Posted December 23, 2002

Christmas Terror Warning Snub

We're within 5 days of Christmas, and we haven't had a single terror warning involving Osama, Saddam, the Grinch, or Elf-Qaeda.

What gives? Did the wheels fall off of the Axle of Evil? Osama's magic carpet is at the cleaners? Saddam shaved his mustache, went back to the beret, and is currently playing paint-ball with the Kurds? What really worries me is this: is Christmas beneath the contempt of the Axle?

C'mon, we had terror warnings for July 4, Thanksgiving, Memorial and Labor days, etc. How evil is this Axle, to snub Christmas like this?

Deluded minds want to know.

~ Bob S.

Only Democracy (I)

Regarding "'Colorblind' – Except for Some" by Justin Raimondo:

Great stuff. It's so true that we are told we must side with Israel, "the only democracy in the Middle East." But it's also curious, if not predictable, that these "apologists" never champion any similar sentiment for India, the world's largest democracy, in its struggle against Pakistan, a nuclear-armed military dictatorship.

~ JFR

Only Democracy (II)

The only democracy in the Middle East – does not have a constitution. The only democracy in the Middle East – does not have Amendment I of the U.S. Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ."

The only democracy in the Middle East – does not have Amendment IV of the US Constitution: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..."

The only democracy in the Middle East – does not have Amendment V of the US Constitution: ". . .nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

The only democracy in the Middle East – is really not much of a democracy at all.

~ Jim Tanner

Only Democracy (III)

Could it not be argued that the Israeli pseudo-democracy is still better than the outright dictatorships of the Arab world? Also many in the War Party claim the Arabs are bent on exterminating the Jews – if this is true, then as long as Israel does not literally exterminate the Palestinians, it remains the lesser of two evils. I'm surprised that the War Party doesn't use this 'Holocaust II' card, as is more honest than denying that the planned war on Iraq is about Israel, as they are doing now.

~ George Carty, UK

Immigration

Regarding "'Colorblind' – Except for Some" by Justin Raimondo:

Your outrage at the INS's latest ploy to score political capital at the expense of law-abiding Middle Easterners is properly placed. However, your subsequent references to the issue of illegal immigration in the Southwestern US appear to be based on a lack of information. The "fortification" (i.e., militarization) of the border as a means to stem illegal immigration from Mexico has been the de facto US immigration enforcement policy since the Carter administration (with a brief and waning emphasis on employer sanctions after 1986). This policy, the funding for which has increased exponentially over the last two decades, makes for great public relations but completely ignores one inconvenient but significant fact: "border control" is a failure – illegal immigration has increased in spite of these high-cost (in terms of both money and liberty), high-profile measures.

Can a realistic case be made that illegal immigration will be stopped or deterred by interdiction as long as Mexico's economy is in the toilet and the demand for immigrant labor remains an embedded component of our economy? INS bureaucrats and their congressional enablers have made a cottage industry out of making this case in spite of the fact that their favored approach apparently has an effect on illegal immigration levels completely the opposite of what they were tasked and rewarded to accomplish. This is not surprising as anti-immigrant rhetoric – with no substantive ideas necessary to correct the problem besides the standard "border control" line – is easy political capital for most politicians. Several generations of dishonest and unoriginal bureaucrats at the INS also share the blame as they have reflexively visited the feeding trough created by these politicians while failing to tell anyone the bitter truth: they are incapable of significantly stopping or reducing illegal immigration.

Liberalization of capital between the US and Mexico has done little to change Mexico's dire economic circumstances. Imports greatly outweigh exports; as in this country, real wages have declined over at least the last two decades. It is estimated that the Mexico's GDP would have to grow by 10% a year to absorb the expected levels of economically active participants into the Mexican economy. Further, the planned removal of grain tariffs will likely force hundreds of thousands of campesinos off of their land as the bottom drops out of the market that provides them with a subsistence living. Care to venture a guess where they might end up?

