When Will We Learn?
by Harry Browne
September 12, 2001
The terrorist attacks against America comprise a horrible tragedy.
But they shouldn't be a surprise.
It is well known that in war, the first casualty is truth – that during any
war truth is forsaken for propaganda. But sanity was a prior casualty:
it was the loss of sanity that led to war in the first place.
Our foreign policy has been insane for decades. It was only a matter
of time until Americans would have to suffer personally for it. It is a
terrible tragedy of life that the innocent so often have to suffer for the
sins of the guilty.
When will we learn that we can't allow our politicians to bully the
world without someone bullying back eventually?
President Bush has authorized continued bombing of innocent people
in Iraq. President Clinton bombed innocent people in the Sudan,
Afghanistan, Iraq, and Serbia. President Bush Senior invaded Iraq and
Panama. President Reagan bombed innocent people in Libya and
invaded Grenada. And on and on it goes.
Did we think the people who lost their families and friends and
property in all that destruction would love America for what
happened?
When will we learn that violence always begets violence?
Teaching Lessons
Supposedly, Reagan bombed Libya to teach Muammar al-Qaddafi a
lesson about terrorism. But shortly thereafter a PanAm plane was
destroyed over Scotland, and our government tried to convince the
world it was Libyans who did it.
When will we learn that "teaching someone a lesson" never teaches
anything but resentment – that it only inspires the recipient to greater
acts of defiance.
How many times on Tuesday did we hear someone describe the
terrorist attacks as "cowardly acts"? But as misguided and despicable
as they were, they were anything but cowardly. The people who
committed them knowingly gave their lives for whatever stupid beliefs
they held.
But what about the American presidents who order bombings of
innocent people – while the presidents remain completely insulated
from any danger? What would you call their acts?
When will we learn that forsaking truth and reason in the heat of battle
almost always assures that we will lose the battle?
Losing our Last Freedoms
And now, as sure as night follows day, we will be told we must
give up more of our freedoms to avenge what never should have
happened in the first place.
When will we learn that it makes no sense to give up our freedoms in
the name of freedom?
What to Do
What should be done?
First of all, stop the hysteria. Stand back and ask how this could have
happened. Ask how a prosperous country isolated by two oceans
could have so embroiled itself in other people's business that someone
would want to do us harm. Even sitting in the middle of Europe,
Switzerland isn't beset by terrorist attacks, because the Swiss mind
their own business.
Second, resolve that we won't let our leaders use this occasion to
commit their own terrorist acts upon more innocent people, foreign
and domestic, that will inspire more terrorist attacks in the future.
Third, find a way, with enforceable constitutional limits, to prevent
our leaders from ever again provoking this kind of anger against
America.
Patriotism?
There are those who will say this article is unpatriotic and
un-American – that this is not a time to question our country or our
leaders.
When will we learn that without freedom and sanity, there is no
reason to be patriotic? |
