-Caveat Lector-
Not) dying in defense of freedom
By Charley Reese Commentary
Published in The Orlando Sentinel on October 22, 2000
Every time American military personnel are killed, someone
inevitably trots out the clich�: "They died in defense of
freedom."
If we are ever to construct a peaceful world and to save the
lives of our military personnel, then we are going to have to
stop lying.
The 17 young Americans killed by a bomb in the harbor of Yemen
were brave and loyal Americans. We mourn their loss. But they
did not die in defense of freedom.
They died to protect contracts British and American oil companies
have in the Persian Gulf. They died to maintain a cruel embargo
against the people of Iraq.
They most likely died because of America's one-sided support of
Israel.
What country in the Persian Gulf is a threat to American freedom?
Not one. The very idea is absurd on its face.
The Americans who lost their lives in Somalia did not die in
defense of freedom. Somalia was in a state of anarchy. They
died trying to enforce the meddling by the United Nations in the
internal affairs of Somalia. They died because some jerk of an
admiral decided he would play sheriff and arrest one of the very
competent warlords in Somalia. They died because the Clinton
Administration refused to send the backup America's military men
on the ground had requested.
But they did not die in defense of freedom. There was no freedom
in Somalia. Somalia's competing warlords were not a threat to
anyone but their own people.
You have to go back to the Vietnam War to find Americans who died
in defense of freedom, and even in that war, they died in defense
of someone else's freedom, not Americans'.
It is interesting to note that the American left bitterly opposed
that war and never hesitated to slander American soldiers and
even harass their families. Apparently the left, which now
occupies Washington, doesn't like wars against communists.
Oddly enough, as long as it doesn't have to fight them, the left
seems eager to make war on non-communist countries.
Since Vietnam, no American serviceman has died in defense of
freedom. They have died to carry out the imperialistic policies
of the central government in Washington. Often soldiers have
died to protect or advance economic interests of which they were
not even aware. The U.S. government has worked hard to turn the
American armed forces into a mercenary force.
And that is something that the American people should not
tolerate. One area where I part company with libertarians is
that I believe that all American males should take a turn in the
military. An army of citizen-soldiers is the best protection
against political leaders turning the army against its own
citizens.
No American fighting man should ever die except in defense of his
own country. No American force should ever attack any country
that is not attacking or preparing to attack the United States.
And no American serviceman should ever, under any circumstances,
serve under the command of foreigners.
Wars and acts of terrorism are born out of America's unjust
foreign policy. Unless we change that policy, Americans will
face a new century of wars, large scale and small scale. Unless
we change that policy, Americans will continue to die in places
where they have no legitimate reason to be and killed by people
who, were it not for American injustice, would have no reason to
wish us harm.
We owe it to the men and women of the armed forces to give them a
government and policy worthy of their sacrifice.
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Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF:
*Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
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