Indeed, the "free trade" regime currently in place between Mexico and the US has all but ignored labor and wage issues in both economies. This is done in the name of economic religiosity and ideological zeal for "free markets" with the currently irrelevant argument that wage and employment levels will stabilize over the long-term and that short-term stress to labor markets is par for the course. While those corporations and individuals wealthy and powerful enough to participate in the transnational development game make out quite well due to dirt-cheap labor on both sides of the border, state and local governments are "left holding the bag" in dealing with the issues and costs of illegal immigration. To point this out is not to indict private property and profit but rather to imply a paraphrase of a paraphrase in your editorial: some private properties and profits are more equal than others.

The entire reason private property has been encroached upon by illegal entrants has precisely to do with the high-profile military-style operations at the main border entry points in El Paso, San Diego, Nogales, etc., which forces migrants into outlying areas where they often die from exposure (several thousand over the last decade). These operations have engaged the military (Joint Task Force 6) directly and commingled the drug war mandates with border enforcement meaning all INS agents are deputized to enforce drug laws. I am not familiar with your views regarding drug laws – i.e. why they exist, whom they benefit, and the current tactics of enforcing them – but I would venture to guess that you have little respect for the current interdiction/supply-side approach. Yet this is precisely what you are arguing for in regards to illegal immigration. In my opinion, such an approach could not be effective short of a complete, Berlin Wall-style militarization of the southwest border. It is difficult to reconcile such measures with libertarian principles.

~ Tom Coffeen, Phoenix, Arizona

Illegal

Regarding "'Colorblind' – Except for Some" by Justin Raimondo:

Glad to finally hear that you are an immigration restrictionist. When I started reading your column I thought you were some sort of La Raza racist, whining about how poorly treated the wetbacks are, but just those wetbacks from the Middle East.

Fortunately I read further, and you are right in the hypocrisy of treating aliens differently. Actually, though, all aliens should be treated this way. The only way to stop illegal immigration is to arrest and deport the illegals here. This registration scheme was a good way to get ahold of the Middle Easterners though.

But, you did go off the deep end in describing the facts of the cases. First, no illegal alien is a law abiding, tax paying, resident. Few illegals pay taxes, except sales taxes on the things they buy. By that definition you can say Muhammed Atta was a legal resident. But the facts are that irrespective of paying any taxes, they are here illegally, working illegally, on welfare illegally, demanding money illegally, etc. The operative word here is illegal.

Next, just for your information, there are no private toilets in any prison or jail in the United States. Penal institutions long ago stopped providing that since that privacy in jail provided opportunity for violence.

Next, jails are overcrowded, but no one is forced to stand all day. That just is not true. They may have had to sleep on the floor. But, if any one was maltreated, they have options of a tort claim against the custody institution, the Orange County and Los Angeles County Jails, or a Federal Tort Claim Act action against the INS. I am sure one of those community lawyers are more than willing to take a case such as that, if in fact the complainers are not lying.

But just remember, immigrants vote overwhelmingly for the socialist parties. Few if any vote for the Libertarian Party or the right/libertarian wing of the Republican Party. Immigrants only want a free check from the government. Therefore the fewer of them in this country the better.

~ John Henderson

9/11 Smacks of Conspiracies

Regarding "9/11 – Who Knew?" by Justin Raimondo:

Wonderful article. I happened across it while I was looking for some mention of the two FBI agents that recently spoke out about the FBI's failure or refusal , to investigate Quari, prior to the terrorist's attacks suffered by our country. It's obvious to just about everyone that there are ulterior motives on all sides of this event (9/11). So if you asked me, a regular citizen, I'm afraid that there may have been persons or groups in intelligence (FBI and CIA), who wanted to let it happen. Something like this could change the world, a new world order is the desired and most probable result. And while we are at, we'll have a war and that's good for "certain" industries, is it not? This whole thing smacks of conspiracies so much so I bet Oliver Stone is already writing a screenplay. Thank you for your work, I'm looking forward to reading your book.

