is this meant to be funny?

The NYTimes says, about the debate leading up to bombing the shit out of Libya:

[Clinton and Gates] and other senior officials had to weigh humanitarian values against national interests.

and,

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates acknowledged Sunday that the unrest in Libya did not pose an immediate threat to the United States.... On the key question of whether Libya constituted the kind of vital national interest that would normally justify military intervention, Mr. Gates offered a blunt denial .... “No, I don’t think it’s a vital interest for the United States"

So they had to choose between humanitarian values and a war that wasn't a vital interest. At least not the kind of interest that "normally" would "justify" killing lots of people. The Times seems to think that war is some plucky underdog facing long odds. But, somehow, the cute little underdog always overcomes the big bully of humanitarian values. America loves an underdog!

Hillary explained that Qaddafi has a "history" and might have caused problems, and besides, all our friends in the area (i.e. repressive Arab dictators) wanted us to bomb the shit out of Libya, so we had to help our friends, right? "Let's be fair, here." Bombs away!

The article explains what a great relationship Clinton and Gates have, "practically completing each others' sentences." We're told how Clinton fired Philip Crowley because Crowley said that the military was "mistreating" Bradley Manning by torturing him for months, which apparently Gates, a straight-talker who likes to "call a spade a spade," couldn't handle. On the other hand, "unified message [is] prized by the Obama White House," so maybe BO had a little something to do with it.

The Times assures us "Mrs. Clinton emphasized that the administration did not view the Libya intervention as a precedent." So I'm not the least bit worried that the Libya intervention will be used as a precedent!

"She and Mr. Gates will share the burden of selling the Libya policy at home and abroad." In other words, the leaders go to war regardless of what the people think, and then go around trying to convince a reluctant populace that war is a great idea. That sounds like how Democracy ought to work! Go Democrats!