Response to Harry Browne

2001-9-15 04:59:00

I usually agree with Harry Browne, leader of the Libertarian party, for I am libertarian in principle myself, but his attitude toward handling the enemies of freedom in my view is anti-libertarian and if followed could lead to the enslavement of mankind.

I have decided to comment on his words

Browne:
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.

JJ:
While it is true that in any war, just or unjust, each side has secrets that would be insane to reveal to its enemy. Yet in a just war, such as World War II, truth was revealed. The world saw clearly for the first time the need to "never again" let a tyrant like Hitler threaten the extinction of an entire race or the peace of the world.

You say truth is a casualty of this two day old war, but you fail to name the truth or truths which were sacrificed. I think the truth is out there clearly to be seen. Saying the truth is sacrificed while providing no shred of evidence does not make it so.

As far as sanity goes, the United States has faced some tough decisions and has made some mistakes, but nothing insane such as Saddam Hussein attempting to destroy the world by setting the oil fields on fire after he lost the war. You will recall that many scientists thought that such an act could destroy all the crops of the earth with a nuclear winter taking us back to the Stone Age. Fortunately, they were wrong.

We have never displayed this type of insanity which is currently alive and well out there as a threat to us. It is obvious that he (and others) would use a nuclear weapon if one was available, even if it meant his own destruction.

Browne:
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.

JJ:
This statement may sound good until you consider the history of the decision.

After Desert Storm, Saddam Hussein felt threatened by the Kurds in the North and the Shi'a Muslims in the South. Even though these people were a part of his own nation of Iraq, he ruthlessly turned on them with war planes and even poison gas leading to terrible painful deaths and the possible extermination of a people.

To save these innocent people from utter destruction the United States and Britain stepped in and established several "no fly zones" that would make it difficult for Saddam to exterminate these people. He was told that if he flew in these zones that his planes would be shot down.

Since that time Saddam has put every effort into creating anti-aircraft weapons to shoot us down. To insure the safety of our pilots we have bombed such weapons as soon as they are put into operation.

So my question to you Mr. Browne is this, "Should we have just stood by and let this tyrant exterminate the Kurds and Shi'a Muslims from the face of the earth?" To allow such a thing would be comparable to allowing Hitler the freedom to finish off the Jews after we had conquered him. This is an outrageous thought.

The establishment of the no fly zone was necessary and after it was created we had a sacred duty to protect our sons and daughters. We had to either destroy the anti-aircraft armaments and radar through bombing or watch our pilots get shot down one by one.

Thanks to this action, I do not believe we have lost one pilot in seeking to protect the innocent.

To even hint that the bombing of military targets in Iraq (which had little loss of Iraqi lives and saved American lives) is comparable to the mindless act of destroying 20,000 or more innocent civilians is delusion for they posed no military threat. In addition, the terrorists disrupted the livelihood and economy of millions of other innocent people. Your comparison is so outrageous I do not have words to express it.

Who is the insane one here?

Browne:
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.

JJ:
I do not have time to go through the other conflicts you mention. Some I agree with and some I do not, but a strong case could be made for each one. In each case, our motive was to protect the innocent and targeting of civilians was never sought out to make some political or religious point. Each target I am aware of was struck for military purposes.

Browne:
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?

JJ:
Unjust violence begets violence, but a just violent response which is successful will end violence.

For instance, the Japanese and Germans attacked us during World War II. We made a just violent response because they were the first aggressors. After they were defeated the violence ended and has not erupted again until this day. Both Germany and Japan are now our friends and allies.

If we would have finished the job with Iraq and replaced Saddam Hussein with a just leader it is quite possible that the Iraqi people would be our best friends today. In fact many of the Iraqi soldiers laid down their arms (during the war) before the Americans hoping this would happen

Browne:
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.

JJ:
Libya's terrorism came to a standstill after the bombing and no one knows for sure who was responsible for the TWA going down.

Browne:
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?

JJ:
Again, not if the lesson is just. Give a child a just punishment and he will change his behavior. We gave Japan and Germany a just retribution and they are now best friends.

Browne:
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.

JJ:
It doesn't take much courage to give your life for Allah when you are brainwashed to do so from the time you are born and believe you will receive a great eternal reward in the afterlife for so doing. About 80% of youth in some communities are eager to carry a bomb for Allah. In this situation it would be much more courageous to stand up for life.

To attempt to purchase heaven for yourself by destroying thousands of innocent lives is not only cowardly, but selfish.

The leaders who yet live and send forth their robotic lackeys are the greatest cowards of all for they work in the shadows, knowing their works are dark.

Browne:
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?

JJ:
Can you single out any of those accusations you mentioned where a President ordered the bombing of innocent people rather than a military target? I think not.

Browne:
When will we learn that forsaking truth and reason in the heat of battle almost always assures that we will lose the battle?

JJ:
Again you make nebulous accusations with nothing specific to go on.

Browne:
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?

JJ:
I'm a proponent of preserving and expanding freedom, but no one has asked me to give up any freedom because of this tragedy. If they do, I will be against it.

Browne:
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.

JJ:
You can go too far with minding your own business. This position of theirs provided great aid to Germany during the War. If they would have sided with the Allies it's possible that millions of lives could have been saved.

Browne:
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.

JJ:
Finally, something we agree on.

Browne:
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?

JJ:
From the tone of your letter it sounds like you would have been even against the Revolutionary War (many innocent people were killed) and the Civil War - you would have thought the North should have minded its own business and let the South have their slaves. It even sounds like you would have not wanted to help England stand up to Hitler, for this would have only brought more violence (in your view).

When people ask me what political persuasion I am, I say that I am a Libertarian, even though I am not a member of your party. I may have to rethink using this word since you are the leader of the party. If you had your way in recent history we would all be robbed of our freedom and liberty and may have been exterminated as a nation and people by some "final solution" that you would not want to have opposed.

It's time to cease calling others insane and examine your own mind and core beliefs.