~ Janet Z.

Graham's Message

Regarding "9/11 – Who Knew?" by Justin Raimondo:

As much as I like Justin's columns and insights I think he was off the mark in regards as to which nation that Senator Graham was referring to as being intertwined in 9/11. Graham is known for promoting the idea of America bombing Syria, Iran and Lebanon to go after Hizbullah, Hamas, and any organization associated with Palestinian resistance. Although I am not sure which country he says is guilty of state sponsored terrorism, I doubt that he is talking about his pet country Israel which I am sure will have its US backers bankroll him into the next election.

~ Brian K., Portland, Oregon

Israel Tried to Warn US

Regarding "9/11 – Who Knew?" by Justin Raimondo:

Stop the libel of Israel. Tell Justin Raimondo to read his own sources and report the truth. Israel tried to warn us. You guys are liars and idiots if you continue to say Israel helped 9/11. They tried to warn us.

This is from one of the stories you quote:

"...The Mossad ... had its sights on Atta's accomplice Khalid al-Midhar, with whom the CIA was also familiar, but allowed to run free. The Mossad apparently warned their American counterparts several times about the terrorists, especially about al-Midhar. The American government later admitted that they had received such warnings prior to September 11...

"Die Zeit has learned that a few weeks before the attacks, Israeli intelligence gave US authorities a list with names of suspects who were staying in the US for the purpose of preparing attacks...."

~ BG

Realistic

Regarding "Pacifist, Passive or Realistic?" by Alan Bock:

Amen to that article! Someone finally put into words what I have been feeling over the last several months as I share my opinions with people about current events and all I get back from them is: "You just don't understand" or "They know more about the situation than you do" or I'd rather be safe than be allowed to (insert your Constitutionally granted right here). Thank you Mr. Bock for writing such a timely and important piece!

~ Brandon Wilhoite, Scottsdale, Arizona

The Remnant

Regarding "Pacifist, Passive or Realistic?" by Alan Bock:

The only sad part of your article is that you had to make it in the first place. Defending ones belief in the saneness of the Constitution today is almost akin to a hate crime. The dumbing down had already taken place, and the kind of self-righteous e-mails you are addressing come from the graduates of that system. They are the majority today of the nation of cowards we have become.

Alan, there are only two things you can be assured of about the patriots out here; one- they exist; two- you'll find them.

So keep on with the incredibly insightful writing you are doing, and when you feel the need to respond to a few mouthy "graduates," remember, in the end your words are only heard and understood by the Remnant (read patriots) anyway. All others are deaf by choice and will remain that way until they hear the rattle of the chains. Oh yes, they will hear then.

~ Bill Borgstrom

False Security

Regarding "Pacifist, Passive or Realistic?" by Alan Bock:

Excellent article! Those who would give up liberty for a false
"security" really don't have a clue what is happening. There are too many people out there who don't want to think for themselves, take personal responsibility for their actions, or even consider that the government could be wrong. You talk about having public dialog on a subject such as the Patriot Act – the "public" could care less. Just keep those burgers and Jerry Springer coming! Thanks for shedding some light from someone who still cares about our Constitution.

~ Mike X.

Grim Inevitability

Regarding "After the War" by Michael Doliner:

"After the War" proposes a grim inevitability: the war with Iraq is a fact. Yes, five flattops are at this moment heading for the Gulf seeking some flimsy, Tonkinian premise to attack (as if one was needed) and our leaders – political, religious or mainstream media – remain complacently silent, lacking any sense of moral perspective. I'm no apologist for Saddam but this monster was created in a Foggybottom lair by the same cabal of cretins who invented Noriega.

Michael Doliner and Justin Raimondo pose the question of who gains by this war? Aside from the obvious, American arms merchants and their Washington lobbyists, and the oil industry and their hired guns, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush, et al, there is the pro-Israel group together with the Christian Right. Of course, after Iraq comes Iran until America is on a permanent war footing.

