Letters to
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We get a lot of letters, and, up until now, haven't had the manpower to deal with posting them, let alone answering them. But that sad state of affairs is at an end with the inauguration of this "Backtalk" column, edited by Sam Koritz. Please send your letters to backtalk@antiwar.com. Letters may be edited for length (and coherence). Unless otherwise indicated, authors may be identified and letters may be reproduced in full.

Posted May 15, 2001

Prowar.com?

I want to congratulate you guys at Antiwar.com for your wonderful coverage of Macedonia. Today as never before antiwar activism can be divisive and exclusive rather than unifying and inclusive, an occasion for hate rather than love and tolerance. Your Macedonian solution…ensures that those of us who enjoy network TV coverage of the Middle East [?] can still experience the smugly pedantic self-righteousness that is the authentic hallmark of our 60's antiwar legacy of courageous and entertaining protest. Speak truth to power! Right on! …

~ Dan Scanlon

You seem to be implying that Antiwar.com is encouraging Slavic-Macedonian hatred of ethnic Albanians. Antiwar.com is devoted to the cause of non-interventionism. The editors do not impose a site-wide policy supporting one or another party in conflicts between foreigners. Some or all of Antiwar.com's columnists believe that ethnic Albanians, supported by interventionist powers, are attacking Macedonia. What you, apparently, view as encouraging hatred, others view as encouraging self-defense. ~SK


Vidal and Radosh

Once again Justin Raimondo has demonstrated why he is the Internet's outstanding investigative journalist and commentator. I absolutely concur with every word of his penetrating article, "In Defense of Gore Vidal." For 30 years, I have followed the fascinating evolution of Ronald Radosh from 60s New Leftist to 21st century Neocon… I have equally monitored the amazing transformation of Gore Vidal (who ranks with Harper's Editor Lewis H. Lapham as America's greatest living essayists), from conventional Liberal/Social-Democrat to Paleolibertarian over the same period. (Those searching for more information regarding the mysterious role of German national Andreas Strassmeir and the Oklahoma City bombing should examine the renowned British journalist Ambrose Evans-Prichard's excellent The Secret Life of Bill Clinton: The Unreported Stories.) I steadfastly believe…that the greatest threat to America's peace, prosperity, and freedom are the Neoconservatives, both in the Defense Department, the media, and the bowels of establishment conservative think-tanks and foundations.

~ Charles A. Burris


America Needs republican Politics

Dear Sirs:

It seems to me that Antiwar.com could become something of a launching pad for a party or at least a caucus or movement within the Republican Party for a renewed American foreign policy based on traditional American foreign policy prior to the FDR years. …Is there any movement towards organizing a political movement of this type? …In recent years the trend has been towards security and not freedom. Part of how I define freedom, is the freedom to receive the reward of my labors compared to how much I must pay the security goons from both the social security left and the national security right. …We must remind the American people that the price of pursuing the untenable glory of world dominion is incessant warfare against the rest of the world's nationalists and patriots… We must become a political movement willing to paint the distinctions in every Congressional election and give the American people the choice to have a legitimate referendum on Republic versus Empire. …

~ Daniel McDonald
Cleveland, Oklahoma

At this time Antiwar.com is functioning as an Internet magazine, not as part of any organized attempt to create a political movement. The site's "Editorial and Political Credo" does state that, Antiwar.com "is dedicated to building an international opposition to the globalist and interventionist forces..." and wishes to help create a focused, effective, and organized opposition to the next war. We've discussed various organizational options in the Antiwar Forum. ~SK


Buchanan: China Dove?

[To Justin Raimondo:]

As a reader of your daily reader of your column since we started bombing Yugoslavia, I've considered you a very talented political writer, who I usually agree with. However, you misread Pat Buchanan's policy on China. …Have you read his article "To Die for Taiwan?" or A Republic, Not an Empire? Clearly, his position is that there is no reason for us to be in East Asia, and we shouldn't be saying we'll defend Taiwan to the last American…

The article:

"While the Beijing regime is crude, brutal and arrogant, China represents no threat to us. And before we declare it our duty to 'contain' China, and defend free Asia in a new Cold War, we ought to find out why free Asia cannot provide the ships, planes, guns and men to defend itself. 'We are not about to send American boys 9,000 or 10,000 miles away to do what Asian boys ought to be doing to protect themselves. America is a republic, not an empire. Mr. Bush has no right to take us to war with China, unless so authorized by Congress… Having stumbled our way into three Asian wars in one lifetime is enough. This time, tell us the truth, before the war."

~ Patriot Reform

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