Neoconservative Fallacies in Aggressive Foreign Policy (part 2)

By Zach Foster, resident writer of A Blogging Spot

Al Qaeda certainly needed to be punished for the horrific 9/11 terror attacks and much of the world agreed, but having hundreds of military bases in over a hundred countries didn’t stop the attacks from occurring.  Furthermore, invading Iraq plus getting involved in Libya, Syria, and central Africa isn’t doing much for national security. Both parties in government like spending more money than they take in and both started or got our country involved in wars we didn’t need to fight. Anyone is free to ask any Iraq or Afghan war veteran if he or she really think the Iraqis or Afghans will figure out and embrace democracy and human rights anytime soon, and the response will most likely be “No.”

Many neoconservatives attempt to justify the Iraq and Afghan wars (as well as the African sideshows) by comparing them to the First Barbary War or to World War II.  Their logic is faulty at best as the nature of the centuries-past conflict differs greatly.  The First Barbary War (1801-1805) was initiated after semi-independent sultans of the Ottoman Empire’s buffer states had been authorizing pirates to kidnap…

(Read more)

Source: A Blogging Spot

Ron Paul Fights Indefinite Detention

Lest we forget that despite still running for president (Something this story gets wrong. Seriously, how are they going to spin this once we get to Tampa?), Ron Paul is still fighting for our constitutional freedoms on Capitol Hill. Reports National Journal:

Rep. Ron Paul has joined the next battle over terrorism-detainee rules.

The Texan made a surprise appearance at a House press conference in support of a bipartisan amendment to the defense authorization bill, which hits the House floor today, that would ban indefinite and military detention of anyone captured on U.S. soil, regardless of citizenship.

“I do not believe a republic can exist if you permit the military to arrest American citizens and put them in secret prisons and be denied a trial,” Paul argued.

The amendment, cosponsored by House Armed Services Committee ranking member Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., with the support of Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., promises to reopen the decade-long debate over whether to prosecute terrorism suspects in federal civil courts or within the military…

Paul, with just a bit less fire than he showed in this year’s presidential debates, asserted that if 9/11 planner Khalid Sheik Mohammed had been tried the same way the World Trade Center bombing terrorists were tried in 1994, he could have received a death-penalty conviction “10 years ago.”

“The system works; we should not be so intimidated,” Paul said. “This cannot stand.”

The good news is a federal judge in New York has ruled this to be unconstitutional. The bad news is most of the people on Capitol Hill don’t care one wit about the Constitution.

Source: Paulitical Ticker with Jack Hunter

President Obama at Kennedy Center: America Does Not Give In to Fear

By Colleen Curtis

The Tenth Anniversary of September 11

Yesterday, to mark the 10th anniversary of September 11th, President Obama visited Shanksville, PA, the Pentagon and the National September 11 Memorial in New York. Here’s a photo gallery of the events.

Yesterday evening, President and First Lady Obama attended a “Concert for Hope” at the Kennedy center in DC where he spoke about how that terrible day changed us, as individuals and as a nation. But the President also talked about what has not changed in these past ten years:

These past 10 years have shown that America does not give in to fear. The rescue workers who rushed to the scene, the firefighters who charged up the stairs, the passengers who stormed the cockpit -- these patriots defined the very nature of courage. Over the years we’ve also seen a more quiet form of heroism -- in the ladder company that lost so many men and still suits up and saves lives every day, the businesses that have been rebuilt from nothing, the burn victim who has bounced back, the families who press on.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, pause at the North Memorial Pool of the National September 11 Memorial in New York, N.Y., on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks against the United States, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. The North Memorial pool sits in the footprint of the north tower, formerly 1 World Trade Center. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

9/11: Serve and Remember

Good morning,

Tomorrow, on the tenth anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, we will mourn the innocent lives lost, honor the heroic first responders who rushed to the scene, and pay tribute to our troops and military families who have served over the past ten years to keep us safe and strong.