Doliner outlines perhaps the most realistic aftermath, however grim, of propping up more dictators and warlords. Does anybody in the government/media care about the plight of women's rights in Afghanistan anymore? I didn't think so. As it is, Iraq will be one more fenced compound flying the flag of ExxonMobil.

~ Doug Herman, Falmouth, Virginia

Hell-Bent for Destruction

Regarding "J.C. Penney Catalog: Toy Soldier Commandeers Barbie's Dream House" by Eric Garris:

Thank you for publishing the example of such a sordid piece of s___, advertised as a toy for children in J.C. Penny's catalogue. It got me thinking about American culture and just how hell-bent it has become.

There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. (The Bible, Proverbs of Solomon, 30:14)

The culture of violence is especially onerous in America, I mean just take a look at the majority of rock videos today and what is supposedly musical expression in today's pop culture. At least in the dropout culture popularised by visionaries like Timothy Leary and other counterculture guru's during the '60s bohemian explosion, the musical venue was one of gentleness, community and sharing. What does the American pop culture have to offer the youth today? Body piercing sonatas, S&M soliloquies and drooling banshees of beetlejuice lyrics by louse-infested lullabies of ludicrous, myopic raps of fear, violence and chic, "ain't I such a cool dude", egomania. American culture is sick as the war-culture it is steeped in.

Until there is a radical change of heart in the present, noxious Cult of Death that permeates just about every facet of media manipulations in America, there will continue to be the idolatrous fornications with the G.I. Joe fixations of the State Worship of the "Might is Right" insanity of the masses. It's disgusting and I have one sole reply to make to America's Military Machinations: they that sow the sword of bloodshed shall reap the whirlwind of perpetual destruction!

~ David d'Apollonia, Canada

Still Selling the Toy

Regarding "J.C. Penney Catalog: Toy Soldier Commandeers Barbie's Dream House" by Eric Garris:

Hello and thank you for your important work! I just wanted to let you know that I just searched the sites of all three companies you mention and did not find the toy. Is it possible that they were shamed enough and pulled them or have I not done a thorough enough search? I did send an email to J.C. Penney saying that I would not be able to be a customer of theirs as long as they sold such toys, but I'm wondering about KB Toys and Etoys.

~ Leora T.

Eric Garris replies:

Unfortunately, all three (as well as KMart and Toys R Us) are still selling the item. Penney's made it harder to find in their catalog, but it is still available.

Unexpected Effects

...Just as the first Gulf War didn't turn out exactly as the U.S. expected, the second one, if and when it happens, won't either. ... Even though Iraq lost that war, it set a chain of events in motion that has had a major impact on the US

If you'll remember, it was during the first Gulf War that the US stationed troops in Saudi Arabia to "protect" that country from Iraq, and it's the presence of US troops there by Islam's holiest sites that has inflamed and infuriated Osama bin Laden and many other terrorists. More than half of the Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudi citizens, so you could say that it was the first Gulf War that led to September 11. The US demonstrated its air power on Iraq in that war, and the hijackers demonstrated their own air power on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and America's power and pride took a mighty blow! (And so did personal freedom and liberties around the world, as nation after nation imposed restrictions to keep such things from happening again.)

The first Gulf War had other effects as well. The sanctions imposed on Iraq since that time have devastated that poor country and further inflamed Arab and Muslim opinion against the US And it sounded the death knell for any aspirations the Palestinians had for their own state. Oh, there've been ups and downs for them, but mostly downs. Since that time the US has been less and less willing to help them, the Israelis have been more and more hard-line and willing to oppress them, and the rest of the world has grown more and more appalled at the plight of these poor people, and more anti-American and anti-Israeli in their attitudes and actions. ...

