logically, if you supported and still support the U.S. role in the bombing of Libya [View all]

[cali]

in 2011, why wouldn't you still support the invasion of Iraq in 2003? What is the qualitative difference? Though I didn't support it, I can understand why someone would initially support it. Gaddafi was undoubtedly a brutal dictator, but things went horribly, and I contend, predictably wrong. There's been a lot of analysis of that, but the consensus is that the rosy predictions were way off. Western eagerness to force the bloom of the Arab Spring, precipitated a rash move that destroyed the country's infrastructure- the bombing was massive- and opened the door to to a brutal civil war featuring the usual suspects.

With the luxury of hindsight available, it hard to see how anyone can still support it, despite Gaddafi having been a brutal dictator and now being dead and gone. And please if you're tempted to tell me that I'm defending Gaddafi or propping him up, or admired him, blah, blah, blah, refrain from looking like a fool. I shed no tears for him. The fact remains that the vast majority of Libyans were better before Libya was bombed to shit. That may be uncomfortable to recognize. It may seem, at a quick glance, paradoxical. It is undeniably true.

This is what the bombing was. This is what it did:

There were thousands and thousands of NATO bombing sorties over several months. Civilian infrastructure was hard hit, including hospitals, schools, water supplies, and domiciles.

Prior to the bombing the Libyan standard of living was the highest in the region (sound familiar?).

Here are some facts:

otal life expectancy at birth (years) 72.3
Male life expectancy at birth (years) 70.2
Female life expectancy at birth (years) 74.9
Newborns with low birth weight (%) 4.0
Children underweight (%) 4.8
Perinatal mortality rate per 1000 total births 19.0
Neonatal mortality rate 11.0
Infant mortality rate (per 1000 live births) 14.0
Under five mortality rate (per 1000 live births) 20.1
Maternal mortality ratio (per 10000 live births) 23.0

Source WHO http://www.emro.who.int/emrinfo/index.aspx?Ctry=liy

The adult literacy rate was of the order of 89%, (2009), (94% for males and 83% for females). 99.9% of youth are literate (UNESCO 2009 figures, See UNESCO, Libya Country Report)

Gross primary school enrolment ratio was 97% for boys and 97% for girls (2009) .
(see UNESCO tables at

http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/document.aspx?ReportId=121&IF_Language=eng&BR_Country=4340&BR_Region=40525

Average calorie consumption was over 3,000.

More links to more facts- and none of these links are to sources that can be considered from a dubious source, either out there right wing or left wing.http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/us-forces-lead-attack-against-libya-in-operation-audacity-dawn/

http://fair.org/blog/2011/12/19/now-it-can-be-told-libyan-civilian-deaths

http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_09/20110906_110906-oup-update.pdf

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/us-forces-lead-attack-against-libya-in-operation-audacity-dawn/