Wrong use of term "rebel"
The press should stop referring to them as rebels and use the term "opposition" instead. Like the old joke goes, the difference between rebels and freedom fighters depends on who won.
I thought the joke was "terrorists and freedom fighters".
To me, the term "rebels" doesn't seem to have negative connotations. The term is regularly used for the good guys (eg, the "Rebel Alliance" in Star Wars).
The Rebel alliances was a band of alien loving terrorist!
They can't even make headway with heavy NATO air support. They don't have the support of the Libyan people. The eventual winner is decided whether we like it or not. 24.159.24.36 (talk) 17:31, 31 March 2011 (UTC)
"They don't have the support of the Libyan people." Eh? Where are you getting this from? I'm getting my news from PBS and Al Jazerra. Where are you getting your news from?
They can't make headway because Qaddafi's side still has heavy weapons and is able to afford foreign mercs, while the opposition is disorganized and only has small arms, some rockets, and some anti-aircraft guns on pickup trucks. (And I haven't seen much of the last in recent news reports.) If they could get organized, they might start making headway. I'm hoping they might be able to get the oil flowing again and buy some weapons on their own, but that's probably a pipe dream.
Just because the rebels don't look like they'll win doesn't mean they won't. The media calling them rebels constitutes bias IMHO.
I'm not sure why 'rebel' implies they will lose. They are rebelling against the status quo of the last ~40 years. That makes them rebels.
It just sounds that way. People who lose are called 'rebels', while those who win are called 'revolutionaries'. You can't call Washington a rebel.
Why not? He was, after all.
Ah, but that's kind of my point. We aren't 'them'.
But since it's the way it is, rebels are associated with losers. HK sources mainly use 'opposition' instead of 'rebels'.
"I'm not sure why 'rebel' implies they will lose. They are rebelling against the status quo of the last ~40 years. That makes them rebels."
Also, we don't know if Libya will become a true democracy, or a puppet government of the U.S. Either way, it is doubtful K will remain in power.