The American Spectator

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Taking Libertarians

5.22.08 @ 12:01AM

HE'S THE BEST
Re: James Bowman's "Iron Man":

Jim Bowman's film reviews have been some of my favorite columns in TAS. He has saved me untold hours and dollars that might have been wasted on clever but valueless movies. The best part is that he tells me why these flicks stink on ice.

He has taught me the folly of expecting a film to have any relation to its trailer or promos by exposing the wearisome "educating" the filmmaker really had in mind. Even truly talented directors and writers have descended to trying to show me what a Neanderthal moron I am. The examples they give in their films of my values are invariably meant to graphically demonstrate just how wrong I am to have them. I go to a film to be entertained and uplifted, not insulted or disturbed.

That said, I may or may not see Iron Man, but Mr. Bowman will be a part of my decision as usual. His insight truly does cut through the Kultursmog to shine a little light on the pitiful state of the film industry. If I wanted to feel rotten, I could always just watch network TV.
-- Skip Engle
Cloverdale, California

THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL
Re: Philip Klein's Will the Real Libertarian Please Stand Up?:

I knew the libertarian party was a disorganized front group of leftist all, hats and no boots. For the libertarians to sit still and listen to obviously Stalinist-inspired Gravel tell them that a majority rules in this "constitutional republic" no if and or but, and to "go to another country" reminds me of an old story about the Marxist at a rally telling every one in the crowd that "Come the revolution we'll all eat strawberries and cream," and someone in the crowd says, "But I don't like strawberry's and cream," and the Marxist red faced and all screams down at him, "Hell or High water you're gonna eat Strawberries and CREAM!

Sounds like all three parties have been altered via subterfuge.
-- Greg Sierveld

The three candidates showcased in Mr. Klein's column are fatally flawed -- do they really expect us to believe they are Libertarians?

Mr. Root wants to seal the border, never mind that every fence I've come across has at least one gate. Mr. Gravel, through penumbras and emanations, has read into the Constitution that we have the collective right to a sound economy, to health care, and to education. And Mr. Barr thought that military action in Afghanistan was not justified.

These so-called candidates have no basic understanding of Constitutional limits, nor what the document actually guarantees. Poor Mr. Gravel is the worst of the lot -- he said that we have to rule by majority -- isn't that codeword for democracy or mob rule? According to him, the minority shall toe the line.

What happened to the representative, or republican, form of government as set out by the Constitution? I fully expected the major-party candidates to throw the document out the window for political expediency, but Libertarian candidates are supposed to represent the firewall between the politics of "good intentions" and the strictly limited government called for by the law of the land.

What about the other 11 candidates running for the Libertarian nomination? Surely one of them can represent the interests of those who closely follow the concepts espoused by a pre-presidential Thomas Jefferson, or even of the current-day Cato Institute.
-- Owen H. Carneal, Jr.
Yorktown, Virginia

As a retired broadcaster I've known a bunch of politicians, and have the dubious distinction to interview or speak with a few presidential candidates (including the despicable Lyndon LaRouche). One was the most transparent quick-buck opportunist I ever met, Mike Gravel. All he wants is some cushy small college presidency and/or to serve on a couple high-priced boards -- some sucker hire him and he'll retire into the shadows.

Wayne Root has that trademark (plastic) smile, and I'm not sure I trust him, but he's sure'n'hell better than Bob Barr! Ol' Bob, with his anti-gay, anti-abortion and other ultra-conservative positions is about as much of a Libertarian as Teddy Kennedy or David Duke -- Libertarians love CHOICE, and what is there about the word "choice" that Libertarian candidates don't comprehend?

Some simply don't belong there. Really.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Foreign Policy, Education, Trade, Health Care, Barack Obama, Entitlements, Abortion, Global Warming, Movies, Constitution, Law, Military, Iran, North Korea, Communism