Pat Buchanan: U.S. Pays the High Price of Empire

Los Angeles Times ^ | 09/18/2001 | Patrick J. Buchanan

[sargon]

U.S. pays the high price of empire

This healthy policy debate should occur, eventually.

But for now, we must respond to the attack, in a thoughtful (and severe) way.

We also must evaluate our foreign policy, in a thoughtful way.

Knee-jerk reactions won't help anybody in the situation in which we find ourselves...

[the808bass]

It's not a sign of weakness to withdraw if it was a mistake to get in there in the first place.

I didn't say it would be a sign of weakness, only that it would be perceived as such. And, to some extent, perceptions have validity and other's perceptions have to be taken into account in formulating policy.

But there's no reason to aggravate the situation with unconditional support of Israel

I honestly do not understand where this idea comes from that we "unconditionally support" Israel. We give money to Palestinians. WE asked THEM to go back to the negotiation table with the PLO terrorist state. Powell has never ceased in his calls for Israel to temper itself, to curb its actions.

[the808bass]

The difference between rats and humans is that if a rat tries something and it doesn't work, the rat will try something else.

But, much like humans, rats are not interested in the long-term, only the "how does this affect me right now?"

[karlamayne]

True they hate our culture: Hollywood, Las Vegas, rap music, abortion on demand, fetal cell research. Everything good and noble.

[the808bass]

So you're saying America shows no favoritism to Israel that causes Arabs to hate us?

If you can show me where I said it, then I said it. If I didn't, then you are merely trying to put words in my mouth.

[Richard Axtell]

"It may help to engage your brain when you read - you'll realize that Buchanan didn't say what you suggest. There appear to be a number of Bush fanaticals on this thread - the combined brain power is underwhelming."

Clearly Buchanan didn't say that, as you say. He either totally ignored the undeniable fact that Tuesday's outrageous atrocity was perpetrated by "an armed, fanatical group of people determined to bring down our entire country and way of life", or he just doesn't realize it. Either way, because of this glaring and obvious error, Pat's counsel is simply worthless. Surely someone with overwhelming brainpower would pick that up in a second, but I guess you were too busy with ad hominem attacks toward the Bush "fanatics" to realize that. Bush fanatics? That ranks as much an oxymoron as a "a calm and reasoned discussion by Buchcanan... ites."
Bye, Pat, Bye.

[dead]

But as the president directs the moral outrage of his wounded nation, he will need the wisdom of Solomon.

The editor thought that “Patrick J. Buchanan” was a little too egocentric, so he made Pat change it to “Solomon”.

[duckln]

Now Pat says we were asking for it.

Sounds accurate to me, we let those cells into the country, dismantled our civilian defenses and intelligence gathering, yep sounds accurate to me!

I'm glad I don't have to share a foxhole with that turncoat

You put your self in a fox hole! Pat, I'm sure on his part wouldn't jump in a fox hole with you, he been in the fight for years. A year ago Pat was the only 'serious' candidate and today we are all getting serious and everyone is starting to sound more and more like Pat!

[l0newolf]

There appear to be a number of Bush fanaticals on this thread - the combined brain power is underwhelming.

Not only on this thread but every other it would seem. Never seen so many armchair warriors creeping out of the woodwork.

All of them live in denial it would seem...since "foreign entanglements" is what got us here I cannot imagine that furter "foreign entanglements" will do anything but start WW3. But then there seem to be many at FR that think technology and military might will make the Taliban and their ilk roll over. If the Russians failed against a lightly armed enemy of determined guerilla fighters what makes all you people think that the opposite will be true for us?

Our ignorance of the determination of these people will be the first step to military failure.

[Moby Grape]

Want to know why Pat got only about 15 votes for president?...Read this article.

[Dick Bachert]

Now THAT was BRILLIANT!

Your REAL name is JOHN JACOB JINGO</font color=red>HEIMER SMITH and you're heading down to the RECRUITING OFFICE this morning, right? I did 4 years in the USAF during the Nam thing, but I'm too old or I'd give it a whirl.

I'm not saying the coming fight is not necessary or justified. I just pray it's not a textbook briar patch.

Let's have this conversation after those dreadful freezers at DOVER AFB begin to fill up -- perhaps with some of YOUR friends and family.

And if Bush is so great, he will move immediately to arm our commercial air crews. While I'm sure these monsters have OTHER things in mind for us, he could at least try to prevent another hijacking tragedy allowing them to use commercial aircraft as bombs.

YOU SEE, THE ENTIRE EPISODE COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED HAD EACH OF THOSE PLANES HAD STRONGER COCKPIT DOORS AND THOSE FOUR CAPTAINS HAD CRUMBY $300. PISTOLS IN THEIR FLIGHT BAGS!

WE SIMPLY MUST ASK OUR "LEADERS" (BUSH INCLUDED) WHY THEY DID NOT!!

AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT PLAN, ASK THE SURVIVORS OF THE 5,000 FORMER AMERICANS IF THEY WOULD AGAIN TRADE THEIR LOVED ONES TO APPEASE THE OH-SO DELICATE SENSIBILITIES OF ROSIE O'DONNELL, SARAH BRADY AND THE NUTS AT HANDGUN CONTROL. ANYBODY ELSE WONDER WHY WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM SINCE 9-11?

As America continues to reel from the catastrophic events of 9/11, we need to rethink a few things:

It’s probably time to train and ARM the cockpit crews of US carriers who agree to the program. Pilots and FOs who do not want the responsibility can be exempted. It was, after all, the folks controlling the aircraft who were the targets on Terrible Tuesday.

During the rash of hijackings of a few decades ago, the feds put armed “AIR MARSHALS” on many flights. While some correctly argued that a fuselage punctured by a bullet at 35,000 feet MIGHT – repeat MIGHT bring the plane down – hijackings fell off.

One thing we know for sure about the four craft hijacked on 9/11: They ALL CAME DOWN and THEY ALL DIED!!

And to those who will inevitably – and stupidly – argue that pilots and FOs just cannot be trusted with the decision about when it’s time to pull a trigger, better tell the up to 400 folks sitting in the back that the guys up front are judgment-impaired!

Personally, I’d prefer to take my chances with a rapid decompression than watch some madman take MY flight into a building or the ground at 500 mph. That was the final experience of 266 fellow humans on 9/11. I KNOW I – like they – won’t survive that!

And pay VERY close attention to the "solutions" being offered by those in government: They are NOT talking about REMOVING the limitations they have ALREADY placed on us as individuals to DEFEND OURSELVES. They are beginning to talk about FURTHER RESTRICTIONS on our liberties and MORE GOVERNMENT! More GOVERNMENT? The same GOVERNMENT that failed so miserably in its obligation to protect citizens that 5,000 of them died like cattle in a slaughterhouse on September 11th? THAT GOVERNMENT?? </font color=red>

It’s again the old, old story: There aren’t TOO many weapons out there. It’s that the touchy-feely, warm-fuzzy PC crowd now sees to it that all too frequently, THE WRONG PEOPLE HAVE THEM!

Now WHERE DID I leave those asbestos BVDs?

[Nephi]

Pat's "solution" is to wall up the USA,

As opposed to fighter planes surveying our cities and armed forces on Wall St?

cast away our international financial interests,

America doesn't have international financial interests, its financial interests are in the homeland. Corporations do have international financial interests and they have nothing to do with America, but you free traitors refuse to see that.