Our Man In Tripoli

Gadhafi's been a monster for 40 years. Was it our duty to topple him long ago?

The Toronto Star’s Thomas Walkom argues that Canada's foreign policy in Libya has always put economic interests ahead of moral imperatives, and the only reason we're getting so involved in the current conflict is because of the country's oil. Walkom believes this pattern is evident in the sanctions imposed days ago that prohibit Canadian companies SNC-Lavalin and Suncor from doing business with Gadhafi, but explicitly allow them to continue operating in Libya. “Given that both deal only with the oil-rich regime (Lavalin is building pipelines, a prison and an airport; Suncor has government concessions to drill for oil) it’s not at clear what these so-called sanctions mean in practice.” Very good point.

Walkom’s belief that the West’s relationship with Gadhafi has been self serving is a popular one, with many pundits decrying the hypocrisy with which democratic governments made nice with the dictator after he promised to stop funding terrorism. The National Post’s Charles Lewis goes so far as to compare our reconciliation with Gadhafi with freeing child killer Clifford Olson if he promised to change his ways.

Arguably, such an analogy is an oversimplification of the complex reality of international relations. The implication that Canada should only engage with foreign leaders who share our values is tempting, but could ultimately be disastrous for Canadians and likely do little to help the victims of madmen like Gadhafi. For the past 40 years, the Libyan strongman was periodically shunned by the West, but this did little to affect his hold on power. Given our limited ability to oust him without the unpredictable consequences of a military intervention, convincing him through diplomacy to stop funding international terrorism could be seen as a minor victory that saved lives.

Only engaging in trade with nations who share similar values could quickly lead to Canada's economic deterioration, particularly in light of China’s rapid ascent. Of course Canadians expect our government to promote democracy wherever and however possible, but the recent Arab uprisings suggest it’s the people themselves who are best positioned to bring about change.