Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 06:57:11 -0500 From: carol@carolmoore.net (Carol Moore) Subject: [libs4peace] FWD: 9--11 To: libs4peace@yahoogroups.com (Libs4peace) Reply-To: libs4peace@yahoogroups.com
Michael Gilson <mg4u@oasis.net> wrote on Organize! libs4peace:
http://www.libertyforall.net/mg.html And check out the good work of Dean Ahmad's minaret, ISIL, and picture of Bangladesh Libertarians at the MOER group spreading the word in Afghanistan even in 1995 at LIO site. Best Regards, Michael Gilson De Lemos ("MG")MG/jc********* Libertarian International Organization: http://www.libertarian.uni.cc 9-11: Libertarian Action by Michael Gilson De LemosLibertarians and Civil libertarians have been hard at work in the 9-11 emergency in the areas of pro-action, defense, and civil integrity. There are in fact ongoing strategies that have been crying out forbetter support, from helping Libertarians abroad to ISIL conference scholarships.
This could have been better reported. In fact, Libertarians acted with immediate unity, and in the process highlighted problems getting the story out to Libertarians and well wishers. It's time to get the story out, and here it is.
FOXHOLE MENTALITY?
We had a share of Libertarians and people often friendly to Libertarians who, at best, assumed no one was doing anything, issued confusing statements or seemingly forgot everything they know. I do not criticize any of them. Many people have trouble explaining themselves under stress or in matters of any complexity. We are not all good explainers, and from there it is easy to slip into strange statements. You be the judge:
* Though the LP Chair Dr. Lark spoke very well and issued excellent statements, the LP Libertarian National Committee issued a problematic resolution that at first glance read fine, and reflects the sense of many average Libertarians, as the LP US Treasurer, Dr. D. Martin, wisely pointed out. I agree, especially compared to simply crazy calls for nuclear holocaust by some in Congress, but on second glance it reads not so well or tightly philosophically. As a result, the resolution was criticized from many quarters. Yet this learning experience only made the LNC look like wise Philosopher Kings of Atlantis though, compared to statements of others in the movement or friendly to it. The present LNC was after all consciously elected from action-oriented and management people by members at the last convention who wanted things managerially straightened out; and most make no aggressive claim to being theoretically precise LP intellectuals or regular journalists carrying the banner. And some Libertarians are saying "thank heavens"--for here is what the fredom intellectuals said:
* Economic Philosopher Alan Greenspan reportedly called for higher taxes in the emergency
* Civil Liberty champion and Constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz called for a conference promoting the legality of torture--a practice outlawed in the West when Pope Innocent fought to protect Jews from accusations of well-poisoning terrorism.
* One revered columnist of up to now impeccable statements associated wth the Western Libertarian Alliance called for destroying Afghanistan first, asking questions later--including, one presumes, our fledgling Libertarian movement there playing an important behind-the-scenes role
* Another self-characterized anarcho-Libertarian implied government must do anything to save our ally Israel, with whom by the way the US has no alliance, and destroy the Islamic barbarians.
* Many thoughtful Libertarian activists of repute, some versed scholars or activist leaders, suddenly became advocates of sealed borders, random searches and an increased military.
* The pro-Libertarian Objectivists who count among their number excellent philosophers, historians, economists and scientists produced well-meant articles on how we must go get those people who destroyed the symbol of Capitalism, the WTC, and how Anti-freedom Islam was historically. Now I admire this group, am a proud Objectivist Hero, was dandled on Ayn Rand's knee when I was a boy (I was unaware of that until 35--I thought she was one of my Spanish aunts) but I'm sorry. I had an office in WTC and loved it in many ways. I knew people who died there. But facts are facts. The WTC was built by expropriating and evicting at gunpoint thousands of families to glorify some bureaucrats, was a primarily government building, was the eavesdropping and some say US torture headquarters of the CIA. In fact, when it was built, it was denounced by local Libertarians and was an early movement cause celebre. As migratory birds brained themselves against the ill-placed building and fell on hapless office-workers below, there was little doubt that if Howard Roark were alive, he would be plotting to get rid of that mess. The twin towers may in fact sadly symbolize schizoid feeling on freedom in the conflicted American soul. And while the Objectivists at TOC have some point historically, a seminal Libertarian book, "The Discovery of Freedom," begins by illustrating Libertarian concepts with the minimalist governments of Medieval Islam and its wide encouragement of tolerance, trade and invention. Right after the crisis, a distinguished Libertarian lectured on tour before respectful audiences in the Middle East on the Minaret.org pro-freedom message and Muslim Libertarians are out there in a way that is exemplary--at memorial services, Jerusalem conferences, Op-ed pieces, promoting Libertarian ideas at discussions for a new Islamic University, spreading harmony at an interfaith discussion at the National Press Club--what else should they be doing?
