How Can You Laugh at a Time Like This? is a Dream Machine Site
The Dream Machine --- The Imagination of the World Wide Web

Home Current Column Previous Columns Other Sites Libertarian Feedback

Gypsy & Willy - The Original Libertarian Bloggers

How Can You Laugh at a Time Like This?

Gypsy & Willy

No. 353

That was then, this is now.

October 22, 2001

As we suspect is true of most of you, we have been deluged with email addressing various faults of the U.S. government, mostly past sins. Among those that come to mind...from memory, which, as you know, isn't quite as good as it once was...include:

The U.S. support for Israel, a country that is arguably a "terrorist" state and which certainly treats Palestinians as second class citizens...to say the least.

Past sins of racism in the U.S. including a long history of oppressing African Americans and Asians.

U.S. intervention...uninvited...in the internal affairs of many nations.

A history of violating the civil rights of our own citizens, especially during the Cold War, when even liberals were persecuted for daring to criticize U.S. policy toward communist countries.

Slavery, the wars of genocide we waged against Native Americans and even some atrocities committed by U.S. forces in Vietnam and during WWII.

What's wrong with these polemics? As you know, we agree with most of these sentiments. The short answer is that they are good history, but piss poor propaganda. Good propaganda not only has content, but CONTEXT as well. And the context for current affairs is the 9-11 attack and the subsequent war against terrorism.

At the root of all morality...whether religious or secular...is a simple principle: the responsibility of the individual for his or her own actions. Just as "following orders" was not accepted as a defense against Nazi atrocities, there can be no Moral justification for the actions undertaken by the suicide bombers in New York and Washington, D.C. Indeed, using past actions of the U.S. government for justification for what individual terrorists did on 9-11...is STUPID, ILL TIMED and COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. Whether explicit. like Falwell's and Robertson's assertion that "our country's acceptance of homosexuality and lesbianism caused God to bring the terror attacks upon us" or the implicit blame contained in all those Anti-American polemics mentioned above, any critical thoughts about the U.S. will be seen in that context.

More to the point, heavy criticism has been aimed at the Bush administration for coddling "terrorist states" like Sudan, Syria, Iran and even Iraq. Unreconstructed Cold Warriors are saying much the same thing about our newfound friendship with China and Russia, as we seek their participation in the alliance. We believe this too is incorrect. All of us, all over the world, are reviewing and revising our attitudes about international affairs. All, including the U.S., must be given a chance to live up to their newfound unity of purpose in combating what all must see as evil.

Our attitude is not to dwell on past sins, but rather carry forward the newfound unity of the American people toward actually ACHIEVING all those wonderful goals to which we aspire. Rather than talk about all those times that we...or Russia or Syria or Iraq or Germany or Japan...have done wrong in the past, how about vowing once and for all to never do them again...AND instituting policies...worldwide which will make those goals easier to attain?

But, first things first. We were attacked...in a clear and unmistakable act of war...by men who are currently "enjoying" the protection of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Before we...or the rest of the world...can begin to eliminate the causes of hatred, poverty, ignorance and intolerance...we must first make sure that these monsters are muzzled. They have made it clear...in the words of Salman Rushdie, the famous Indian writer...that besides their "support" of the Palestinian cause...a rather come-lately change of heart knowing that there are Americans like you and we who agree with that sentiment...that they are against "freedom of speech, universal adult suffrage, accountable government, Jews, homosexuals, women's rights, pluralism, secularism, short skirts, dancing, beardlessness, evolutionary theory, sex." And this is the SHORT list of what they are AGAINST. If they did nothing worse than Falwell and Robertson...who advocate many of the same positions...but PEACEFULLY...then why would we care? But, when they decide that such beliefs require them to kill all Americans...or Israelis or whomever...then they MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO PREVAIL.

It is very sad that many Afghani civilians are suffering and dying as a side effect of our counteroffensive. They have suffered enough, by any measure. But the differences are clear. We are NOT "targeting" civilians as the Taliban claims. If we were, we could kill them all...civilians and military alike...in a single nuclear strike! We are not waging a war against Islam. If we were, why would we have backed Muslims in Kuwait, Kosovo, Bosnia and Pakistan? Why do we admit so many Islamic refugees to our country as immigrants? With the notable exceptions of a handful of nutzoids...on both sides...Muslims are allowed to freely exercise their religious beliefs.

In the end, the truth will out, both what is going on now and what has occurred in the past. You may not, as we do not, approve of everything done in the name of America...what we supposedly are for. But what is the enemy for? A "final war" with infidels to establish, once and for all, the superiority of Islam!

Swell!

Sensible Muslims everywhere must be trembling at the arrogance and stupidity of being associated with such brain-dead set of goals. It will be THEIR job to see that such nonsense does not prevail.

What is clear that those...Americans or other...who advocate similar insanity in the U.S. in order to eliminate those aspects of freedom with which they do not agree...remember McVeigh?...do not...and probably CAN NOT...understand the roots of freedom. For one very clear aspect of freedom is that if you wish to enjoy it, you MUST also allow it to others, even if they do not agree with you.

The one exception to this "rule" is you can not allow those who would destroy freedom to enjoy the freedom to do it! Osama bin Laden and the Taliban are about to learn that lesson. At least, we dearly hope so.

Meanwhile the best propaganda remains the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That means, as we pointed out last week, our government must quickly and thoroughly provide us and the rest of the world with that precious substance and stop hiding behind national security. As we said then and reiterate, while it is surely necessary to preserve tactical secrecy, all this bullshit about protecting "sources and methods" is just that...self serving malarkey that serves only the interest of the 'noids, not us, the people they are supposed to be protecting. It is understandable, as Tom Clancy is so fond of pointing out, that intelligence agencies dearly strive protect their sources and methods, since many of them involve "valuable" living people. But, we too are valuable human resources, the ONLY real source of their power to do what they do. If we can not force these bozos to level with us, then the terrorists WILL win. They know full well the force of pictures of killed or maimed children. They may even be doing the deeds themselves, just for the propaganda value.

We must immediately stop bombing the rubble in the cities and fulfill OUR promises of massive aid to the victims of this war. Ramadan, Islamic holy days, coming in November, would be a very auspicious time to do this. The Taliban is bragging that they have already hidden their most valuable military resources (slingshots?) and they can outwait us in a protracted war. So why is our administration...IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT...constantly reiterating the statement that this will be "a long and difficult war?" We need to end it quickly, and the best way to do that is with aid and talk, not bombs and special forces. We got them hiding in their caves. Why not let them spend the winter there while we help THEIR victims recover? Why not help the Northern alliance take nominal control of the country...for whatever that is worth to them...and then proceed to flood the country with food, warm clothing and other vital supplies?

Propaganda? You betcha! But it is the type of propaganda that all but the vampire contingent can get behind.

Talk to you later...

Click on image to buy these books!

If you buy them from here, we get a kickback!

Visit Write your Congressperson or Senator and DO IT!

Would you like to "subscribe" to a text only version of this column? Just click HERE and fill out the form you find there and each new column will be delivered to you via email on Moday morning.

If you would like to recommend this column to some friends, click HERE and fill in their email addresses in the form you will find there, along with your comments.

To contact Willy or Gypsy and comment on what they have written...or anything else...write to willy@dreamagic.com or gypsy@dreamagic.com.

...the best independent ISP in the Twin Cities

Back to the table of contents.

The Dream Machine --- Network Services

A newspaper near you.