-Caveat Lector- ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date sent: Sun, 6 Jun 1999 19:57:17 -0700 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Release: Yugoslavian peace? To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Libertarian Party announcements list) Send reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- ======================================= NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100 Washington DC 20037 World Wide Web: http://www.lp.org/ ======================================= For release: June 7, 1999 ======================================= For additional information: George Getz, Press Secretary Phone: (202) 333-0008 Ext. 222 E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ======================================= Libertarians lament "disastrously" high price of peace in Yugoslavia WASHINGTON, DC -- The proposed peace agreement to end the Yugoslavian conflict is good news, says the Libertarian Party -- but, however it ends, the war will almost certainly turn out to be a disastrous "lesson" for American foreign policy, horrendously expensive for taxpayers, and an abject defeat for Constitutional government. "Libertarians will celebrate if the bombing and killing stops," said the party's national chairman, David Bergland. "But the price of victory is distressingly high. Our nation will continue to pay the penalty -- politically, financially, and constitutionally -- for this ill-conceived war for years or decades to come." Over the past several days, hopes have soared that the war in Yugoslavia might be winding down, after Slobodan Milosevic and the Yugoslavian parliament agreed to accept NATO demands. According to the terms of the agreement, Yugoslavia would withdraw troops from Kosovo, allow all displaced refugees to return, and allow a NATO "peace-keeping" force to occupy Kosovo. But the Libertarian Party is in no hurry to join the cheering over this so-called victory, said Bergland. "Benjamin Franklin once said there is no such thing as a good war or a bad peace," he said. "However, Yugoslavia proves that bad wars can lead to bad peace." For example, he noted: * It's a dangerous lesson in foreign policy. "Yugoslavia may turn out to be America's anti-Vietnam," said Bergland. "Vietnam taught the United States an important lesson about the dangers of foreign intervention, and the bloody price we can pay for acting as the world's policeman. By contrast, Yugoslavia may teach politicians that there is little political cost for long-distance, CNN-friendly wars where we rain missiles and bombs on small, defenseless countries until they surrender. "Ironically, the legacy of peace in Yugoslavia may be more war. Why? Because the relative ease of our victory and the lack of American casualties may embolden future presidents to launch more 'war-lite' conflicts, just to burnish their credentials as brave leaders of the World's Only Superpower." * It's going to hit American taxpayers in the wallet. "The war in Yugoslavia is the equivalent of digging a hole and then filling it in again -- only this hole may cost American taxpayers up to $150 billion," said Bergland. "That's the early estimate of the price tag to rebuild Yugoslavia, after we spent more than two months systematically bombing it to rubble. "Remember, we destroyed hospitals, bridges, water facilities, railroad lines, highways, electrical transformers, oil refineries, auto plants, office buildings, fuel depots, television stations, heating plants, and fertilizer plants. Now, apparently, it will be our responsibility to rebuild the entire nation. "And that cost doesn't include the billions we spent to wage this war, or the cost of the 7,000 American troops who will be part of any NATO peace-keeping force in Kosovo. That will run another $200 million a month -- for who knows how long. "The 'giant sucking sound' that Ross Perot warned us about could be Yugoslavia, vacuuming up any American budget surpluses as far as the eye can see." * It has further crippled the U.S. Constitution. "From the beginning, the attack on Yugoslavia was unconstitutional, since it was a blatant act of war against a sovereign nation without formal Congressional authorization," said Bergland. "Now, with this presidentially declared non-war apparently over, it will become a justification for the next foreign conflict -- and the Constitution will slip further into irrelevance. "Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo may celebrate the victory over a tyrant like Slobodan Milosevic, but American citizens will pay the price: A government increasingly unfettered by any Constitutional limitations." Wait a minute: Is it hypocritical for Libertarians to criticize the Yugoslavian peace agreement after also criticizing the war? "There's no inconsistency," said Bergland. "Libertarians weren't opposed to this war because we were afraid we'd lose; we opposed this conflict because we knew, win or lose militarily, the real loser would be American citizens. We're glad the war is over; we just regret the high price Americans will have to pay for peace." -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBN1rnLdCSe1KnQG7RAQFr5wP/TGc1FhOWK2/QeBPYWS2kFj2UeCtPWzpk 5PQbTzfNS47vq1R8/NpNuBdtvIuGkEcim3JBLgq60VXf4cqKLEYs+wxRz7e5IRJE CkYpn3p1WWcHb7vDLCBJizgIWYOCjklQ3jmRelz0yityGAS10ufh7l2d6/xzZBWB ql2tHgADbEM= =lM4O -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- The Libertarian Party http://www.lp.org/ 2600 Virginia Ave. NW, Suite 100 voice: 202-333-0008 Washington DC 20037 fax: 202-333-0072 For subscription changes, please mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> with the word "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the subject line -- or use the WWW form. 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