The Unending War Comes Home

                                                    by Ryan McMaken

                 So it begins. We now have a choice between two options. We can escalate the current low intensity
                 war that the United States is waging against nations of the world from Columbia to Iraq. Or, we can
                 pause and re-examine our current imperial adventures around the world and recognize that
                 terrorism against the United States is the natural consequence of trying to tell the rest of the world
                 how to live.

                 Already, the war chant has gone up from the neo-conservative establishment regarding the need to
                 escalate American intelligence efforts and American hegemony in our world. Former Senator Warren
                 Rudman has already called for a new "war against terrorism" and even had the temerity to use this
                 event as an opportunity to condemn American isolationism. Rudman (undoubtedly towing the
                 establishment conservative line) has compared the modern United States to an isolationist America
                 in the 1930’s. Such a statement exhibits either incredible ignorance of current American foreign
                 policy or just rank opportunism.

                 I fear that the latter may be true for many American pundits will dare to claim that it is too little
                 American military intervention that has caused this catastrophe. What they are essentially claiming
                 is that the United States which regularly bombs and starves Iraqi civilians, sends airstrikes against
                 Serbian civilians, defoliates Columbian farms, and supports the butchering of Palestinian children is
                 somehow an isolationist nation and must escalate its involvement in pushing around foreign nations.

                 How much longer must American civilians die to support the pork projects of the defense industry
                 and the fantastic hallucinations of the war-hawks in Washington who are unceasingly searching for a
                 new source of "evil" since the end of the Cold War.

                 Does anyone seriously think that "retaliation" to this attack will do anything to really stop terrorism?
                 It reminds one of 18th century British soldiers lining up in formation to be mowed down by Indian
                 guerilla fighters. We fail to understand what is going on and how to deal with it. When will the
                 paybacks end? Terrorists bomb American embassies in Africa, so Clinton responds by bombing a
                 pharmaceuticals factory in Sudan. The terrorists respond by killing thousands of Americans in New
                 York City. It is naïve in the extreme to think that one more strike against terrorists will finally end it
                 all.

to be cont...

cont...


                 What is needed now is a long hard look at the way that the United States conducts its affairs abroad.
                 Senator Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has uttered some of the few
                 intelligible words in this aftermath by encouraging a pause to think about the need for a reasonable
                 response and to refuse to surrender American liberty to calls for an all-out war against terrorism.

                 Naturally, the fact that the United States has perpetrated many crimes against foreign nations does
                 not mean that innocent American civilians deserved to die, nor does it diminish the barbarity of
                 these terrorist acts. What should be remembered, however, is that these acts are in response to
                 equally barbarous acts perpetrated by the United States against innocent civilians abroad, and if we
                 are serious about avoiding escalating terrorist war, we must refuse to cow to whatever the defense
                 industry and the Congress demand to keep their war-happy interest groups content.

                 Much has been made of this attack as being a "second Pearl Harbor" and the governor of Colorado
                 even used the tired old line about awakening a sleeping giant. The problem is that the giant has not
                 been sleeping at all, but has been fully exercising its power, and it now finally beginning to feel the
                 effects of wielding that power.

                                                                       September 12, 2001

Copyright 2001 LewRockwell.com

Ryan McMaken

Has some valid points, but poorly timed and inappropriate. [pissed]

This is DEFINITELY NOT THE TIME FOR THIS type of post.

Please show some respect and deference to those who are suffering right now.

I USED to think maybe people like Lew Rockwell had a point.
Now I think that point is right on top of their head.

So RBAD I guess its ok to talk about this now right?  

You know for years now the Libertarians have been telling us to keep to our own business and leave well enough alone.   They have foretold of the grave costs of "Empire" and guess what?   This latest bill for our arrogance just collected a sh*load of lives!

It amazes me that most here on ar15.com have no ethical dilemma about our military's global adventurism but yet  would be doing backflips if we had a foreign power pulling upon us one tenth the stunts we pull against peoples across the world.  Did Somalia ever declare war on the USA?  Did Yugoslavia?  No of course not.  But now we have people from these places and more who have nothing but hate, contempt or bitterness toward us.  Naturally we only pick on the little guys, like Somalia and Yugoslavia, unless we have a shitload of backup like we had against Iraq.  I don't recall us bombing China because we didn't appreciate its invasion of Tibet?  Or how it treats its own people within is borders.  But we'll bomb Serbia with abandon for deporting illegal immigrants that came over from Albania.  (its ok Serbia doesn't have nukes or subs like China so its safe)  I don't see any stopping the near constant flow of (taxpayer) cash to Russia, even though they level every Chechnian village they come across, after they rape and pillage first though.  Nary a peep about that.  Hey they still got some nuclear weapons, not good for business!  The hypocrisy is incredible.

If we choose to continue acting like globo-cops we are exposing ourselves to even more of this morass and mess.  Not to mention bleeding ourselves silly with the taxes necessary to go forth with it.

[b] We have begun to reap what we have sown! [/b]
Lets stop this madness of meddling in the affairs of other countries before we see even more hate and discontent.  It isn't going to get any better otherwise.

rDAm

You make a good point in part.  We should do a lot less covert operations and more scorched earth ones.  It would only take a few operations designed to remove from the planet those who actively attack us to created decades of peace.

IF, Afganistan is harboring our prey more lives will be spared by destroying every living thing within their borders in the long run.

Hey, anyone hear from Mohmar Quadaffi lately?!

So you are saying that the USA as a whole being responsible for the Government which it "chooses" has done absolutely nothing that could be even remotely considered an act of war against another sovereign body, killing or responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians?  You know for example; bombing Serbia without Serbia bombing us first.  Stuff like that?
I had once had such admiration for the citizens of the far west, so often victimized by the Federal leviathan (sometimes as badly as those in foreign countries) and fighting against the corrupt regimes in Washington.  Well I can always hope that you are a Cali or NY transplant.
rDAm

Post from planerench -

Not since President Reagan bitch-slapped him![>]:)]