President Obama's Speech on Libya And Its Cultural Health Implications

There is much discussion about the Geopolitics of the President's actions. Some have asked about the political implications, did he go to congress, how will this effect the 2012 election, etc. Here we will take an AA's look at the Cultural Health implications for the President. (Video)

In case you missed it, his relatively short remarks started a 7:30 EST last night.

Let's Go To The Video Tape


I did a piece on the potential Cultural Health implications of attacking Libya before the Presidents explanation of his reasoning.

CULTURAL HEALTH ALERT: if you get upset when you hear Farrakhan do not proceed to the link.

Click here for my pre-speech thoughts. Now these are my thoughts after the President's speech.

 I watched the President's explanation of why he acted in the Libya crisis. 

First the good news. Obama said after 9 days of military action, he did not use the word war, we will be out of the lead on Wednesday when NATO takes over. 

He believed a town of 700,000 was about to be massacred. To stop it was in our national interestand consistent with our values.

Regarding our interested he side the massacre would create a regional refugee problem that could destabilize Libya' neighbors Egypt and Tunisia who are in transition as we speak.

On values, he said that military action was necessary to stop a massacre similar to Bosnia and Rwanda. He also pointed to this as a UN based world warning shot to others that would turn military might against their own people to stay in power.

The President indicate he would like to see Gaddafi step down and the people elect who they want to lead them it is not the US mission to kill Gaddafi. 

On regional interests and values, mostly on values, I tend to except his explanation and view this as a positive development pending more information. 

I admit I am Culturally Illiterate regarding Libya and its history but I know Gaddafi to be a friend to Black People world wide, a secularist and an enemy of Muslim extremest. 

It is important to note what was not said, The West and the Arab block was united but the President did not get a green light from the African Union or the rest of the world.

There was no mention of Oil or the British blood lust.

It turns out that the Republican Ronald Reagan in 1986 attacked the same African country, for a different reason, I think.

Questions:

1. How long do we stay -end game?

2. What does it cost? 

3. Is this a military action "add on" to the Obama Doctrine of people make change, an antidote to the a Gaddafi doctrine of power prevents change? 

4. Will this new values based military action (no fly air only) to save civilians be applied to other parts of Africa like Congo?

5. What are the Cultural Health implications?

The bottom line is, I came away from the President's explanation not as against his action as I went into the speech.


My question to you is what did you think before and after the speech?