From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Susan Hogarth
On Jan 28, 2008 12:32 PM, Bob Giramma <[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:evil_spock%40hotmail.com> com> wrote: > > So, although George Washington et al risked "our Lives, our Fortunes and our > sacred Honor" to achieve a system of liberty previously > unknown, George failed to measure up to the Rothbardian standard of > libertarian purity, and therefore, all good libertarians should > trash him. George Washington -- father of our enslavement. > > OK, I think I got it now. Thanks. Jeezus, Bob. Rothbard simply had the audacity to poke a hole in the Washington legend. He was, in Rothbard's opinion, a poor general and a worse president. You're acting like someone in the schoolyard said you mother was ugly. You might find it refreshing to look at the man behind the myth sometime. BOB: OK, I already knew Washington wasn't a great general in the traditional sense. Sorry if I misled on that one. And it's also fair to say I have inadequate background to comment on Rothbard's criticism if I haven't read it in his own words. But given that I already knew some of Washington's shortcomings, I don't see a legend to be broken. Instead, I appreciate his accomplishment at taking a rag-tag army and running around the countryside long enough for luck to go his way. There was no possible way the colonial army was going to beat the British military in traditional European-style battle. Also, although he had an imperfect presidency, there were many precedents set by Washington that we should celebrate even today. It's not easy being first. I think the greatest thing George Washington ever did was go home -- twice. Throughout most of history, military victors became absolute rulers. After the war, Washington resigned his commission and went home. Then, after two terms as president, he again went home, and we enjoy a peaceful transition of power to this day. I guess I appreciate the simple things in life. Rothbard's history has effusive praise for many of the other more-or-less well-known luminaries of the revolution. It's an excellent source of information about some of the military, political, and philosophical minds who have not been canonized (as Washington has been) by the more sanctioned histories. Bob LeFevre did an interesting audio piece about the presidents under the confederation. There's some info about them here: http://www.cojoweb. <http://www.cojoweb.com/first-president.html> com/first-president.html BOB: Thanks for the reference material. Too busy right now, but maybe I'll get around to it after I finish my 90-page tax return. -- Susan Hogarth http://www.collieth <http://www.colliething.com> ing.com <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=24814/grpspId=1705060682/msgId=5 8755/stime=1201566886/nc1=3848641/nc2=4990219/nc3=4836037> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
