qualified and are given the posts just b/c of their strong support for the left liberal agenda of the Democratic Party. The Utter failure of leadership from the U.S., especially in the Libya case where the people are being slaughtered by the mad Gaddaffi, clearly shows how weak and naive President Obama is. I believe he is the most liberal weak President ever. I hope he wakes up and fully support the people of Libya.
Let’s not be emotional and haste to conclusion here. Gadafi is pro African unity, pro Sub Sahara African countries and at least his country did not suffer from unemployement other neighbouring countries seem to suffer. I heard Libya was the poorest country on earth in 1950, poorest than India at that time. Now Libya is one of the riches countries in Africa and the standard of living of Libyans is much more better than many countries. At least Gadafi did not steal all the money from oil like Nigeria. He wanted to have united African union and that caused him to be hated by many racist and fundamentalist Arab decent Libyans. So, please let us not compare Gadafi to Meles or other dictatrors. If Gadafi is removed be sure Isamic fundamentalist who hate black Africans that any one will the country and the world will regret helping those people to remove Gadahfi.
This is just my two cents comment.
I have read Leon’s comments before. Every time then and now, I walked away with impressions that those and this one comment don’t seem to be his genuine convictions. He is not alone on this one. He is one of those merchants who enjoys trading in peoples’ emotions. What is he saying? Is he saying that Obama should send marines and fight on the side of the not-so-organized opposition forces? Does he know that a no-fly-zone ordinance requires declaration of war on that country? That is not the time yet for US to do just that. And Leon does not have the foggiest idea of what is going on the ground either. He is just trying to exploit human emotions that is rampant in the hard-line conservative political landscape. He is one of those individuals who sits in his comfy home seeping lattes but wants other marines do the dirty work and die in the process. Someone should check what stake he may have in BP Oil stocks.
WHY AMERICA prevents any political discourse in ETHIOPIA?
WHY? Because, America comes to rescue or to support protestors, or oppositions, or rebels if and only if it has a VITAL national interest in that country. USA doesn’t have a vital interest in TUNISIA – SO kept silent. In EGYPT the USA has a VITAL national interest – SO orchestrate a smooth military coup. In LIBYA it DOES NOT have a VITAL interest, SO refrain from actions such as No-Fly zone.
IN Ethiopia it has a national interest. But is it VITAL? NO it is not. Moreover, its national interest is guaranteed by the current Ethiopian government. So why change course? Recall the recent meeting by the Ambassador of US in Addis with opposition leaders? Go figure!
Therefore, AMERICA will never support any kind of forces of revolution in Ethiopia. Perhaps, the contrary.
Obama has no clue of the people’s movement. The tides against the tyrants has picked the momomentum to do away with dictators. Lack of understanding this fact attributes to a wrong and fail policy. It is becoming fashionable when paid lobysts then former legislators help architacting the US foreign policy simply to amass their fortunes, but this result time and again in fiasco. Obama’s policy is no less Unless he stands firm with the opressed people. The people of Liybia inevitably will bring Gadaffi down. This nonchalant attitudes of Obama’s policy will become regreetable.
Asmamaw,
Thank you for clearly elaborating the secret.
You are amazing.
Please tell me as to why it is ONLY and EXCLUSIVELY President OBAMA alone who should take up arms and stars and start fighting against another bull, Gaddafi & clan, thereby overstretching and thinning his capacities as well as scarse financial, material and mental resources while he has already enough active and passive Wars and battles on his hands inherited from the Bushes who is now taking sun and sipping vermouth Rosso and Vermouth Bianca, alternating with Stolichnaya Vodka mixed with fresh pressed Mango Juice enjoying the after war life in a new found peace in his ranch deep down in the Bush? :)
If it is a matter of getting rid of the Gaddafi clan, ruling and exploiting the Libyan people for the last 42 years which they are still dreaming and fighting hard to keep as their own monopoly private enterprises, then the responsibility are also on the United Nations, The European Union, the Arab League, The African Union as well as all the other major world powers to clean the small planet and new century for humanities and communities down the line.
On the other hand, governmental bureaucracies and democracies are known to be extremely slow paced, moving at snail speed while communities and societies do bleed but when decisions are finally reached, then you may expect instant doomsday for the wrongdoer what ever the word wrongdoer may happen to mean under each circumstance. The biggest obstacles for their own individual interests in the case under consideration are both Russia and China but NOT Obama. :)
Why encourage people to fight for their freedom but turn back when they need support while fighting to get it. That is what our president is doing, went to Egypt, lectured the people about freedom and watch when people get murdered by dictators like Gadafi.
