|
||
|
July 20, 2002 Liberventionism II Joseph Stromberg writes: ""[P]ro-war libertarian" is, speaking broadly, an oxymoron, a contradictio in adjecto." Setting things straight, Stromberg insists (correctly) that libertarians cannot be pro-war, but can and are pro-defensive. Hence our aversion to coercion, especially in its most powerful form, the State. Who needs evidence? "[F]ew facts about the fall of Srebrenica have actually been established," asserts Nebojsa Malic. This apparent atrocity lacks evidence to support its existence and leads Malic to suggest that hidden agendas on some sides of the conflict were fulfilled in the event's publicity. "Fear fills the space where facts should be." When should we be precautionary? When one acts preemptively, as Bush intends to do, the legitimacy of such actions demands evidence(I assume that this a crucial requisite to war). Unfortunately, this is lacking in the impending conflict with Iraq, thus politicians substitute fear for facts and hope we won't notice the difference. No humanity for you Bush
has declared: "These tyrants and terrorists have one thing
in common. Whatever their plans and schemes, they will not be restrained
by a hint of humanity or conscience." But what
is a terrorist or a tyrant? An
ally may be one. . . It also appears that the president can predict
the future, and thus be justified in acting preemptively: "Warning
against inaction, Bush said the United States must act preemptively
before the threats were fully formed." Let's ask Ms.
Cleo. In the crowd
of guests to the new
International Spy Museum were "intelligence community officials."
One of them was quoted as saying that "[s]pying is actually very
benign." Invading privacy, ignoring civil liberties and trashing
the Constitution are "benign" in the Bizarro
World - Why not here? Heed your own words An American critique of Israeli policy is hard to come by. The policy would deport the relatives of suspected suicide bombers, in an attempt to deter further bombings. Perhaps "the supportive environment,"the family, that the Israeli government intends to deport, won't be too angered. Equal criticism "This is the new liberal imperialism" writes Brendan O'Neill, referring to the Bush/Blair military endeavors. Apparently, the British government is being criticized for being GW's lapdog. A deeper look though reveals that Blair may be acting out his own imperialist tendencies. No
oversight? ". . .62 samples had vanished, including Ebola, hantavirus, anthrax, S.I.V. (the monkey version of the virus that causes AIDS), and several described only as "unknown."" Scary story about a military mishap. Kristoff is late in reporting this, but fortunately Justin was on top of this a while ago. Iraqi invasion? It is curious when a neighbor of a supposed evil and dangerous tyrant won't let the self-appointed liberator use its bases for a staging area. This article describes the atrocities of the past war with Iraq and the impending problems while insisting that "Dumbo's gang wants war." Who's Dumbo? Pressure from all sides Even the mail carriers of America have caved into the Justice department and its domestic spy ring. Despite this, it appears that recent development may hinder the program and its obvious threat to civil liberties. Institute for Creative Technology What's this you ask? Its a joint venture between Hollywood and the Army to "sharpen military training through futuristic games and simulation." The military needs all the help it can get. Moreover, let's hope that American soldiers have better accuracy than some of Hollywood's creations. Archives: 7/15/02 7/16/02 7/17/02 7/18/02 7/19/02 Mike Ewens is a senior at Washington University in St. Louis. Apart from his full-time student status, he is actively involved in the campus libertarian/conservative newspaper, College Libertarians and inner city tutoring programs. Economics and mathematics occupy his academic time, while his intellectual curiosity is further satisfied with political theory and foreign affairs. He is currently working as a summer intern with Antiwar.com. Contact him for information regarding bringing Justin Raimondo and other speakers to your campus. |