If you haven’t seen the video of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reacting to reports that Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi had been killed, then you’re in for a fright. That she mutilated a classic quote can be forgiven. But that the face of US foreign policy so brazenly invoked the notions of conquering and imperialism with respect to the US mission in Libya, that she laughed so freely over the death of a fellow human being, no matter how despotic he may have been, is quite disturbing.
Adding to the disquiet is the context in which the cackling Secretary was captured. Earlier that day, while meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, she publicly reasserted the United States’ commitment to facilitating a reconciliation in Afghanistan, even though she must know full well that her own government’s attempts to leave tens of thousands of troops in Afghanistan indefinitely is one of the primary barriers to a negotiated peace. Afterwards, she jumped on a plane to Islamabad to threaten the Pakistanis. And just days prior to this, Hillary had landed in Tripoli with an $11 million check for the new Libyan transitional government, musing about democracy, governance, inclusion, and, oh, yes, opening Libyan markets up to foreign trade and investment. She also happened to let slip her hope that Qaddafi be “captured or killed soon.” As evidenced by her videotaped reaction, the Secretary was quite pleased that her wish was fulfilled by the satisfaction of the second part of that disjunction.
With people like this running our foreign policy, the United States needs a counterweight to represent sanity, justice, and cooperation. We believe that counterweight is Just Foreign Policy. We’re working to reform US foreign policy to better reflect the interests and values of the 99%, not the 1%. Dignity, respect, peace, and a means of providing for oneself: that’s what people around the world have clamored for this year, from Tunisia to Wall Street. And that’s what we’re trying to make US foreign policy all about.