#1 Asmamaw,
Come on! Don’t try to cheat us.
You are absolutely wrong because you are here to spread shivering Wayane’s fake propaganda trying to dampen the people’s struggle for freedom.
If a unified and broad based, viable uprising takes place in Ethiopia I am 101% sure that the US and EU will throw their heavy weight behind the 80 million Ethiopians struggling for democracy and justice for all as opposed to the tiny despotic dictatorship living on begging and keeping 80 million Ethiopians as hopeless beggars.
Yes, as long as there is no viable and fighting opposition challenging the hedonist dictatorship understandably foreign governments have NO other choices but deal the ruling brutal dictatorship. That is normal.
The right is the current time for transforming dictatorship in to democracy.
Did the Tunisian, the Egyptian and other ongoing people’s struggles begging the foreigners to come in and do their own fightings for them.
NEVER! It seems that Ethiopians have so much conditioned to external dependency for years and as such find it very hard to think of depending on themselves and bring about changes to communities and societies independently.
This article argues well in support of assisting the rebels, it illustrates the negative side of it should the Gaddaffi family manage to murder all the opposition forces. By referring back to recent history it tries to shame this administration for not beating the war drums. However, this article also does not illustrate the current condition America is in, We are the most power nation in the world, but are not in a position of economic confidence as we have always been, millions of Americans are in a terrible economic condition, and this article ignores all that and more. Getting involved means taking responsibility, and taking responsibility means owning Libya for a certain period, good or bad we’ll end up owning it. Borrowing Mr. Powell’s phrase, if you break it, you own it.
We already own three broken nations, oh yea, we broke’em all. Our economics department is in a serious difficulty, thanks to the previous administration (wouldn’t pass without paying the due respect). Americans at home are experiencing the worst in a lifetime, many are hurting seriously. While this is going on, seeking for another large assignment in the Arab world is not rational by any measure. Based on the division of the Libyan society, its very likely this will be a lengthy assignment, and from the look of it, it seems it’ll go bad, and this administration does not have the appetite for such adventure.
The main reason Americans elected this administration is to fulfill the promise of America to all her citizens, and most importantly, to raise them out of their economic predicament, in addition to making good with all our partners the previous administration offended and ignored to adhere whose advise. Now the same partners are dragging their foot on having to carry the burden, and running in advance to their step is simply not advisable. Let them step up their promise and push for the effort and this administration will take the position to help, fully accepting the inherent responsibility of being a global power.
Besides, Europe is closer to Libya, and they are the ones that need early resolution to the situation. France has to step in this time, US and UK have done their share, let the other nations, such as Germany and Italy register their help to do the heavy lifting. The Obama administration will be there with moral and political support and take part in tandem with the other nations mentioned above, but will not take ultimate responsibility to advance the cause of freedom for the people of Libya.
This could not have come in the worst time or the US, if we ignore it it will have a serious repercussions for our image of supporting freedom throughout the world, and taking part will mean to step over the many shortcomings we have at home. Every human would like to see this 42 years old Libyan monarchy like full blown out dictator gone, we’d all like the Libyan people to take back their country from this vampire sucking the blood of every Libyan and the soul of the country. We’d all be happy to see a peaceful and democratic Libya in the middle of the Maghreb nations, as a success example for the others to follow. However, all those desires have to reconcile with reality on the ground, In my opinion, Mr. Wieseltire fails to reconcile our position with our ability.
Let’s see others leading to the effort of making it happen. France should take a bigger role, apply herself more to this effort, after all, France is a member of the UNSC, we have not seen the French take a more active role in recent years, while the US and UK have a tarnished image in the Arab world. President Obama’s cautious approach is very wise one, while America should be on the side of the rebels seeking change, but we should be caring for the distressed Americans at home, as far as leading the campaign should be left for others, NOT AT THIS TIME.
Aschale.
Where did you read in Asmamaw’s comment he suports woyane?he wrote in metaphorical terms.A true Ethiopian I might add.
