IP: Harry Browne on attacks: A response to "insane" foreign policy

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Please don't yell at me djf

> Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 10:13:54 -0400
> To: politech () politechbot com
> From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Harry Browne article on attacks
> Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:50:06 -0700
> From: Eric Garris <egarris () antiwar com>
>
> I am very happy to say that Harry Browne has submitted an article to
> Antiwar.com on the terror attacks.
>
> We will be running it tomorrow, but I have already sent it out to our
> news
> service and syndication subscribers.
> http://www.antiwar.com/orig/browne2.html
>
>
>                             When Will We Learn?
>                               by Harry Browne
>                              September 12, 2001
>
>    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. You can
>    read more of his articles at www.HarryBrowne.org, and his books are
>    available at www.HBBooks.com.
>
> *********
>
>
>
>
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