While they are geographically close, Morocco and Libya are very different countries. Dams along the eastern port city of Derna broke and 39 million cubic yards of water flooded the area. Unlike Libya, Morocco is a relatively stable monarchy, and though its government has been criticized for its response to the Marrakesh-Safi earthquake, it is at least a functioning state. The United States is not as divided as Libya, but political polarization has rapidly increased since the early 2000s. The U.S. must also learn another bitter lesson from the crisis in Libya.
