Free Republic

The following is a conclusion of a long article by a philosopher Lee Harris where he is deconstructing a frequently heard lately charge of "blowback" to US actions in the world (i.e. that 9/11 was a "blowback" for the United States' foreign policy toward the Muslim world over the past half century or so, going back to the CIA engineered coup in 1953 that ousted Iranian leader Mossadegh, and that  "we had it coming" as a response to "American imperialism") ...This conclusion, however, poses a radical dilemma. A libertarian can plausibly argue that politicians should not interfere with domestic affairs,...

If there was a defining moment in 2006, it was the public firing of Donald Rumsfeld, just hours after the Republican rout of Nov. 7. George Bush was bowing to public repudiation of his war policy, his war minister and, indeed, his war presidency. Yet one senses voters were doing more than rejecting Bush's leadership on Iraq. They were rejecting the very idea of spilling blood and treasure in crusades for "global democracy," "ending tyranny on earth" or a "New World Order." By saying, as most of us are saying now, "In the end, it's the Iraqis' problem," Americans seem...

The post-war Western alliance, as incarnated by the United Nations, is finished. Its future is as shaky as Ted Turner's stock portfolio. It needs life support. I can honestly say that I never thought I would see this.