~ Ted Rudow III, MA, Menlo Park, California

The Veterans Administration

Here we go again. Over a year ago I had a test on my carotid artery and the technician told me that the doctor was on the phone to the VA in Indianapolis to set me up with an appointment right away because my artery was 90% clogged. She told me that when I traveled my fifty miles back home from the Ft Wayne Hospital, they would be getting a hold of me to tell me the date and time of the procedure in Indianapolis. I waited another three months until I went to a private doctor to be examined. My disgust with the service of the VA had reached its limit.

If they were going to let me run around with a clogged artery, it was probably a budget cutting effort by the Bush Administration. Of course after my death, how could family or friends raise any hell with the system and the public if I had not been able to raise any in the previous 10 years. The family would not be able to know where to start and they were not crippled yet so they had lives worth living. So what is another Vietnam Veteran dying that does not make the 58 thousand names on the "Wall." America might not be so outraged at the war effort when they do not know the entire total that died or suffered.

And how about the Gulf War kids, they have suffered for 10 years now on the Bush Sr.'s war on oil, without the truth from the government, what's a few more men for the cowboy's war for oil? Let them suffer, after all there is no proof that they died or suffered because of the war.

But it would make some men of intelligence wonder why there was no other group of men in this country that have collectively come down with the same health problems as the men that fought the Gulf War.

Yes our government needs proof for most things they do. After all look at all the corporate crooks that bathe in the wealth of the fraud that they practiced on the public. They too will be shielded from the liability of the assault on the middle class and the working poor by this group of crooks hiding them. The bottom 90% in this country have become the fodder for the greedy rich just like the worst of all dictators.

But here again I wait for an undetermined amount of time for another appointment for a heart catherization. Maybe they thought as year ago when I waited I would go to a civilian doctor or die before they can see me. Of course they may have to change things and start to let some die while on the operating table because who would know the numbers anyway and you can't have them all dying without some care. And you can't sue the VA for malpractice although they practice it every day.

I once found a nurse that had been employed to correct this type of service. This made the care less threatening with someone of some competence around. So what did they do, they took her out of the position because they were tired of having to give reasonable care to Veterans.

And when I waited until 4:50 to call about the appointment that had made me anxious all day, I got that sorry phone tag message that said the line was in use. Then the operator told me that the doctor leaves at 4:30 and the nurse couldn't talk to me because they leave at 5. But if I was insisting she would transfer me to the Emergency Room. I asked about leaving a message, but she said that was impossible for her to do. It was the ER or nothing. So I took nothing. How could I expect an ER that tells you not to call after hours or on weekends to be any more helpful?

So I will not wait another anxious day tomorrow for another call because my doctor expressed such alarm about the results she had with my treadmill stress test. And Anthony Principi was on CSPAN telling the country how great he has made the VA. Well, greedy Republicans do like to spend less on the men that fought the wars and more on the political appointed men that start these wars. So if they can let some more of us that served in the place of Bush and Cheney, die, they will have more for bonuses for the little Bush and Cheney's, the other war mongers.

And what will these Congressmen do? Nothing. Many of us have written about how we served with the full faith in our government and the cause of God and Country, but Senators and Representatives have too much time that they need to spend on who is more racist or bigoted, not on the men that answered the call of their country. After all most of them were like Bush and Cheney and were never going to a war zone or never going to serve. So what would patriotism, God and Country mean to them? And they will, after all , write some useless letters in response. What a country we have here. Let's call it democracy and make sure those Arabs and Chinese start doing it.

~ Gary Lantz

Oppressive Regime Analogies

Let's consider a few analogies between oppressive regimes in history and the current regime in Iraq:

Chamberlain appeased the Nazis in Germany in 1938. They had a gigantic industrial base that supported the design and mass production of tanks, bomber and fighter aircraft, submarines, battleships, artillery pieces, and the munitions to support their use.

Current day Iraq has, uh, a few obsolescent SCUD missiles and a few likewise obsolescent Russian tanks and MIG aircraft, all of which they bought.

