HARRY BROWNE: "When will we learn?"

The terrorist attacks against America comprise a horrible tragedy. But they shouldn't be a surprise.

It is well known that in war, the first casualty is truth – that during any war truth is forsaken for propaganda. But sanity was a prior casualty: it was the loss of sanity that led to war in the first place.

Our foreign policy has been insane for decades. It was only a matter of time until Americans would have to suffer personally for it. It is a terrible tragedy of life that the innocent so often have to suffer for the sins of the guilty.

When will we learn that we can't allow our politicians to bully the world without someone bullying back eventually?

President Bush has authorized continued bombing of innocent people in Iraq. President Clinton bombed innocent people in the Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Serbia. President Bush, senior, invaded Iraq and Panama. President Reagan bombed innocent people in Libya and invaded Grenada. And on and on it goes.

Did we think the people who lost their families and friends and property in all that destruction would love America for what happened?

Supposedly, Reagan bombed Libya to teach Muammar al-Qaddafi a lesson about terrorism. But shortly thereafter a TWA plane was destroyed over Scotland, and our government is convinced it was Libyans who did it.

When will we learn that "teaching someone a lesson" never teaches anything but resentment – that it only inspires the recipient to greater acts of defiance.

How many times on Tuesday did we hear someone describe the terrorist attacks as "cowardly acts"? But as misguided and despicable as they were, they were anything but cowardly. The people who committed them knowingly gave their lives for whatever stupid beliefs they held.

But what about the American presidents who order bombings of innocent people – while the presidents remain completely insulated from any danger? What would you call their acts?

When will we learn that forsaking truth and reason in the heat of battle almost always assures that we will lose the battle?

And now, as sure as night follows day, we will be told we must give up more of our freedoms to avenge what never should have happened in the first place.

When will we learn that it makes no sense to give up our freedoms in the name of freedom?

First of all, stop the hysteria. Stand back and ask how this could have happened. Ask how a prosperous country isolated by two oceans could have so embroiled itself in other people's business that someone would want to do us harm. Even sitting in the middle of Europe, Switzerland isn't beset by terrorist attacks, because the Swiss mind their own business.

Second, resolve that we won't let our leaders use this occasion to commit their own terrorist acts upon more innocent people, foreign and domestic, that will inspire more terrorist attacks in the future.

Third, find a way, with enforceable constitutional limits, to prevent our leaders from ever again provoking this kind of anger against America.

There are those who will say this article is unpatriotic and un-American – that this is not a time to question our country or our leaders.

When will we learn that without freedom and sanity, there is no reason to be patriotic?

Harry Browne was the 2000 Libertarian presidential candidate. More of his articles can be read at HarryBrowne.org, and his books are available at HBBooks.com.

You don't get it do you? Alaska is an experiment that we must fight for. But until then where the hell are we going to get oil? And what if the experiment shows that there is much less than expected?

Nuclear Power, and Natural Gas (of which US proven reserves are also immense).

No blood for oil.

Your asinine presumptions expose your hollow ideals. You are no more than a Monday morning quarterback, of course as a party that will never have power, that is all the LP consists of. In all your posts you have said NOTHING!

On the contrary, petulant child. I have said this:

Excessive partiality for one foreign nation, and excessive dislike of another, cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favorite, are liable to become suspected and odious; while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their interests.

The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is, in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop.
-- President George Washington, Farewell Address

To put it succinctly, I agree with Mr. Washington's advice completely, and you oppose him.
I define my patriotism in matters of Foreign Affairs by Washington's maxims; and I observe that he places you within the company of dupes and tools.

And, Mr. Washington remains 100% Right, and you remain (as is your consistent record) 100% Wrong.

There should be no apologies for Iraq. Saddam is an evil that still needs to be defeated. Israel is an ally and we should assist it in it's time of need.

Iraq was of zero consequence to the interests of the US citizenry in 1990. Kuwait was not then, nor is now, a vital American national interest. The nation prospered quite nicely for 185 years before the nation-state of "Kuwait" was ever invented.

And as I said before, the 1990-1991 Gulf War events were almost completely unrelated to Israel. Saddam began bombing Israel with scuds only after it became apparent that the US was going to stage a counter-invasion of Kuwait. Once the Interventionists had embarked on that policy, Saddam found it convenient to try to change an Arab-Arab conflict into an Arab-Israeli conflict.

For all your vaunted "support" of Israel, it was the policies of the Gulf War Interventionists who placed Israel in harm's way (at least, more so than before) in 1991. So you can add a few-score Israeli deaths to your side's credit, also.

Of course, now we may have to go in and kill him, it's true. Your interventionism has created this bloody mess, and now we'll have to go in and clean it up. Meanwhile, Tool and Dupe that you are, you continue to prance about and insist that we should learn nothing from this -- or at least, that you should learn nothing from this, as I have already adopted Washington's views years ago.

Face it, you have no valid argument, but you wish to assert yourself as an intellectual. You are one sad excuse for a human. And your baseless self amusement in your ability to debate illustrates your sad condition. I feel sorry for you really.

My argument is Washington's argument.

You're just pissed off 'cause I've had the "gall" to expose your willingness to place American blood in harm's way for the "holy grail" of Arab dictator's Oil (where do you think these dictators get all the money to buy weapons with which to oppose Israel? Here's a hint: they sure aren't complaining about the US dependence on Arab Oil you so foolishly advocate).

Christian you are not.

IF we were to judge your complete inability for honest and critical self-examination of your willingness to expend blood for cheap oil, we'd have to conclude you don't even know the meaning of the term "Christian".

Christians are honest.
You are willfully blind.

He is a selfish LP propaganda machine, that has even defiled our Holy Book to further his cause.

More lies from the dissembler.

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the Libertarian Party (politically, I am Independent); I have cast notably more GOP votes in my life than LP votes; and my only active political financial support goes to a Republican organization (Ron Paul's Republican Liberty Caucus). As if any of that is your business.

Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness.
(Not that you have ever demonstrated any respect for the Law of God).

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