The ‘infectious momentum’ of change in those hot sands of our Arab brothers can face a lot in its journey before it culminates in wiping out decadent and delusional tyrants.The children of Tahrir Square have never pleaded the anachronistic Yankees nor the guidance of dogmatic power-hungry local opposition.Freedom may entail having a midwife yet its way presupposes perseverance, courage and sacrifice. Those who stand against the magnitude and power of its move may delay its momentum; however, as history showed us time and again, freedom prevails.
Americans have never had the tradition of being midwives of democracy though they present themselves as the paragons of the rule of law and human right.That is why we have the worst monsters of the world have a red carpet welcome by the so called state department officials. Obama is an American and he cannot and will not attempt to challenge the age-old indifference and hypocritical rhetoric and practice, nurtured, preserved and propagated as the holy grail of American foreign policy.
Stop some of you Wayane cadres directly and indirectly rationalizing in favor of Gaddafi so that the inevitable social change may not completely finish with dictator Gaddafi with high speed and go ahead to grab the Ethiopian dictator and his lunatic frightened medieval cadres. The time is coming slowly but surely.
As for the Gaddafi dictatorial clan being a friend of Africa you need to know that they are the close family friends of the recently dead Austrian fascist party leader Jörg Haider as well as the Silvio Berlusconi the well known Mafia ++ Italian politician. No wonder then if Gaddafi is also a friend of black Nazis in Africa too.
Tell the Wayane junta to send THICK chicken sauce and THIN teff injera instead of spreading THICK but empty propaganda to comfort isolated and embattled Gaddafi so that Gaddafi may remember his comrade African dictators in times of THICK and THIN march of time leading to the end of time.
Wake up and smoke the reality.
Obama or Bush are symbols. The main leader of US is its national interest. I was argueing about this topic when Ethiopian community was
on high about Obama’s election. I was demonized being Woyane supporter.
I think it is enough to rely on outsiders. They are working for their national interest. Stop arguing about that; it seems to reinvent a wheel. It is a fact. Try to debate what should be done in the future
learning from the current. Did you realize when Mugabe was on the news every single day as if Zimbabwe is the only country left undemocrtized.
The issue was white & black farmer issue not democracy. West was on the planet when 1 million people was slaughtered within 2 weeks of time in Rwanda. US & west media was entertaining O.J. Simpson trial while poor Africans were dying under the watchful eyes of the so called UN. Read the book wrtten by General Romeo Dailaire ‘Shake hands with devil’. You can correct me on the title.
#15. solomon,
Over all, I agree with your good comment but your focus on the U.S. administration and its involvement in helping transform societies and communities from dictatorships to democracies is purely based on past observations. Yes history and the past are important in order to analyze the current and predict the future.
But please remember also that people make history while history may not make people.
In short, 21st century may not exclusively and necessarily be explained purely in terms of the 19th and 20th centuries alone. That has been clearly demonstrated by the case of the Tunisian, Egyptian and the other ongoing people’s revolutions for justice and human rights being recklessly and brutally violated by hedonist dictators.
In the cases and examples, the people played the core and the leading role in changing their own specific lives and livings locally while the global superpower played and is still playing as a supportive role from the background.
Remember the fact that even God is mainly willing to help those who are determined and willing to help themselves. Even the great GOD deos not help and support those who are divided and lay flat like singing ducks praying and chanting for the meager MANNA from above, I mean, from the great GOD’s great storage alone, otherwise HE/SHE might soon come to administer empty storage of values.
If you are united, determined and put in motion a new viable self initiated people’s uprising from the ground up in order to transform and change bad and impoverishing dictatorial brutal beggar governance make sure that you will have friends more than enemies.
Time is changing fast and as such we need not have to be chained to the past as well as keep doing the way we have always (defeat) been doing and also keep getting what we have always been getting for the last some 20 years. Change will surely come to Ethiopia. None can stop the march time and social change!
I am glad he didn’t have my vote.
The following news article on yahoo nailed it down. I can’t agree more.
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On high-profile issues, Obama keeps a low profile
By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press
55 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Call it an above-the-fray strategy.
On hot issues that Democrats and Republicans have found cause to fret about — from spending reductions to state labor disputes — President Barack Obama is keeping a low profile.
Democrats such as Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia want him more publicly engaged in budget negotiations in Congress; some lawmakers want him to denounce Republican proposed program cuts.
Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Wis., and others in the party want him to go to Wisconsin to stand in solidarity with public unions fighting to retain their bargaining rights.
Some lawmakers in both parties want him to take a greater lead against Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi.