Recall two recent wars involving Iraq. First was their eight year conquest of that massive middle east superpower – Iran. Somewhat reminiscent of the wonderful conquest by the Italian juggernaut over the massive Ethiopian military colossus in 1936. This was followed by the more recent conquest by Iraq of Kuwait.

During the cold war – which lasted 40 years – we faced the Communist USSR, which had thousands of intercontinental ballistic missiles tipped with over 20,000 nuclear warheads. Recall the successful mass invasion of that evil empire that put that threat to rest once and for all. That was in 19??, uh, I forget the exact year of that invasion. If you remember what year that was, let me know.

Now we face a similar evil empire that has maybe two or three primitive nuclear bombs and their ever reliable SCUD delivery systems. It's time for another successful massive invasion like the one that put the evil USSR to rest. When was that again?

It seems to me that the major trust of the Iraq war effort is to lead us into the world described by Orwell in his 1984. We take the part of Oceania in the forthcoming perpetual war, whose real purpose is to distract attention from our descent into one-world-government UN style.

Recall that all of our "wars" since World War II have been UN actions: Korea, Vietnam, the last Gulf War, Bosnia, Somalia.

~ Marv Graham, South Carolina

The Resurrection of Smallpox

I am glad to see that the antiwar movement has finally grasp the truth about Iraq and the Pax Americana, a truth I have been heralding since 1991. But I suspect a cynical plan in the making that I'm afraid the movement will only recognize when its too late. And I am talking about the resurrection of this scourge of the human race called smallpox. The reintroduction of a virus on a massive scale into a world population rendered immunodeficient by a host of chronic maladies and malnutrition may have catastrophic consequences. As a virologist, I can assure you that the results are totally unpredictable.

They are supposedly vaccinating US troops for fear that Saddam Hussein has the capability and intention to use the small pox virus as a weapon against invading American soldiers, yet he has not bothered to immunize his own soldiers or the Iraqi people against this deadly and extremely dangerous disease. That would obviously be the first prerequisite for any State intent upon committing such a horror. Bush is doing precisely that! Is it possible that they are planning to decimate the population of Iraq and blame it on Saddam Hussein. Are they going to use smallpox as a weapon of blackmail to dominate the Middle East an beyond since most third world countries do not have and cannot produce an effective vaccine? this is extremely alarming and urgent. Notice that Sharon has simultaneously started an immunization campaign in Israel.

~ Stanley Laham, Davie, Florida

Iraqi Cause

The constant barrage in the American press on the evils of Saddam Hussein is starting to stink. If any leader is this bad, why has not one Iraqi enough courage to end this miserable term of government leadership? The real question today is why should any American soldier die for a cause in Iraq when not one Iraqi is willing to make such a sacrifice?

This administration is off course, and traveling in uncharted territory.

~ Thomas W. McGuire, Col. USAF Ret, Montgomery, Alabama

Why the Charade?

I watched a Canadian television program yesterday, The Passionate Eye: On The Brink. It dealt with the possible war with Iraq. Richard Perle Chairman of the US defense policy board told the interviewer:

"The combination of Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction is a threat that is to serious to go unanswered and the only plausible answer is to remove him from office. So I believe that the decision has been made by the American President that that will be the policy of the United States. It is just a question of when."

If the decision has already been made to go to war why the charade about going to the United Nations and sending in inspectors? How can the American public and the American allies have confidence in this deceitful administration?

~ Kenneth D. Curry, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

Not a War, a Massacre

Stop calling this massacre against Iraq a war. If history tells the truth, it will be written as what it is going to be: a massacre.

~ BB

Educate the Public

We Canadians are appalled at the ignorance of the American people at large. I sure hope that you will get out there and educate the public of the deceptive and intellectual corruptness of this administration. You would be surprised at the anti-Americanism that is developing in Canada. Time is running out, move it guys.

~ GH