Libya: a chance for change

This is just a short followup to yesterday's post but nonetheless, a significant one for Libya as The United Nations Security Council has voted in favour of a no-fly zone in Libya and has authorised member states to take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians there. . While this might force the UN to take action in case Gaddafi decides to infringe it, this decision should give Gaddafi's regime a clear message while providing the Libyan people a chance for the future.

Our Future, Libya and Japan

The top news stories this week have been dominated by the Libyan crisis and the lingering nuclear threat that has struck Japan on top of the natural disaster that, on its own, resulted in many people dead and destitute.

The events happening in Libya and Japan cannot be more different from one another. The people of Libya have taken the courageous decision to rise up against the oppressive rule of one man and his regime - Gaddafi.  Unfortunately, as I write this, Gaddafi is using his Western-sponsored weaponry against his own people. 

However, so far, the West is still undecided on what action to take. In the meantime, people continue being killed while the possibility of a massacre increases. Can we afford to wash our responsibility and hope things calm down just like that?

In the East, Japan is facing an equally concerning situation. Not only Japan has to recover from damage caused by the earthquake  and tsunami, but nuclear power plants have been damaged. It's still unclear what the long term effects of radioactivity will be. However, the example of the Chernobyl indicates that it doesn't look good at all for the health of the population, especially those in the vicinity of the power plants.

At this point, it would be easy for me to say that it was a wrong decision for an island nation with a history of earthquakes to have even considered building nuclear plants but it's also true that lacking natural sources of energy, nuclear would seem a good option. The only problem is that nuclear energy is only safe if it remains contained and controlled. Otherwise, it's a dark master.

It always renews my faith in humanity when I hear that countries from around the world are helping out Japan. The same thing cannot be said of the Libyan crisis. While there remains a lot of uncertainty about the fate of both Libya and Japan, what is certain that whatever the outcome, our decisions today will determine the history of the world for years to come.