But the White House sees no upside in outspokenness.
“There is a very strong gravitational pull in this town to try to drag the president to every single political skirmish and news story,” said White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer.
Pfeiffer said Obama has enough issues on his agenda and said the White House doesn’t believe the public wants the president weighing in on an array of subjects.
“They want him leading the country; they don’t want him serving as a cable commentator for the issue of the day,” he said.
At a news conference Friday, Obama defended the role he has played in seeking a compromise on spending cuts in the current federal budget to avoid a government shutdown. But he made it clear that resolving the impasse rests mainly with congressional leaders. “This is an appropriations task,” he said, putting the issue firmly in Congress’ domain.
Manchin said an agreement could only be reached if Obama led the negotiations. “And, right now – that is not happening,” he said.
But Obama noted that he has spoken to congressional leaders “about how they should approach this budget problem.”
That doesn’t preclude a White House role.
White House officials point to the negotiations in December that produced a deal with Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on extending Bush-era tax rates as a template for other deals. But unlike the tax deal, when both sides got something they wanted, the debate over spending would require both to give something up while gaining little.
While Democrats have attacked the Republican spending cuts as cruel or heartless, Obama has avoided such loaded language. He has drawn a line at education spending, saying he would not support cuts that reduce money for schools or college tuition.
“What I’ve done is, every day I talk to my team,” the president said, responding directly to criticism that he has been absent from the debate. “I give them instructions in terms of how they can participate in the negotiations, indicate what’s acceptable, indicate what’s not acceptable.”
On the Wisconsin labor dispute, Obama initially appeared to be stepping into that fight when he told a Milwaukee television station that GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s effort to make it harder for public employees to engage in collective bargaining “seems like more of an assault on unions.” Around the same time, his political arm at the Democratic National Committee, Organizing for America, coordinated with unions that were mobilizing demonstrators.
But the DNC has played down its role, and Obama has left most of the criticism to his spokesman, Jay Carney.
The Wisconsin Legislature this past week passed the collective bargaining restrictions and Walker signed the measure into law Friday.
Ellison, together with liberal commentators and some union leaders, demanded that Obama go to the state in support of the teachers and other public sector workers. But White House officials believe the demonstrators have made the best case on their own and point to public opinion surveys that indicated support for bargaining rights.
Republicans already were portraying Obama as a tool of labor for his remarks to the Wisconsin television station and for the logistical assistance that his political arm had supplied. White House officials say a higher profile on the issue by the president would have been counterproductive and could have interfered with a naturally occurring protest.
“In Wisconsin, it’s been a much more organic movement there,” said David DiMartino, a Democratic political consultant and former Senate staffer. “The White House doesn’t need to get involved.”
The bipartisan criticism of Obama on Libya has less to do with low profile rhetoric — the president has been vocal in his demand that Gadhafi step down — than with the direction of the president’s policy.
Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, have called for the United States to impose a no-fly zone over Libyan airspace.
Administration officials have shown little enthusiasm for such a step. They don’t want to act unilaterally and would only consider it if it had widespread international support. As important, they point out enforcing a no-fly zone would require military action, including attacks on Libyan anti-aircraft defenses.
Asked at his news conference if he would use any means necessary to force Gadhafi’s removal, Obama recited the steps already taken, including what he called “the largest financial seizure of assets in our history.”
As for military action, he said: “Anytime I send United States forces into a potentially hostile situation, there are risks involved and there are consequences. And it is my job as president to make sure that we have considered all those risks.
“It’s also important from a political perspective to, as much as possible, maintain the strong international coalition that we have right now.”
The weak and timid Obama is no good to the world. He is not a leader, rather he is a follower. His false promise to help opperesed people is now exposed in the Lybian massacure.
Every US President can take a necessairy military action when he sees a world peace threat and gross human rights violation. Over a decade a go, President Bill Clinton ordered a missiel attack on Sudan when he thought Sudan was a threat to peace. He did the right thing. Lybia’s ruthless dictator was also hammered by bombs and missiles by the order of Preseident Regan in the 80’s. Obama just knows how to talk, but no action in the face of gross human rights violation and a tthreat to peace. I wish he is a just a one time President! No one will vote for him from the oppersed people of naturalized Americans.