But, I also hope you'll remember how the worst terrorist attack in American history brought out the best in the American people. From giving blood, volunteering time, and donating clothing, food and money, in the weeks and months after the attacks, we were united as a nation, everyone doing their part to lend a hand and help the country move forward together.

With just a small act of service, or a simple act of kindness towards others, you can both honor those we lost and those who serve us still, and help us recapture the spirit of generosity and compassion that followed 9/11.

September 11th has been designated as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Americans across the country will come together to honor the victims of 9/11 and to reaffirm the strength of our nation with acts of service and charity. In Minneapolis, volunteers will help restore a community center, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, members of the community are building new homes for deserving families, and once again, Michelle and I will be joining a local service project as well.

There are so many ways to get involved, and every American can do something. You can join me in participating in the National Day of Service by finding a service opportunity in your area on Serve.gov.

A decade ago, our fellow citizens and first responders rushed up stairwells, into flames, and into that cockpit and gave their lives to save others. In the decade since, a new generation -- our military personnel, intelligence officers, and law enforcement -- has stepped forward to serve our country and keep us safe.

This weekend, I encourage all Americans to remember not only the innocent lives we lost on that day, but to remember the ordinary goodness and patriotism of the American people and the spirit of unity that brought us together during the days and weeks after the attacks of September 11th. 

Sincerely,

President Barack Obama

VIDEO: We'll Always Remember: A Reflection on 9/11

Just ten years ago, Americans experienced one of the most horrific attacks in the Western world.  In the midst of our nation's pressing economic troubles and tumultuous political landscape, let me encourage you to take a moment this weekend to reflect on the foundational American principles of freedom and human dignity. Not long ago, these principles were under assault. 

 

On the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, we will all remember the great heroism that came out of this horrible tragedy—the brave first responders who gave their lives to save others, the passengers on United Flight 93 whose extraordinary actions prevented the killing of even more of our citizens, the servicemen and women who stepped up to protect our country in the wars that ensued, and the millions of Americans who put their differences aside and stood united as one.

 

Earlier today, I spoke on the House Floor and wanted to share the video with you.  You can watch my speech here on youtube, or read the text on my website (Denham.house.gov).

LP Monday Message: 9/11

Dear Friend of Liberty,

I hope you've had a nice summer and are enjoying a relaxing Labor Day.

The tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy will be next Sunday. I am deeply sorry for those killed or hurt, their friends and family members, and others who have had to deal with the aftermath.

It's impossible to turn back time, but Libertarians have warned for decades that an aggressive foreign policy often creates resentment that may incite terrorism. Our platform states:

"3.3 International Affairs

American foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding foreign entanglements. We would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid. We recognize the right of all people to resist tyranny and defend themselves and their rights. We condemn the use of force, and especially the use of terrorism, against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts are committed by governments or by political or revolutionary groups."

A review of some of the negative consequences of an aggressive foreign policy:

·         9/11: the deaths of thousands of Americans and others

·         The Patriot Act

·         The Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the deaths of soldiers and civilians

·         Trillions in government spending

·         Setting bad precedents for future governments, both domestic and foreign

It is long past time to bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you expect to attend any rallies or other politically-oriented public events in the next couple of weeks, I encourage you to remind people about the Libertarian Party and what we stand for.

If you have any of the door hangers left over, you might hand them out and show people the writing on the back that says: "Bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan."

If you'd like to order some of these, we'll make an extra effort to ship them immediately by Priority Mail, so you might have them by the weekend.

You can find ordering instructions here.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict

Executive Director

Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

Weekly Update from Representative Denham

Dear Friend,

 

From California to Washington, D.C., we all learned the importance of emergency preparedness last week. From the earthquake in D.C., which I missed because I was back home in California, to Hurricane Irene, and the fire in Yosemite; all of these events devastated hundreds of thousands of families and homes and demonstrated the importance of coordination at all levels to save lives. 

