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Posted October 12, 2001
Patriotism and Foreign Policy
[Regarding "Tears of Rage," Warwick Fletcher's letter of October 10:]
A few of my points were recently challenged regarding patriotism and foreign policy.
"The mass murder of over 5000 innocent people on home soil is not foreign entanglement."
The killing of American people was a result of foreign entanglements. Surely you can't dispute that. While the populous, in general, was absolutely stunned at the abrupt destruction of our citizens, property, and sense of security, others saw it coming from a mile away. How is that? Prophecy? Or an understanding of our governments arrogant actions in unstable regions of the world. We must bring justice to the plotters of the September atrocity. But uncritically cheering the government towards total war with impossible goals will achieve unpromising results. Either directly or subsequently.
"So going to work on a normal working day to provide an income for your family doesn't come under the banner 'the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness,' I think you will find it does, very clearly. Count me in!"
Of course that falls under the banner. It's what our country is all about. My point is if our country continues its quest to achieve Empire status, the foundation of what made our country free, prosperous, and a beacon of hope around the world will erode. As we have unfortunately seen. If a Constitutional Republic were in affect today, I have the utmost confidence we would not be discussing Afghanistan in these troubling times.
Irony
It's ironic that Corporal Snowden, in his e-mail ["Marines"] posted in the October 10 "Backtalk," would quote a line from the movie Full Metal Jacket. In that movie the line was spoken by a Marine senior drill instructor to a company of boot camp recruits being prepared for combat in Vietnam. (If you're reading this letter, Corporal Snowden, "ironic" is a big word that has the same meaning as the word "funny" -- funny odd, not funny ha ha.) I use the word "ironic" because our country's armed forces, including the Marines, were defeated in Vietnam. (They might not have told you that in boot camp.)
You'd better hope that God had a prescription for Viagra.
Shame On You
Shame on you for posting a propagandized version of the recent Al-Qaida statement .
Eric Garris replies:
What do you mean? It's from the Associated Press.
Do you know of a better translation?
Great Writing
[Harry Browne's] article of September 12th ["When Will We Learn"] was right on point. I couldn't have stated it better myself. Keep up the great writing.
Socialism
[Regarding, "Call to 'world socialism' sways Labour conference," Yahoo! UK, October 3:]
I've
been a reader
of Antiwar
for more
than a year
now. Your
insight
into world
events puts
to shame
any major
media channel.
I am from
Eastern
Europe and
the fall
of communism
has opened
a whole
new world
of hope
for me.
It is very disturbing (to say the least) to see something like that coming from a British MP. I would have expected to see calls for world socialism coming from anywhere but the Anglo-Saxon civilization. Von Mises was right about socialism and he will be proven right again. Let's not forget that socialism is the state in its ugliest form and that war is the health (and wealth) of state.
WWJD?
I have only one question for the Congress, the Christian-American community, the Jewish-American community, the Moslem-American community (the trio of faiths evolved from the Old Testament, as Christians call it) and most of all President Bush and his Bible thumping administration, "WWJD?" (What would Jesus do?)
Maybe
Jesus
could
help
us kill
those
bastards.
All
we'll
have
to do
is put
Jesus
in boot
camp,
pump
him
up with
propaganda
and
he'll
be ready
to fight
like
all
of the
rest
of our
young
people
in the
military.
~ Rob
Osterberg,
Santa
Clarita,
California
Hungry College Student
I
am
writing
simply
to
congratulate
your
staff
on
such
an
excellent
and
informative
site.
I
have
been
reading
your
site
for
about
the
past
year
--
[since]
around
the
time
of
the
Palestinian
uprising
--
and
I
have
found
your
coverage
of
that
conflict
as
well
as
the
current
"war
on
terrorism"
to
be
excellent
--
especially
your
editorials
and
spotlights.
It's
good
to
know
that
there
are
US
citizens
like
you
who
have
the
guts
to
question
your
country's
policies
and
shed
light
on
all
the
great
injustices
that
have
been
going
on
these
days.
Again,
congratulations,
and
I
will
continue
to
read
and
recommend
the
site.
(Too
bad
I'm
only
a
hungry
college
student
because
I
would
love
to
donate,
but
in
a
year
I'll
graduate!)
~
Rodrigo
A.,
Mexico