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I want my country back(HARRY BROWNE BARF ALERT)
World Net Daily ^ | December 5, 2002 | Harry Browne

Posted on 12/06/2002 5:19:32 AM PST by Sparta

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: December 5, 2002 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

Thoughts on the American empire …

Is it an empire?

Whenever I say that America has become an empire, someone is sure to say I'm being ridiculous.

But what do you call a government that has tried (usually successfully) to force "regime changes" in Panama, Grenada, South Vietnam, Cuba, Guatemala, Chile, Rhodesia, South Africa, Iraq (in 1963), the Philippines, Serbia, Afghanistan (twice), Iran and several other countries that don't immediately come to mind?

What do you call a government that has troops stationed in a hundred countries around the world?

What do you call a government whose leader says everyone must play by his rules or risk being attacked?

America the protector?

But then someone is sure to instruct me that "American troops are stationed abroad because those countries asked for them."

Yes, people in foreign countries want American troops there – just about as much as the Poles enjoyed having Soviet troops in Poland.

American troops are in those countries only because the governments of those countries were bribed with your money to allow American troops in.

How would you feel if there were Chinese troops wandering around your city?

Or even German troops?

So how do you think Germans feel about seeing American troops walking their streets – or Korean or Japanese citizens watching American soldiers commit murders and rapes in their countries without facing local prosecution?

World government

America rules the world – by force.

And that's ironic. Because for as long as I can remember, conservatives have been railing against the threat of world government.

But now we actually have a form of world government – a government run by George Bush and enforced by the American military – and most conservatives are all for it.

Our government decides what rules Iraq must live by, and if Iraq breaks those rules it can be bombed or invaded.

Our government decides which governments are legitimate and which must be replaced, which dictatorships are evil and which are "our partners in the War on Terrorism."

North Korea

Some people can't understand why our government is getting ready to attack Iraq, but is ignoring North Korea – which admits to having nuclear weapons and the ability to fire them at Alaska.

The difference between the two countries is simple: North Korea has the means to hurt us, Iraq doesn't.

In the past 50 years, our government has attacked many countries – Panama, Grenada, the Sudan, Afghanistan (twice), Cuba, Vietnam, Iraq and others. But it has never attacked a country that had the capability to hurt America.

Russia, China, Pakistan, India, North Korea, Israel – all have nuclear weapons. So we participate in "constructive engagement" with those countries.

But Iraq? No threat to us, so we can bomb it and invade it with impunity.

Fighting terrorism

After 9-11, some people said we should try to find the people responsible, capture them and prosecute them. They were largely laughed at as being unrealistic. Only by bombing and devastating Afghanistan could we be sure to get Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. And our president assured us that they would be brought to justice.

Now it's a year later. Osama bin Laden hasn't been captured or killed. Al-Qaida is alive and well. So is anyone concerned?

Of course not. Our attention is directed to Iraq – even though there's no public evidence that Iraq has anything to do with al-Qaida – and a lot of evidence that they're enemies of each other. Suddenly, Osama bin Laden is no longer important.

This doesn't make sense if you think the object is to end terrorism. But it makes perfect sense if the object is to demonstrate the empire's power to intimidate.

Why do they hate us?

For the past year, we've been hearing over and over that the Muslims and others around the world hate us because of our freedoms and our prosperity.

If that's true, the terrorists have won – because we're rapidly giving up our freedoms, and the loss of those freedoms is destroying our ability to prosper.

But, actually, it is only Americans who say that our freedoms and prosperity are the reason foreigners hate us. If you ask the foreigners, they make it clear that it's America's bullying foreign policy they detest.

Liberty and security

We're also told that we must give up some liberty for the sake of security. But that's not true.

For most of our history, Americans enjoyed both liberty and security from foreign threats.

But, as Tim O'Brien has pointed out, while it's possible to have both liberty and security, you can't have an empire as well. Once the American government decided to run the world, Americans were forced to choose between liberty and security – because you can't have all three. Once you become an empire, either liberty or security must go.

Most likely, however, we will lose both liberty and security. We're losing our liberties, but innocent Americans will continue to be hurt by terrorists because of what our government is doing overseas.

Hate America?

Whenever I write on these subjects, I invariably get e-mails accusing me of hating America or "blaming America first."

Quite the contrary. I love America, and I can't stand quietly by while the land of peace and liberty is being destroyed.

I love the America of the Constitution and limited government – not the America of the Patriot Act and the Orwellian Department of Homeland Security.

I love the America that Washington and Jefferson said should be far removed from all the age-old quarrels of Europe and Asia, while trading benevolently with people all over the world – not the America that has troops in a hundred countries while our own government prohibits us from peaceful trading with dozens of countries.

In short, I want my country back.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: dupe; idiot; libertarians; republic; waambulance
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To: Sparta
Browne and all of the rest of the libertarian tinfoil hatters must be considered enemies. They are nothing more than rat shills. When we wring our hands about close losses because of their votes we are missing the point. These people are just hybred rats - no different. We should look at those races from the opposite view. They take away rat votes not Republican votes. They NEVER were ours to begin with! These dip shiites are NOT Republican voters they are rat voters who sometimes stray.
101 posted on 12/06/2002 7:58:08 AM PST by jmaroneps37
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To: jmaroneps37
are NOT Republican voters

Take off your otherwise well earned dunce cap, you finally got something right.