 

While in Yosemite last Thursday, I had the honor of remembering the lives of a beloved doctor in the Merced community, Gregory Wayne Meyer, MD and his physician assistant, Richard Fox, who both served as examples of excellence to those in our community.  Both men were swept to their deaths while trying to cross a bridge at Wapama Falls, which was swollen by near-record ice melt and an unseasonably late thunder storm. 

 

I also had the privilege of extending my gratitude, and that of Greg's family, to Mark Alee, the California Conservation Corps professional who bravely risked his life trying to save Richard and Greg; Steve Yu, the lead investigator with the National Park Service; Rebecca Lund, the family liaison with the National Park Service; and the many men and women who searched tirelessly for Greg after the accident under extreme conditions. The heroism and strength of character each of these rescuers embody is something we will never forget. 

 

While in Yosemite, I drove through the fire that started that day, witnessing first-hand the devastation the fire has caused to the hundreds of families and homes.   While we cannot always predict fires or natural disasters, proper preparedness will save lives, minimize costs, and ensure our response and recovery efforts are coordinated and organized.  In a hearing I chaired in July on emergency preparedness, I stressed the importance of increased coordination between all levels of government.  This coordination is critical to streamlining emergency response efforts and ensuring common-sense risk assessments for the safety of California's residents.  

 

Each year, FEMA designates the month of September as National Preparedness Month to raise awareness about the importance of being prepared for all disasters and emergencies. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, I am honored to serve as Co-Chair of this year's National Preparedness Month and help turn awareness into education and action within our homes, businesses and communities.  The theme for the 2011 National Preparedness Month campaign is This September: A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare. Visit http://www.ready.gov/ to learn more about the effort and how you can help make this the most successful and coordinated effort to date. 

 

This year, the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks,  we are honoring the first responders throughout the nation that keep us safe and support the many volunteer opportunities found on http://www.serve.gov/ that help us prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Let this last week's natural disasters remind us once again of the men and women who help keep us safe on a daily basis and thank them for their service.  All risk some and some give all, so let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers. 

 

This week I will be back at home in the district and will look forward to seeing many of you.  I will be touring Kaplan College on Wednesday to see first-hand the quality education that career-oriented colleges provide.  Kaplan enrolls about 850 students each year, and I'm very interested to hear how Kaplan has prepared them for their career search.  I will also be at the Stanislaus Medical Society discussing recent developments with health care and Paul Ryan's Path To Prosperity to preserve Medicare for future generations.

 

For updates throughout the week, be sure to follow me on twitter and like my facebook page. Let your friends know they can sign up to receive this newsletter on my website as well.  

I hope to see you in the district this week!

Radiation and Strip Searches

Dear Liberty Activist,

In the past, I've written of abuses by the TSA, including its belief that you check your 4th Amendment rights the moment you purchase a plane ticket.

The TSA's invasive screening tactics shame passengers into their potentially harmful porno scanners with the horrific thought of being groped by an agent if you refuse.

As it turns out, while conducting tests on the radiation levels of these scanners, a number of them were coming back with higher levels than expected. "It would appear that the emissions are 10 times higher. We understand it as a calculation error," TSA spokesman Sarah Horowitz told Wired.

A "calculation error."  And yet, these are the people we are told are "keeping us safe?"

Nevertheless, without hesitation, the government continues to install these scanners in airports across the country.

If you thought virtual strip searches were a violation of your privacy, just wait until you hear the latest claim from the Department of Homeland Security.

During oral arguments in a lawsuit filed by EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center), the DHS counsel claimed they have authority to "strip search every air traveler. The agency also stated that it believed a mandatory strip search rule could be instituted without any public comment or rulemaking."

Have we given up enough of our liberties yet?

Just when you thought flying couldn't possibly get worse, union bosses are now trying to force union representation on TSA employees with a "vote" that is clearly stacked in the bosses' favor.

In other words, that creepy TSA agent that almost seemed to enjoy feeling up you and your child will now be virtually impossible to fire for inappropriate behavior. 

From now on, security and passenger rights will play a secondary role to the union bosses' demands for "screener's rights."

