*The US lead an all out air assault over the weekend on Muammar Gaddafi's forces in the Libyan civil war. The UN resolution gives nations carte blanche to do whatever is necessary in order to stop Gaddafi from attacking civilians in his bid to retain power. This is a bold gambit by the Obama Administration to spread and cultivate the new found freedom and Mass Movement power in North Africa. The attempt to so audaciously spread core American values is a grand goal, but is military intervention really the best route to do so? One can only hope for the best results from this adventure for US forces and sincerely wish them success in their mission. The prudence of this undertaking must be brought into question in light of the already ongoing conflicts our all-volunteer military is currently serving in. It is not to be suggested that the (so far) limited engagement airstrikes will truly strain our armed forces readiness. As we saw in Iraq however, not only the worst case, but sometimes totally unpredictable scenarios unfold from these actions. It would be a shame if a decade from now we are looking back with regret on this moment of well intentioned intervention because of these unforeseen demons yet to be encountered. The cause against Gaddafi however is just, and hopefully in this case justice prevails for the people of Libya, the people of America, and the people of the world.
*Matt Cooke's hit yesterday on Ryan McDonough of the New York Rangers was ill-timed, dirty, and really selfish when you consider the situation both within the game that was in progress and efforts at large by his team, and others, to eliminate these cheap shots from the game. The fact that McDonough was okay should be no consolation to anyone with the power to determine Cooke's fate. The Penguins should step up and send their own message to Cooke that these actions will not be tolerated on top of the already certain forthcoming league discipline. The GM and coaching staff of the Penguins must also take into serious consideration whether Cooke is a potential liability come playoff time with these increasingly frequent unnecessary hits that cost his team significant penalty minutes.
*Yemen seems to be the next Country in line after Libya to go down the road toward political freedom through mass movement protest. The army today announced they will support the protesters legitimate complaints in that nation, and several of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s administration members are also turning against him quickly. Saleh, who could be out of power by tomorrow, has been an ally of the United States in trying to root Al Qaeda out of his Country, but perhaps a more free, open, and prosperous society in Yemen will reduce the recruiting base of the terrorist forces in that region long term. Yemen is the most poor and desolate Countries in the Arabian Peninsula, and one of the most beleaguered in the world. It would be the first Country outside the geographical barrier of Africa to succumb to the protest movement that has rocked the Arab world.
Matt Cooke is defenitely a dirty player, and it needs to be addressed by the Penguins. I'm sure he will be punished by the league. I think his hit makes Mario look bad for protesting against this type of play. They may need to look into other options, or have a long chat with Cooke.
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