The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Taking Libertarians

5.22.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 3 of 3)

I know that history has shown Neville Chamberlain to have been a callow believer of Hitler, and thus, an appeaser of the first order, however, he did not have the information sources available to him that are abundantly available to Barack Obama. Chamberlain can be understood, not forgiven, for his lack of a realistic perception in an age when information was much harder to get and disseminate. But what to do with Obama? His ephemeral campaign, heavy on the vague, light on the specific, is just what the Democrats love. They have NO idea how to deal with real problems, having spent so much time dealing with the pseudo variety. If we examine how Democrats have, in the past, dealt with crises in education (talked about it, spent about it, lowered standards), crime (talked about it, spent about it, lowered standards), the economy (talked about it, spent about it, lowered standards), well, you get the picture. Obama, having never really lived in normal reality, has no idea how it works. Mrs. Obama, having never really lived in normal reality, has no idea how it works. Consequently, we get suggestions from these two that sound like they came from a Bugs Bunny Cartoon.

It's too bad that these two children of privilege never got to experience the rough and tumble life growing up in the reality of normal America. Perhaps then they would understand that when the local bully destroys your possessions, beats up your friends, and challenges you to a fight, being nice to him is not going to keep you from taking your lumps. If Obama wants to make the USA into the "butt boy" of the Muslim world (please excuse the term - it is one of my students' favorites) he should just keep on keeping on. Atta boy, Barack! Just keep pretending that communism may have failed, but if it did, it's only because you weren't running the show.
-- Joseph Baum
Garrettsville, Ohio

BROWN-OUT
Re: Joe Carter's Brown the Bioethicist:

"Facts do not cease because they are ignored?" Mr. Carter needs to spend a little time with the "global warming is settled science" bunch. After that he may realize how easy it is to manipulate virtually any "scientific" theories to get the desired outcome.

Half animal half human hybrids? Just wait 'til PETA steps in -- on behalf of the animals.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

WORST WORD IN POLITICS
Re: Mike Roush's letter (under "H-O-R-S-E") in Reader Mail's Pumping Iron Man:

Mr. Roush is surely right in his assessment that the word "appeasement" could be the most ill-used word in politics. Indeed, "appeasement" may be a vital and appropriate part in negotiations with foreign powers. On the other hand, "appeasement" can also resemble giving up your lunch money to the school bully so he won't beat your lunch out of you. The difference between good and bad appeasement depends principally on a single criteria of the opponent's ambitions. Edmund Burke recognized that the goals of colonies in the American Revolution were LIMITED in that young America was seeking self-government and the rights of Englishmen. Whatever could be said of the American founders, it cannot be said that they ultimately intended deposing the king and taking the English Empire apart. The important quality in young America's objectives is that they could be satisfied.

This stands in direct contrast to Europe's negotiations with Hitler's Germany. In Hitler's own speeches and writings, the goals of Nazi Germany were open-ended and unlimited. It would have been one thing if the ultimate aim was for Germany to consolidate all German speaking lands into itself. Leaving aside the question whether such a consolidation was in anyone's self-interest (and if in fact other Germanic peoples wanted to be part of such a nation), the fact remains a united Germany was achievable and such a quest would end fulfilled. But Hitler had made it clear that "all Germans -- one nation" was not his aim. Nazi ambitions were not merely German patriotism. Those ambitions were for a German empire dominating non-Germans under a totalitarian ideology, Instead of confronting a militant Germany when its armies moved into the Ruhr, England and the other European powers tried to "buy off" Hitler by essentially throwing Czechoslovakia under the bus knowing full well that he wanted more.

Eisenhower met with Khrushchev to pursue what he believed was in their both self-interests. Nixon strategically thought friendlier relations with China would bring about the separation of China from the orbit of Soviet expansionism. Ronald the Great met with Gorbachev to get the Soviet Union to back down from placing nuclear missiles in Eastern Europe using the promise/threat of a space based-missile defense system.

Clinton's foreign policy in the Balkans troubled Conservatives for a number of reasons. One faction opposed American involvement believing America has no interests threatened there -- in addition of which view the conflict a European problem that should be addressed by the other European nations. Other Conservatives thought that America had a moral duty to stop the ethnic genocide in that forlorn corner in the world. The rest were a mixed bag of those thought Clintons actions were half-hearted without a clear goal, those who thought American forces should not be used for policing those territories as doing so detracts from their true purpose which was to serve as warriors, and others who thought that America was picking the wrong side and was standing in the way of their self-defense by forbidding the importation of arms.

This administration's dealings with North Korea and Iran (just to name two) drives Conservatives up the wall. If North Korea and Iran could be dissuaded from developing nuclear arms by providing incentives, that would be something Conservatives could support. Of course, the devil's in the details for such an agreement. The root problem for Conservatives is that both nations have a propensity to not abide by their promises and string things along. Conservatives believe the only way to counter hostile nations from a position of strength. What that "position of strength" would be is a subject for another day; but whatever this administrations effects could be called negotiating from a position of strength ain't it.

P.S. One of the great things about America is the imaginary characters we make up for storytelling: Pecos Bill, Iron John, Paul Bunyan, Babe The Blue Ox, and the rich fat cats' love for the Republican Party. The average donation in dollars is lower for the Republican Party than that for the Democratic Party. The rich fat cat club for Liberal causes is larger than it is for Conservatives. One of the dirty little secrets of American politics is that we fuss about taxation of the incomes of the "rich" BUT WE DON'T TAX WEALTH. The rich have all sorts of non-taxable assets (zero-tax municipal bonds anyone?) Guess who's thankful that the party for the workin' man never brings the subject up.
-- Mike Dooley

BEG PARDON?
Re: Ron Schoenberg's letter (under "H-O-R-S-E") in Reader Mail's Pumping Iron Man:

Ron, Ron, Ron, you've got to stop drinking that Seattle water! Buy some Evian or something! Reagan an appeaser? Right! and Attila was a peacenik. My lord, what is going on in the Pacific Northwest?
-- Joseph Baum
Garrettsville, Ohio

BLIND IS LOVE
Re: Robert Stacy McCain's Hoarse Race:

Forty-one point win in West Virginia. Thirty-five point win in Kentucky. Ahead in the popular votes. Hillary is a winner!
-- Michelle Gregory

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