Remember when House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica claimed the solution to TSA abuses was for airports to "opt-out" of the TSA?  Well, his "solution" turns out to be nothing more than a distraction to appease angry constituents.  In reality, it rings hollower than Jimmy Hoffa's coffin. 

The "private screeners" are required by law to follow the same screening procedures as the TSA; in other words, even if the airports opt-out, nothing will change except the names and faces.

The only viable solution here is to abolish the TSA.  Since 9/11, blue-shirted, rubber-gloved government agents have not thwarted the major terrorist attempts on our airlines.  In the real world, only alert passengers and flight crews stopped these attacks.

It's time to bring a halt to our government's security theater.  When the government claims to have a monopoly on keeping us safe, the chances of average people slipping into apathy are higher. 

Airlines have a responsibility to keep passengers protected and their planes safe and in the sky.  After the TSA is abolished, we must return the responsibility for security to where it belongs - the private sector.

Please consider chipping in $10 to help Campaign for Liberty continue to spread the message about the abuse of the American people's civil liberties by the TSA.

Before the TSA becomes a protected, public-sector union unlikely to ever be downsized or replaced, the American people must demand swift action to reign in the unaccountable, rogue agency.

In Liberty,

John Tate

President

P.S. C4L must expand its efforts if you and I are to stop the TSA and its assault on civil liberties. If you're able, please chip in just $10 to help my staff and me recruit even more Americans to this fight.

VIDEO: Weekly Tribute: Coming Together to Remember 9/11

President Obama pays tribute to the first responders, those who have served, and those who lost their lives ten years ago in the September 11th attacks. Visit Serve.gov for ways to commemorate the solemn anniversary in your community.

Memorial Day and This Republic: From WWII to the War On Terror

By Zach Foster

Continued from Part 1: From the Revolution to WWI

World War II was a war the country tried to stay out of, but was provoked into.  Four long hard years and four hundred thousand deaths later, the United States brought an end to the wars in Europe and Asia with the help of its allies, and singlehandedly ended the war in the Pacific islands.  The survivors of the holocaust were freed, nations’ independence was restored, and a new weapon emerged which had the power to destroy the world several times over.  Despite growing fears, this weapon has yet to be used again since Nagasaki.  Despite many problems occurring as a result of the war, such as divisions of countries between north and south, east and west, arms races, and a series of “limited wars,” most survivors of the war have been better off since the rubble was cleared and civilizations rebuilt.  Despite the need to occupy and pacify Germany and Japan, these countries have advanced and flourished more beautifully than they could have under their old martial regimes, and those countries liberated by the U.S. military remember their rape and subjugation by the Nazi German and Japanese Empires, and to this day continue to erect monuments to their American liberators.  For this alone, all the men and women—the infantry troops, tank drivers, bomber pilots, sappers, medics, doctors, nurses, artillery troops, sharpshooters, and all others—who died at Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Tarawa, Tinian, Tripoli, Algiers, Casablanca, Cairo, Baghdad, Anzio, Tuscany, Rome, Normandy, Brussels, Amsterdam, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Luxemburg City, in the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans, Berlin, and Okinawa, did not die in vain, and their legacy lives on.

The fact that South Korea still exists as a nation independent of Stalinism and the Kim Dynasty is testimony enough to the worthiness of the sacrifices made by Americans and their South Korean and United Nations allies at Incheon, the Chosin Reservoir, Seoul, Pyongyang, and Pork Chop Hill.  South Korea is free because of American service members.  They are free to travel where they please, free to read what books they want, free to love and hate whomever they will, free to pick any religion to practice, and free to vote for any candidate in any party.

The same mission applied to South Vietnam, who was being invaded by the North.  Despite the tragedy of April 1975, Americans fought tooth and nail to free Vietnam of the North Vietnamese and their Vietcong guerrilla faction, with the South Vietnamese, South Koreans, Australians, and New Zealanders at our side.  The war was won—by 1973 the North Vietnamese army was broken and crippled, Vietcong was all but wiped off the planet, and North Vietnam signed the Paris Peace Accords recognizing South Vietnam’s right to exist.  Furthermore, the sacrifices made by American troops in Laos and Cambodia helped keep those countries free of being Hanoi’s puppets.  It was an anti-war and anti-South Vietnam Congress that walked out on their commitment to South Vietnam which lost the victory.  However, to this very day, there are thousands of proud South Vietnamese patriots who have nothing but gratitude to the two million soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen who fought for their freedom.

