Posted on 09/12/2001 12:31:51 AM PDT by ouroboros
Wednesday, September 12, 2001
By Harry Browne
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com
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?
When will we learn that violence always begets violence?
Teaching lessons
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?
Losing our last freedoms
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?
What to do?
What should be done?
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.
Patriotism?
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.
LOL!!
LOL!!
Could it be because all able Swiss male citizens are required to serve in the military and to keep their weapons in their homes ready to go at a moments notice? Though nothing will stop a determined madman, responsible armed citizens will always be a strong deterant to these people.
Check my post, 'dog! I said, "Nature hates a vacuum." Your post in reply backs that up -- When one fell off the throne, another climbed on top.
Only a fool would believe that the USA will remain the sole superpower for eternity. And only a fool would deny that when the USA finally falls, another GloboCop -- probably not nearly as benevolent -- will rise.
To all: I'm not saying the U.S. should not use strong action. We have to continue the agressive game we started.
Re-read Browne's words. What "strong action" did he recommend?
'please sir, you cannot smoke pot and clean your handgun on the eating tray'!
When Bill Clinton bombed an aspirin factory to oblivion in order to distract attention from his hedonistic wanderings, perjury and witness tampering, did the citizens of THIS NATION revolt? Was he jerked out of office by his collar as he should have been? NO!!
Our illustrious elected representatives in the Senate unanimously voted for a trial that was a complete whitewash and free pass to the life he is living now. The entire world saw that. Have there been any indications from any sector of our government that he will EVER be brought to justice for his many crimes while in office? NO!!
Why would the people of any other nation NOT draw the same conclusion you have about others - that the people of THIS NATION supported and continue to turn a blind eye to his evil crimes?
I realize that the majority of your brain cells are below your belt, but why not try using the scant few above your collar for a change?
See also:
More likely, its that a whole lot of folks' money, including the terrorists' financial backing, finds its home in the banks of Switzerland.
Yes, we recognize the government of Israel (as we should) -- although we have NO treaty of mutual defense with Israel; and it is true -- Israel is at war with its mortal enemy, "Palestine" (though it is an internal war; a kind of civil war, as "palestine" is not even really a nation-state and never has been).
All of which has next to nothing to do with the Gulf War and the ensuing blockade of Iraq. These actions -- actions of imperial military interventionism -- have a lot more to do with the escalation of radical-Islamic terrorism against the US in the 1990s than does our recognition of Israel.
And for what?
Oil?
We have Oil. Here, in the US, in Alaska and in major offshore deposits. There is no need to engage in empire-building in the Gulf; such imperial overstretch invariably serves to enrage and radicalize against us, numerous elements who (if we were not militarily present in the region) would otherwise care very little about us, one way or another.
Patriots would prefer to drill oil at home, and make no more enemies than we have to. We value the blood of our fellow-citizens too highly to endanger them by engaging in empire-building in the Gulf (and somalia, and serbia, and haiti, and... etc).
The disservice that America has done to Iraq is that the man is not 6 feet under. We must make this right.
Couldn't eradicate those ... but we could shoot you up with a good dose, and knock you out for the duration of this little adventure ... and not have to read your inane posts ... that alone would be worth it.
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