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Enterprise, Number 19, December 1, 1996.
Letters To The Editors
Editor, The Libertarian Enterprise:
How do you tell when a politician is lying?
His lips move.
How do you know when a politician is trying hard, really hard, to postpone more violations of his oath of office?
When he's waiting for an election to be over.
During the initial U.S. military occupation of Bosnia, Clinton swore he would pull out in 12 months, WHETHER HIS OBJECTIVES HAD BEEN ACHIEVED OR NOT. He said, that because of this, we should quit whining, shut up, and pay, while he played army in his global military sandbox. (That withdrawal-- like withdrawal for birth control-- is more likely to be promised than achieved).
Now he says he must extend the occupation because his objectives haven't been met, and he has the nerve to specifically promise only 18 additional months, it being appallingly obvious that he lied about the 12-month deadline.
I have an idea! Let's make a constitutional amendment saying the president can't send troops to war without the approval of Congress. Oops, I forgot... that's already in the Constitution. What the hell, let's make an amendment anyway!Pete Stephenson
[email protected]
---------------------------------------------------------
The opinions herein are not necessarily those of
Rockwell International... though the world might
be a better place if they were.
---------------------------------------------------------Editor, TLE
I've heard all the complaints about Harry Browne. I can hardly complain myself about how he became the candidate since I have long since withdrawn from party politics. Politics offends me, even in voluntary organizations. I encountered the problem when I ran for congress in 1984 and was advised by my campaign manager that certain suggestions I had made about privatizing police may go against some past agreement between minarchists and anarchists in the party to (apparently) present the LP with a minarchist face. Since the party is formally a creature of the state (in order to qualify as a certified party) there can only be dilemmas awaiting profound anarchists seeking to eliminate the institution of state through electoral politics. As an anarchist, I can only prefer to have Harry Browne to pick on rather than Bill or Bob. Wouldn't that be nice?
Part of the reason I decided to refrain from voting is to have greater integrity with my position that I am not a U.S. Federal citizen (and thus not subject to the federal income tax). Another factor in my choice has to do with that old line, "If you don't vote, you have no reason to complain." I look at it this way: If you do vote, you shouldn't complain about the results, because by voting, you have validated the system and agreed to go along with the outcome. Maybe the only people who have reason to complain about the results of elections are those whose candidate won -- only to find that their support was obtained through fraud. If they only knew.Sam Grove
[email protected]
www.samsnewworld.org