Europians have a lot of oil deal in Lybia, mainly Italy, Britain and France and the US(Shebron Texacon) has a very small oil field to be developed in Lybia. It is unfair for the US to take the leading role in this struggle for the future influence for the oil deal of Lybia. It is time for Europe to step up and do something.EU’s GDP is bigger than the US and their economy is in a better shape than the US right now they should step forward and protect their interest. If Gaddafi prevails he is going to kick out Franch and British companies out of Lybia.
It will be foolish for the US to involve in this mess knowing that the rebells losing momentum.
As we speak, the U.S. is closely working with the opposition to speed up not only Gadhafi’s end, but also the formation of post-Gadhafi government (Libya 2.0). Hillary Clinton will hold high profile meetings with the leaders when she visits the region this week. If we are serious about duplicating Taharir Square in Ethiopia, it is imporatnt to reduce the hot-air and see if we can undersatnd and leverage the administration’s policy to our advantage. Obama has chosen a pragmatic approach towards dealing with the current unrest in the Middle East. He has made it clear that military action will be counterproductive, provoking anger against the United States for interfering in a homegrown political movement. Obama believes that in order for revolutions to be successful they must be organic and he has said that “”By any measure, Moammar Gaddafi’s government has violated international norms and common decency and must be held accountable.” To that end, he has frozen all assets in the United States held by Gaddafi and four of his children. He has also abandoned the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli. The administration is quietly assisting the U.N. and other agencies in compiling a legal case against senior Gaddafi advisors for future prosecution in an international criminal court. This is hardly a disgraceful policy. The cold fact remains that Gadhafi is a done deal. He is a rat in a box. It just is a matter of time before he is either killed, captured or commits suicide, or is brought to jutice. That’s the crux of the President’s message. As always, the imminent developments in Libya will vindicate the Obama policy. But some correctly, and others impatiently, say that he is losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the Arab street protesters. Some say he is “failing to bind the United States.” Acknowledging the irony of Obama’s dilemma, a senior administration official recently said: “There is a desire for Obama – not the American president, but Obama – to speak to their aspirations,” but “his first job is to be the American president.”
As we speak, the U.S. is closely working with the opposition to speed up not only Gadhafi’s end, but also the formation of post-Gadhafi government (Libya 2.0). Hillary Clinton will hold high profile meetings with the leaders when she visits the region this week. If we are serious about duplicating Taharir Square in Ethiopia, it is imporatnt to reduce the hot-air and see if we can undersatnd and leverage the administration’s policy to our advantage. Obama has chosen a pragmatic approach towards dealing with the current unrest in the Middle East. He has made it clear that military action will be counterproductive, provoking anger against the United States for interfering in a homegrown political movement. Obama believes that in order for revolutions to be successful they must be organic and he has said that “”By any measure, Moammar Gaddafi’s government has violated international norms and common decency and must be held accountable.” To that end, he has frozen all assets in the United States held by Gaddafi and four of his children. He has also abandoned the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli. The administration is quietly assisting the U.N. and other agencies in compiling a legal case against senior Gaddafi advisors for future prosecution in an international criminal court. The cold fact remains that Gadhafi is a done deal. He is a rat in a box. It just is a matter of time before he is either killed, captured or commits suicide, or is brought to jutice. That’s the crux of the President’s message. As always, the imminent developments in Libya will vindicate the Obama policy. But some correctly, and others impatiently, say that he is losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the Arab street protesters. Some say he is “failing to bind the United States.” Acknowledging the irony of Obama’s dilemma, a senior administration official recently said: “There is a desire for Obama – not the American president, but Obama – to speak to their aspirations,” but “his first job is to be the American president.”
It is sad that one of the unique countries in the world Japan has to go through such a devastating tragedy. During the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, it was revealed that the word Tsunami itself was a Japanese word, and that it is almost exclusively a Japanese phenomenon. As you well know, whaling is synonymous with Japan, and one wonders if Tsunami isn’t primarily a Japanese problem triggered by a Whale curse. Even after the International Whaling Commission moratorium on commercial whaling went into effect in 1986, Japan is the only country to continue hunting whales using the scientific research provision, according to Wikipedia. Like Ethiopia in Africa, England in Europe, Egypt among the Arabs… Japan is unique in all of Asia. Japan’s history is unparalled for its size. Recession, the rise of China, and now the Tsunami – one after another – have unleashed havok on Japan. Proof that Ethiopia is not the only – once glorious country – to go under. Lij Elias, how could you possibly ignore Japan?