* Perhaps the worst, most shocking, but most self-aware, was a REASN columnist and best-selling social critic who said in an almost wistful tone, "There are no Libertarians in foxholes."
You bet. For many activist Libertarians are in the vanguard working to prevent the foxholes, of course.
LET IT BE TOLD
Please, I'm not criticizing anyone. A lot of people were caught unprepared and simply did what they could. But let's learn from this to focus on Libertarian actions, not governmental reactions. Let's focus on, as Dr. Jim Lark the LP US Chair tirelessly says and does his best to awaken us, discovering, celebrating and repeating the good work of our often unsung and unrecognized fellow Libertarians. Here is a sampling what the majority of Libertarians were working on during the crisis:
Pro-action:
* Libertarians warned repeatedly of how foreign policy interventionism was creating a terrorist threat; how government un-accountability was leaving us open to conspiracy skullduggeryin high places, and US Government support of the Taliban would backfire-in some cases articles warning the Government to cease support of the Taliban just weeks before 9-11.
* Libertarians played key roles in creating a volunteer and thus relatively clean military so, in Europe at least, journalists are being informed of what is happening.
* And unlike anyone else in the political world, there is a Libertarian-interested network in Pakistan and Afghanistan, including admirers of a pro-Freedom and Libertarian familiar member of the Royal family, Aslam Effendi, a noted and much admired author whose work will be translated by ISIL. Libertarians have in fact advocated some of the saner solutions we are now hearing on the TV, for years.
Defense:
a. Libertarians warned that the discriminatory, politicized and non-refugee oriented immigration policies of the US were an open invitation to wrongdoing under official cover, which now seems to be what happened as terrorists were invited in under US Government surveillance.
b. Ron Paul and numerous Libertarian activists have called for restoration of terrorist rewards and letters of marque, arming of passengers (Swiss Liberty lovers got busy and now Switzerland has announced it will let passengers be armed with their military knives) and pilots (the FAA has responded with a call for public comment). These are effective and meaningful actions based on people's rights and natural, voluntary action.
c. Growing Libertarian credibility-sometimes from simple things. While the CIA and the President demanded millions for Arabic translators in Afghanistan, Libertarians pointed out to legislators they do not speak Arabic there.
Civil Integrity:
a. Before either the D & R leaders, Libertarians were being interviewed calling for calm and unity. LPF Chair Frank Longo was being interviewed even as events were unfolding, calling on Libertarians to pull together, donate, and calling for calm. Libertarians have led the charge to expose the Patriot act and other civil liberty monstrosities--including the sensational revelation by Rep. Ron Paul, causing debate in numerous newspapers, that Congress didn't even read what it passed--, and including the sustained and widely read polemic on www.lewrockwell.com, causing according to confidential sources the President to order investigations into war crimes in Afghanistan. And more: Libertarians writing letters and taking action led in the Washington Post Ashcroft to complain that Libertarians were derailing his more involved proposals... and even as the US Government banned through filtering Libertarian sites. Don't listen to me. In an editorial published in many newspapers, the editor of the lefty New Republic said that while despising the growing Libertarian influence, he admitted they might be the last hope of defending Liberty and correcting Government excesses.
b. Libertarians have been catalysts of several rights coalitions, and have begun a sustained campaign of protest by letters and phone calls and public information such as at this site. Libertarians were the first political group to call for blood and Red Cross donations, had in-place organized blood drives, and Libertarians such as Kurt Russell anchored public inquiries that revealed the money was being sidetracked by leftists for pet causes.
c. Perhaps most symbolically, even as the UK Government incredibly blamed Libertarianism for 9-11, a Libertarian police officer, filing for retirement to pursue activism, died as he made a choice not to go home-and led rescuers in the WTC disaster, an act so singular it was not only honored by praise from fellow officers but was praised at the Hollywood Testimonial on national if not worldwide TV by George Clooney, the actor.
