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"'We must do this not only to defend our interests, but to act as force for good in a country that has been an ally to the US for decades. The Bush administration claims to prize 'moral clarity' in their conduct of foreign policy. I can think of no better way for the Administration to demonstrate this quality than to step in to assist the people of Liberia, which have long been oppressed by vicious dictators, most recently Charles Taylor. We have the power to help the people of Liberia put themselves on a path to security and eventual democracy …'

What drivel. In the entire history of Liberia, the U.S. government has been a force for evil, not good, starting from its very inception. We supported the Americo-Liberian elite as they replicated the very tyranny they had escaped. Our do-gooders conceived the idea of "Liberia" – initially called "Christopolis" – to begin with, and the U.S. Navy kept the colonists from being driven out by the natives. Now we want to go in and do some more "good." Forgive me if I sound a bit cynical, but for some reason I don't think the historical record is cause for optimism."

Drivel indeed. The author pulling a Maureen Dowd in plain site. Dean clearly didn't say that the US had been a force for good in Liberia, merely that Liberia had been our ally for decades (mostly due to the exigencies of the Cold War). I'm not saying that we should intervene in Liberia, but the lack of WMD is spurring this loose talk about humanitarian intervention other detritus.

1. As is traditional for Justine, the lost lavender social opportunities, imaginary or real, represented by any war are burning further holes in what little there ever was of his sanity.

2. Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, like Justine's. That we did what needed doing in Iraq does not require us to do anything in Liberia. Liberia's neighbors can step up to the plate on this one. The present thug in charge of Liberia is of the supposedly more civilized descendants of the American slaves sent to Liberia. The last thug was of the indigenous Liberians. We do not have such interests in Liberia as to require our winding up placing occupation troops there.

3. Justine is basically in favor of the US adopting national policies of cowardice and non-involvement. In this, he is like the handful of neo-Chamberlains represented by Llewellyn Rockwell and by the Rockford Institute. The continued ability of such people to claim ANY conservative credentials whatsoever as the basis for their desire to have the world and each of its nations run by thugs and anti-American thugs at that, is a disgrace to conservatism. These are "blood and soil conservatives" and largely racists. When they talk or write, listen for the tap, tap, tapping of Neville Chamberlain's old umbrella in the background and his mantra: "Herr Hitler has assured me that with the acquisition of the Sudetenland, his territorial ambitions are at an end. I don't know anyone in Czechoslovakia. Do you know anyone in Czechoslovakia? Why should England (or the U.S.) go to war over Czechoslovakia?"

4. Justine Raimondo (whose real name is Dennis somethingorother) is trying with a handful of other social misfits and eccentric village idiots to revive the isolationism that died on December 7, 1942 and deserved to die on that occasion. We were attacked on 9/11 not because we involve ourselves in the world on an INTERVENTIONIST basis but because we are hated by those who would rule first their nations and then ours (by the UN if necessary).

5. Better to ward off influenza by good nutrition and habits than to have to suppress the symptoms after it strikes. Likewise, in foreign policy, it is better to act pre-emptively.

6. Justine must be sooooooooo disappointed in Howard Dean. The man who favors folks like Justine being allowed the same legal status as married folks has broken Justine's heart or whatever by going native on intervening in Liberia.

7. Of course, what does it say of Dean that he favors intervention in Liberia but not in Iraq? Moral equivalency is idiocy but if we are going to have the sense to reject moral equivalency, let's at least do so in our own nation's interest.

8. Note Justine's naked contempt for religious values in his screed which is understandable given his social habits.

9. We need to close up shop to a substantial extent in Germany in recognition of Germany spitting in our faces over the Iraq War, distributing most of the troops to either those nations further east who support our goals and are loyal or to locations where the troops are actually performing a useful function. If Germany, a junior France unless and until the Christian Democrats and Christian Social Union are back in control, would like American troops in its country, bolstering its economy at the expense of our own, you would think that Germany, even under the red trash running it today, would know better than to poke its thumb in our eye.

10. We need to concentrate and conserve troop strength in genuinely strategic locations. Pulling out of South Korea at this point seems a worthy option after the election of an unreliable government. Allowing Japan to re-arm also makes sense at this point and should be a message to both Koreas and to China.

11. Coming from Justine, the notion of a foreign policy of "consistently minding our own business" is a sure-fire prescription for maximizing the death of the innocent in nations all over the world. Justine is too occupied with himself and his, ummmm, disordered personal obsessions to put up with any old religious values of being his brother's keeper.

12. We need not further empower the United Nations by ignoring the reality of thuggery in other nations. We must apply our limited resources where they will do the most good. Liberia is not likely to be such a place. Our sovereignty is not enhanced by Raimondo's limp-wristed McGovernite policies of national cowardice. Like George McGovern, Justine would, no doubt, crawl on his knees to our nation's enemies to avoid war. Nor, given 9/11, is the safety of Americans enhanced by hiding our collective head in the sand and bleating: "Make the bad dictator go away!" or "It's none of our business! PLEEEEEEASE No more bloodshed, no matter why!" When you are an atheist and a lavender one at that, nothing but your own backside's continued earthly existence matters as much.

13. Note that Justine who describes him/her/itself as "reactionary" would even find Howard the Coward Dean or Dennis the Menace Kucinich worth supporting if they would maintain a consistent policy of national cowardice. I wondewr how that sort of attitude is one of a "reactionary." Maybe the neo-ostriches over at Rockford Institute can tell us whether they too would prefer Dean or Kucinich over Dubya. AND the alleged Catholic Llewellyn Rockwell should answer the same question as to pro-aborts Kucinich and Dean. America wants to know.

While there is a lot of truth in this, the thrust of the article is not anything that I as a traditional Conservative can identify with.

The author needlessly disparages the good intentions of the founders of Liberia; although he is correct as to the unfair treatment of the indigenous tribes. While I do not believe it to be our duty to endlessly protect those with whom we have had friendly ties in the past; if we are to intervene anywhere in West Africa, in the interests of humanitarian goals, Liberia is a more fitting place than any other. The question, to me, is whether there is an implied commitment, from that long history, which the writer recites--albeit through clouded glasses--that would imply some moral obligation. The mere fact that the Capital is named after one of our better Presidents, is not determinative by itself.

Frankly, I am not sure of the answer. Therefore I refrain from taking a stand on the immediate issue. I will state, however, that as between Liberia and a further campaign in the Near or Middle East; all else being equal, I would prefer Liberia. The only exception to that, would be if it could be shown that some Near or Middle Eastern Nation was deliberately assisting Bin Laden's group.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site