No one in their right mind who treasures liberty and constitutional government supports politicions who work at opposite purposes.

102 posted on 12/06/2002 8:02:08 AM PST by Protagoras
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To: ThomasJefferson
Sparta is okay he post lots of historical stuff and im a history buff. He endorsed the Ayn Rand institute. I save return bannee accusations for newbies with little good in them at all.
103 posted on 12/06/2002 8:02:08 AM PST by weikel
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To: jjm2111
Point taken peasant lol.
104 posted on 12/06/2002 8:03:15 AM PST by weikel
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To: Sparta
Harry Browne's occasionally mind-boggling adherence to pure ideology in a world too pragmatic for him, as well as his grip on the Libertarian Party leadership is what's caused me to not renew my Libertarian Party membership. When he's gone maybe I will, but not until.

On pure theory, I agree with a lot of what Harry Browne says. If I weren't a realist, I'd agree with nearly all of it. But in regards to our stationing of troops in military bases overseas, I always have and always will think he's correct.

If Saudi Arabia or Russia wanted to put a military base on U.S. soil, the mere suggestion would likely cause whispers of war.

105 posted on 12/06/2002 8:04:25 AM PST by tdadams
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To: weikel
I save return bannee accusations for newbies with little good in them at all.

I don't know what you concider to be a newbie, but the poster has only been registered for a short time.

And I asked two legitimate questions. What did he/she hope to accomplish with the thread and what was his/her former screen name?

106 posted on 12/06/2002 8:05:42 AM PST by Protagoras
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To: libertylady
Why do the neocons bring up drugs on an editorial that doesn't even discuss drugs.

Its their only way to try to discredit an obvious truth. And to change the subject from questions they have no answers for.

107 posted on 12/06/2002 8:13:57 AM PST by FreeTally
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To: weikel
Peasant??? I thought I was going to be your Lord High Protector and Duke of New Jersey. :)
108 posted on 12/06/2002 8:17:02 AM PST by jjm2111
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To: Liberal Classic
I hope you're wrong.

Me too.

I hoped my fears that the Republicans would not continue to pass socialistic laws were unfounded, but it turned out they weren't.

I can see no possible reason GW could give for not re-signing it. And it will make it to him.

109 posted on 12/06/2002 8:17:04 AM PST by FreeTally
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To: jjm2111
Oh alright you can be lord govenor of the Wyoming wastelands.
110 posted on 12/06/2002 8:20:02 AM PST by weikel
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To: tdadams
I was cosidering becoming a registered Libertarian until 9-11. Browne's remarks right after changed that.
111 posted on 12/06/2002 8:20:25 AM PST by jjm2111
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To: jjm2111
Most of the good appointments I already have canidates for.
112 posted on 12/06/2002 8:27:18 AM PST by weikel
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To: sheltonmac
The official position of the LP is "free and open immigration." Personally, I think limiting immigration plays a big part in national security.

This "l"ibertarian is against open immigration with the way the country is run now. I think if you ask most "l"ibertarians or "L"ibertarians, most will agree that they would be for some sort of "open immigration" ONLY after the welfare system and all other socialistic systems are totally dismantled and made a thing of the past. Obviously, open immigration would not work in any way, shape or form as long as we have socialism in place.

If there were no free handouts, then only those who wish to work and make something of themselves would come here. Oh, at first, the leaches may try, but when they found out there was no free ride and they would be promptly deported or imprisoned for crimes, they wouldn't come, or would change their attitudes.

113 posted on 12/06/2002 8:27:19 AM PST by FreeTally
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To: weikel
Yes!!! I actually like Wyoming.
114 posted on 12/06/2002 8:27:36 AM PST by jjm2111
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To: weikel
You should refer to governors as "Moffs".
115 posted on 12/06/2002 8:28:46 AM PST by jjm2111
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To: jjm2111
Im the Emperor and can call them anything I want lol( a Moff would more accurately be the governor of a multistate regional district since in Star Wars the Moffs ruled whole sectors).
116 posted on 12/06/2002 8:36:47 AM PST by weikel
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To: jjm2111
Okay swear alliegance to me and I will invest you as lord of the Wyoming wastes.
117 posted on 12/06/2002 8:38:48 AM PST by weikel
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To: weikel; Tennessee_Bob
I'm the Emperor ...

"There's always someone who doesn't get the word."

118 posted on 12/06/2002 8:44:45 AM PST by dighton
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To: dighton
I denounce you pretender. No act performed to defend my throne from your usurpation will be tried in a civilian court.
119 posted on 12/06/2002 8:47:38 AM PST by weikel
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To: dighton
LOL yeah I signed that as Darth Weikel. Bob's lack of vision will be his undoing.
120 posted on 12/06/2002 8:50:02 AM PST by weikel
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