Last week Talking Points Memo had an item about US Representative Tom Marino (Republican Pennsylvia, BA Lycoming College, Juris Doctor Dickinson School of Law), who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Marino was being interviewed by his local newspaper, The Scranton Times-Tribune. This, seriously, is Marino on Obama’s Libya strategy, and failure to consult Congress:
“The bottom line is I wish the president would have told us, talked to Congress about what is the plan. Is there a plan? Is the mission to take Gadhafi out?” Mr. Marino asked…. “Where does it stop?” he said. “Do we go into Africa next? I don’t want to sound callous or cold, but this could go on indefinitely around the world.
H/T: Naunihal Singh.
Folks, let’s not take Rep. Dan Marino (or most any Republican these days) too seriously. As blogger newdayDAWNING10 points out “Another brain from the Republican brain (drain) trust Tom Marino (R-PA) asked about Libya. “where does it stop? Do we go into Africa next?” according to the Scranton Times Tribune. Could someone in Marino’s office please send him a world map? Thanks”
I actually don’t anything wrong with what he said. Was it not the Libyans who were crying merceneries from Africa. Lets not fool ourselves. The most northern strip of the continent is called Maghreb. That is West, or sunset in Arabic, in clear reference to Arabs. Maghrab when it is not looking towards East it is looking towards the North. If they can saw off themselves and become one with others they would do. Do I find it baffling that some Africans insist forcing something the Maghrebs clearly flee. So to go back. The congressman, might have many other problems, but here he is right. Ivory Coast is Africa but not Libya. This is not an anti Arabness, but it was not very long ago that Libyans were crying African Invasion.
So the former Roman province of Africa is not Africa!
Anyway, our man’s not just on the Foreign Affairs Committee, but also on the subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights!
Il: You giving the Congressman too much credit.
Sbongile, Maghrebs, in the main is uninterested in Africa or Africanness. And they don’t think differently than that congressman. So as Africans we should not contest this articulations if this was a construct to begin with. Africa should consist of those that want to be Africans and live there. What with names and nations anyways. The Libyans were after all right when they spoke of mercenaries from Africa. At least the Africa part.