|
|||||||||
Posted September 26, 2001
Jingoes
Interesting topic, "The Jingoes and the Social Reformers" [Joseph R. Stromberg, September 14].
However, it appears now that the Neocons are not quite the same. Take Rush Limbaugh – he spends his whole career against big government and social reformers, but at the same time seems to love all the American big government that is foisted upon the rest of the world.
He doesn't seem to grasp that a 600 ship navy requires huge ... consolidated, all-invasive, autocratic, bureaucratic, tax-consuming government. I get the feeling that the sum total of being an American to these Neocons is having the ability to ride around in an SUV.
The Libertarian Ms. Lee
The Use of Force Resolution just passed by our craven and supine Congress is actually worse than a Declaration of War. A war declaration is against a specific country and ends when an armistice is declared or a peace treaty is signed. The resolution just passed gives Dubya limitless powers to be exercised anywhere against whomever for an unlimited period of time.
Barbara Lee's politics as a whole are typically dopey left-liberal, but never mind that. What many libertarians don't realize is that not all issues are of equal importance. Right now the issue of war vs. peace is the size of Mt. Everest compared to most any other issue. Barbara Lee is, as of the moment, the most libertarian member of Congress.... You should contact her web site or call her office at: (202) 225-2661 and offer her your congratulations on her courage.
September 10
[Regarding Harry Browne's guest column of September 12:]
How is it that on Sept. 10, Libertarian Party members claimed to have common beliefs/knowledge and understanding of what is and has been going on for decades – and on Sept. 12, after what was the only logical consequence of US policy, half seem to now be mentally challenged? Have they overdosed on CNN and actually bought into all these fictional explanations?
For the first time, I don't immediately assume that someone who claims to be Libertarian is anything like me. These people have stopped thinking with their brains and started letting their emotions rule them.
Thank you for "When Will We Learn", but I think the answer is not anytime soon and likely not before it is too late. Our founding fathers warned us about getting involved in other people's business. Too bad we ignore those writings just like we ignore the Constitution.
Circle, Not A Line
[Harry Browne's] article, "When Will We Learn" was forwarded to me by a friend. I ordinarily don't hve much use for libertarians because your economic ideas are naive. But I've long believed that the political spectrum is a circle, not a line, and your views and mine have intersected completely on this issue.
I applaud your courage in putting your thoughts out in public in this jingoistic period. I've been careful to share mine only with friends. You have more balls than I have.
Vaccinated Against Propaganda
My name is Adel, I'm 25, I live in LA. I am Russian. There's not many other countries in the world that have experienced as much criticism as did Russia. I was 9 when the Perestroika began and though I was young I still got my chance to get vaccinated against the propaganda, lies and brainwashing that the Soviet Union was putting everybody through. We learned to take everything with a grain of salt and not to trust everything we were told, sometimes too much so, but it kept people alert and aware, careful of what the government is giving and taking.
...It is also not good to live in a country in a state of a patriotic bliss when the only thing you can hear when discussing what is going on is: "America – my country, right or wrong! Take it or leave it! We're all blessed to be Americans!" Maybe it is true to an extent but it is also true that there's a great diversity outside of this country. As much as America claims to be the most tolerant society it acts as the most intolerant entity in the world, trying to impose it's own principles, standards and ways of life upon every country it can get a hold of.
It is wrong that Saddam is such an evil person, but who said that it was America's role to set the situation straight?! Why can't it be a natural internal process of a country to solve its problems and celebrate its victories? USA repeat the acts of Christian invaders who were "saving" souls of the indigenous people whose ways of life were merely incomprehensible and frightening to them. This terrible situation that has happened is an intolerant response to many intolerant acts. I feel very sad that probably everything will devolve into another armed conflict, innocent people will suffer, terrorism will still exist and the world will be driven farther apart from the understanding and peace so many people hope for.
It is time for the U.S. to realize that it is a part of the world and not its center. And also my observation is that there's no democracy and freedom of speech in this country, otherwise information that one can find on your site and in Harry Browne's works would have been ... as available as every other piece of information we are being fed with from our TV screens and newspapers. This situation makes me recall Sakharov, one of the most amazing Russian dissidents, and these words come to my mind: There's no prophet in his own land.
Thank you for your strength to be and speak out!
Bombing Civilians Is Not the Answer
I cannot and will not support the bombing of civilians. I have no sympathy for Osama bin Ladin or the Taliban. I do empathize with the ordinary people of Afghanistan, who have gone through a long civil war (funded by the USA and the Soviets) and are now living under the dictatorship of the Taliban. The civilians in Afghanistan have suffered enough, and bombing them isn't going to solve anything.
Frankly, I am scared. I am scared that other Americans will hurt me or attack me because of my beliefs. I have thought about putting a sign in my window saying "Bombing Civilians is Not the Answer." But I am scared to do that, because what if my window gets smashed in? What if I get beat up or shot?
The freedoms that are in the Constitution should be applied to us all, even those of us who choose not to fly the flag, and who choose not to support the war policies of the government.
~
Matthew K., Seattle, Washington
Follow the Money
To
understand our foreign policy you must follow the money.
A war just might be good for the economy.
I'm a Viet Nam vet. 2 1/2 years. Point man, infantry and
LRRP for the first year and a half, army security agency
the last year. Working in intelligence was what got me
to leave.
All great societies were founded on a religious or spiritual
base. Right or wrong, it produced great societies. With
greatness comes wealth, and with wealth corruption and
the replacement of the founding ideal, or god, with the
new god, money. My history books tell me that the end
of each great society was open and rampant homosexuality,
abortion, sex-drugs-entertainment. We are at that point.
It appears that the Arabs still have the seeds of greatness.
The same items that have worked in the past.
And, man has always looked for a leader. You must admit,
there is some competition over there, but bin Laden just
might be the man. Not much competition in the west.
Many great leaders were brought to power by what would
appear to be their natural enemies.
I use the term great leader to indicate the size and influence
of their followers, not their ideas. Most of them were
able to find a tool and use it to their own glory.
~ Bruce P.