In the Persian Gulf, Iraq under Saddam had literally occupied and annexed Kuwait.  It was a coalition with a majority of American troops that freed Kuwait, and to this day, Liberation Day is celebrated throughout the small country.

This country was attacked and over three thousand civilians were slaughtered by Al Qaeda on September 11, 2001, leading the nation’s cream of the crop to the desert once again, this time to fight Al Qaeda and their Taliban supporters.  Nearly ten years later, Americans are still at war in Afghanistan, though there is more stability there now than there ever was during the Soviet War and the reigns of terror from 1992-2001.  Ahmed Shah Massoud was the last holdout against the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and their Pakistani Army allies.  Massoud led the Northern Alliance against these jihadist armies, and under his administration, children were educated, women’s rights were upheld, and everyone’s human rights were upheld.  At the same time, bodies were regularly hanging from windowsills and light poles in Kabul where the Taliban ruled.  Massoud was killed one month before the U.S. invasion, but the spirit and traditions of the Northern Alliance continue.  Its civil leaders today hold many positions in the Afghan government, despite the corruption introduced by various ex-warlords.  Most of its guerrillas are proud members of the Afghan National Army.

In 2003 the, bad intelligence and poor Executive Branch leadership spawned the Iraq War.  The toppling of Saddam’s regime was easy.  Nation building was a nightmare, as an angry Al Qaeda ousted from Afghanistan and envious jihadists from around the Middle East now found a new battleground on which to wage their perverted holy war against America.  The war initially was a mistake, but Americans realized that they could not create chaos and then abandon an entire population; something had to come out of the Iraq War in order to stop April 1975 from ever happening again.  Eight years later, the United States and Iraq have paid a heavy price for freedom.  The rate of casualties dwindles as the Iraqi Army and Police are able to crush the dying insurgency on their own.

The Taliban are not yet defeated, though more desert and return home every day.  Someday the war will be over, and decades from now Iraq and Afghanistan will be to the Middle East what South Korea is today in East Asia: prosperous and democratic, all at a heavy price.

Memorial Day is about those who fought and died for America’s freedom, and so that other oppressed people around the world may know a similar freedom.  Remember that those who came home missing arms, legs, and eyes, and those who never made it home at all, were somebody’s loved ones.  They were OUR loved ones.  They were our fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, sisters, mothers, and daughters.  They are still loved by those they left behind, and it is the responsibility of every American, as well as every person whose freedom came from America, that some nineteen year old kid enlisted and fought, and died in a mud hole so that we wouldn’t get drafted; so that we could spend Memorial Day barbequing hamburgers and hot dogs with our families instead of spending every day in a labor camp, or dead under six feet of earth.

Most Americans have read the following poem, but have usually taken it for granted.

It is the VETERAN,

Not the preacher,

Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN,

Not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN,

Not the poet,

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN,

Not the campus organizer,

Who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the

VETERAN,

Not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN,

Not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN

Who salutes the Flag.

It is the VETERAN

Who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,

AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

--Anonymous

“If you are able,

save them a place

inside of you

and save one backward glance

when you are leaving

for the places they can

no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say

you loved them,

though you may

or may not have always.

Take what they have left

and what they have taught you

with their dying

and keep it with your own.

And in that time

when men decide and feel safe

to call the war insane,

take one moment to embrace

those gentle heroes

you left behind.”

--MAJ Michael Davis O’Donnell, KIA 24 MAR 1970, Cambodia

It is time to bring this Memorial Day message to a close so that this author may spend the afternoon with his family.  To all those who fought and died so that others may simply have a chance… thank you.