Libertarians, by being now in many countries, and working simultaneously and generally independently for common freedom and prosperity, have in fact begun to change the assumptions of foreign policy.
The time is increasingly here when the first question should be, not what is the passive Libertarian response to the latest government foreign policy fiasco, but what action is already underway by Libertarians here and abroad. For in the final analysis, it is the freedom lovers in each country that will set their signature on the times. Von Mises said peace is a matter, not of armies, but freedom movements spreading.
As war is too important to leave to generals, Libertarian activists know peace among nations is too important to be left to governments.
Many Libertarians new to the movement have been engaging in pointless peacenick vs warnick arguments on whether we should support some national defense scheme of the government. They forget two things. First, our job as Libertarians is to support what Libertarians do, not waste ink on when the other guys paint themselves into a corner and holler for more taxes, more weapons and more regulations on freedom--and two, recognize and explain that Libertarianism is the ultimate wonder weapon. It was Libertarianism, by changing ideologies and specific actions, that was key in bringing down the USSR and many dictatorships around the world. The object is not trying to formulate a hopeless position on some government action pro or con--but show how people are working to replace with Libertarianism.
Just as Libertarians agree that there is a need for medical doctors--but not for government created medical doctors with a record of killing thousands with doctor induced goofs (in some hospitals death rates are 30% caused by physician error), by attempting to keep prices high while restricting access to everything from alternative therapies to hypnosis--so also we can agree on the need for National Defense, while denying it need be done by coercive government ...and highlighting the many voluntary, Libertarian alternatives available:
* Strict adherence to Constitutional protections to defend the accused and keep us from hysterical military adventures
* Taking seriously the long stated US National goal of abolishing its military--in favor of an officer elected, voluntarily supported, defensive militia
* Stop supporting non-democratic and indeed any groups abroad with tax dollars in alleged "sophisticated" politics that continually makes people despise us and creates the reason for terrorist retaliation
* Focus in the UN on encouraging voluntary NGO initiatives, so it is truly a commonwealth for discussion between nations, not a "united governments" designing to oppress everyone--and leave funding of UN efforts to voluntary groups so they are actually responsive and non-coercive
* Aggressive use of bounties by private groups to capture wrongdoers
* Recognition that private groups from the Libertarian's LIO to the Red Cross by getting out there and knowing the people have better information than any government group can ever hope to develop through coercion, torture, bribes and fraud
* A foreign policy focused on non-intervention and impartial encouragement by free trade of democratic republics on the one hand, and admission as confederated commonwealths (as e.g. Puerto Rico) or States as intended by the Fathers as our defense perimeter on the other--and so Libertarians abroad can do their work, period
* An immigration policy that, long term, focuses on a borderless Libertarian world--mid-term on personal sponsorship immigration as in many Latin countries and Switzerland--and short term on balanced entry and focus on the real suffering political and economic refugees, not red carpet treatment of Saudi Rich Kids as special government entrants that, it appears, then flew jet planes into office buildings while supposedly under special government surveillance.
I guarantee you one thing.
If I were a terrorist, I would view the increasingly Byzantine rat's maze of US Government regulations as an invitation to forge the right papers, blend in with the woodwork and, cruising under government radar, prey like Godzilla on a disarmed, tmid and dependent US Population, spreading terror as they believe, like atheists wielding crucifixes against Dracula, that their self-righteous Government can stop me --instead of being an irresistible target for glass-jaw humiliation.
I would reflect that one reason the Hijackers got away with it is it is still illegal for US passengers to defend themselves. I plead insanity and go free, they go to jail for disturbing a Federal Flight.
But even if I had a bazooka, no way am I going up against 148 annoyed Swiss passengers wielding their little Swiss Army knives.