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Good Day, PigRigger!

I want to say to all those I have pinged that within recent decades, even until a few years ago, I would have agreed with the sentiments almost all of you show. I no longer do. PigRigger has the truth of it.

The argument is long and difficult that leads to the truth, and in many places very sad. I have great love of the Republic, and am a man of the Republic in every way. Unfortunately those days are over, and it is time to move on.

The first point I will try to make is that the majority in any argument is at least as likely as the minority to be wrong. This should be enough to make you all reconsider.

Essentially the Republic, limited Constitutional Government, Ron Paulism, Libertarianism (I do enjoy Hoppe), States Rights, rule of law, all that stuff, has not been able to survive what Hamilton called "democracy" (as Hamilton predicted). As Tyler, Plato, and Aristotle pointed out, universal sufferage has terrible results. A Republic is an attempt to deal with this reality by "mixed Government" wherin "checks and balances" can be preserved. However, the mixed government, Constitutionally limited, with "checks and balances" is long gone. The most important of the Framer's checks on the Federal Government - States Rights - are gone with the wind. As Franklin said, "A Republic, madam, if you can keep it." Well, we haven't.

So now it is Empire, for better or worse. The Iraq business is a brilliant piece of international strategy, aimed as much at China, Russia, and Europe as it is at the Arab and other Muslim countries. I can see what Bush is doing, and it is brilliant, just brilliant. This is not a war of going over there, kicking a$$, and going home. Those days are over if they ever truly existed. Read your history, you will find that the last war we were in that was like that was the one with Mexico.

The goals in this war, which is still to be won, and can still easily be lost, are many and multilayered. Think of the goals as an attempt to make a world where the United States remains top dog. This requires dealing with each country individually and all of them at once globally. This is what Bush is attempting, and is very close to winning.

The risks are many, and probably the greatest is refusal of the population to support the program.

PigRigger doesn't believe our political system will support the Empire in the long run and believes it will probably take another 9/11 in order to 'inspire' the political will.

"you will find that the last war we were in that was like that was the one with Mexico."

I agree; the history of the country illustrates a continued abuse and dereliction of duty and power by the political institutions of the DC-tax regime. Liberty may seem anachronistic to the modern age, but I intended to die on the right side of the debate rather than standing in the square while the guillotine awaits its next victim.

A brilliant piece of international strategy? Maybe somewhere beneath the half truths and flimsy grounds for the war itself, shortage of troops, reserve and National Guard call-ups, mountains of money, encouragement to AQ and others seeking a Moslem - US World War, emboldening of our adversaries, urgency and encouragement to those seeking nuclear weapons who believe they're the only thing preventing US attacks and our international isolation there is a brilliant plan. I suppose the fact the President's poll numbers are down, in large measure due to Iraq, is also part of the plan. Not only is he snookering the terrorists but the Democrats too. I find it all more than a little hard to believe which is, clearly, why I don't believe it. Bush is digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself and, unless the Congress saves him from himself and demands the troops come home now, he could easily dig his way right out of office.