Posted September 23, 2002

Ron Paul's Questions

I read with interest Ron Paul's list of questions about war with Iraq. Where did you get these? Was this a speech he made, or did he release a written statement? I'd like more information.

~ Lori N., Iowa

Managing editor Eric Garris replies:

It was a speech he gave before the House:
http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2002/cr091002.htm

Rep. Paul is a close friend of Antiwar.com (he spoke at our last two conferences). We get his articles and speeches for release as soon as they are available, and often before they are on the House website: http://www.house.gov/Paul/

The Prime Directive

OK, I will admit to being a Trek geek, though I can't stomach the new series, Enterprise.

As a Trek geek I must take issues with Kevin Carson's statement,

"...[I]t's pretty obvious to me that the US is the Federation. Think about it. The Federation is dominated by Earth, and its capital is in San Francisco."

Actually StarFleet is in San Francisco, the Federation Capitol is in Paris.

Enjoyed the rest of the article though. If only we followed the "Prime Directive." Case in point Persia. Our friendly CIA helped destroy an elected government in Iran, and brought a real whack job to power in Iraq. Who know, if we hadn't stuck our noses in the region maybe these two nations would be functional democracies, maybe.

And please no more Star Trek references I beg you.

~ Jim Vinsel

Colonization

Regarding Justin Raimondo's column, "Back Door to War":

As someone who came very close to becoming Canadian in 1972, I take some exception to your characterization of Iraq as the America's first colonization war since 1898. Nine months after the fall of Saigon, I watched a news report on the CBC station (I was close to the border) showing all the oil platforms the (then) Soviets were erecting in the Gulf of Tonkin. "Aha," says I. "Now I understand that my generation wasn't making the world safe for democracy against the godless communists, we were making it safe for the further windfall profits of Standard Oil."

The only difference thirty years later is that the powers that be feel less need to sugarcoat the aggression. We now have a larger portion of the population that accepts that they live in a plutocracy rather than a democracy and an even bigger portion that are too damn dumb to understand or care what that means.

A query for your future research: How many of the Shrub's elite are doing this because they really, really believe that if they actively precipitate Armageddon, they will be bodily raised to Heaven by a grateful God and Junior before the sh*t of what they've wrought hits the fan?

~ Gary Bradley, Virginia

Who to Blame

I think that the situation with Iraq is (among other things) a clear test for our Lawmakers and a look in the mirror for all of us. There is no doubt that the chickenhawks have no respect for the Constitution and the international law. Why Mr. Bush is so in love with this war I do not know and do not want to speculate, because such a speculation, however you look at it, defiles and debases the Office of the President. But we should not really care about the Presidency, for now, because it is the Lawmakers that make the foundation of the Republic. It was said long ago that "the electorate deserve the elected". And if the Lawmakers would go against the Constitution and international law, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves.

We know that long-term politicking corrupts. And we still go along with that. We know that out policies in the Middle East are biased and skewed. And we still go along with them. We know there are lobbies, special interests, etc. who never hesitate to bribe and manipulate our elections. And we still go along with them.

So, blame yourself. We are a democracy, there is no tyrant or dictator to blame. If anything is blown, it's us who blew it.

~ Alex Chaihorsky, Reno, Nevada, alex_chaihorsky@hotmail.com

What America Should Be

While surfing the channels this morning I came upon the smug Donald Rumsfeld and his generals testifying (I don't know if it was before the House or the Senate), I usually am never interested in anything that guy has to say, but guess what, just as I was about to move on, up jumped two ladies, they each held up large banners that said "INSPECTIONS NOT WAR" and they kept shouting loudly, inspections not war, inspections not war. Well, needless to say Mr. Rumsfeld and his generals looked real foolish, and somebody asked that the guards come and remove the ladies and wondered how they got in there in the first place. Right away I said damn, these are some really brave women and I felt so proud that they were able to let the hawks, and the television audience know that a lot of us want peace. Then I remembered your website, and I thought how brave you guys were keeping us informed and standing up for what is right. I immediately decided to send in a donation, at least I can help in some small way to make a difference. I am sure that you receive your daily dose of hate mail from the war kooks out there, but pay no heed to them, you represent what America truly should be and can be, a peace-loving nation.

~ NO

The Easy Course

I think one theme consistent with GW's approach to "leadership" throughout his entire presidency has been an unflagging devotion to taking the easy course.

Starting with his "career" before entering politics, his "military experience" dodging actual service, and now his "cops and robbers" approach to solving our international problems.

If this country is set up to do anything, it's set up for an armed military response. Just look at the abundant evidence of history, the size of our military budget compared with anything having to do with diplomacy, and see it reflected in the majority of our current televised and movied attachment to the use of force as the means of righting the wrongs of the world.

If anything was the easy course for GW, it was pursuing a massive war plan.

And if he's been true to anything, W's been true to his lounge-lizard mentality, made no hard decisions and done nothing to truly help people.

There's no solution here. Only more "chase scenes" from his and his buddies' internal Rambo movies.

~ John McGill, East Glacier Park, Montana

Editor's note:

Backtalk editor Sam Koritz is profiled in the Real World section of October's Smart Money magazine (print version only, not available online).