Jan 28, 2014
Articles and Lectures on Libertarianism
Robert Wenzel runs an excellent (and addictive) blog called EconomicPolicyJournal.com, which has published a few very good lists of lectures and articles which can help one develop an understanding of libertarian philosophy:
Jan 2, 2014
Timeless Absurdity
Today I am sharing an interesting letter posted on a blog called The Art of Not Being Governed which shows that the "Support the Troops" mentality is nothing new, and highlights the danger posed by such non-thinking:
An Open Letter From a Soldier, To Those Who Criticize The Troops
Does this sound familiar?
If you are like me, you were mentally preparing your rebuttal as you read the first half of the letter- only to realize that this soldier wasn't stationed in Guantanamo, he was likely stationed in Auschwitz! This letter could be satire. Nonetheless, all the "justifications" the author used- "duty", "protecting our way of life", preservation of "freedom", bad guys who seek to do harm, providing for his family in a poor economy, etc.- are constantly reasons used by US troops when discussing why they enlist in the military.
Such rationale is as illogical as it is timeless. Although the arguments for soldiering can appear to have validity for the casual observer, they fall apart altogether upon even an inkling of perusal. It is too bad such scrutiny seems to be beyond consideration for the hoards of people volunteering to partake in death and destruction, and those who "support" them.
An Open Letter From a Soldier, To Those Who Criticize The Troops
To whom it may concern:
It has come to my attention that many people have been directing some of their anger about our country’s foreign policy toward the members of the military themselves rather than to our political leaders who dictate what our policy is.
As asolider[editor's note: typo] soldier, this saddens and upsets me. I joined the military not because I agreed with the politicians, but because I felt a duty to serve our beautiful country and noble people. Our way of life is worth protecting, and it requires that men like me make personal sacrifices so that others don’t have to. Freedom needs to be preserved and protected from those who seek to destroy it, and they are legion. The modern world is complex, and what we have here in our country is attractive to despots, terrorists, tyrants, bolshevists, and religious extremists. They will use any means possible to enslave and control us.
I don’t want to spend my life in the military. I never really wanted to join in the first place, but the economy was such that there simply weren’t any other options that came close to providing the benefits, pay, and security for my family. I have children, and I did what I had to do to make sure they had food on the table and a warm place to sleep. I joined the military so they won’t have to. I want a better life for them, and the surest way to provide that is through national service.
If you haven’t served in the military, you won’t be able to understand the evil that exists outside our peaceful borders. I’ve looked into the eyes of our enemies. I’ve seen the atrocities they commit. I’ve heard their anger. The peace and tranquility you experience at home is the result of the willingness of brave soldiers to pursue evil wherever it takes hold.
I do not mean to say that our soldiers are perfect and always honorable. Of course there are mistakes. Of course innocent people die, and it is always a tragedy when they do. But we do our best to minimize those deaths as much as possible. Sometimes those deaths are out of our control. We don’t always know what is behind every door, and we can’t afford to assume the best of every situation.
Some have criticized soldiers for their willingness to imprison our enemies without trial or charges. I have worked at a detainment complex where some of these people are held. I won’t say the name of the facility, but you will no doubt be familiar with it, as it is probably the most famous of this type of detainment center. I know for a fact that some of the people that were held there were innocent of any crime, and I did what I could to lighten their burden. If I wasn’t there, some other soldier could have been there and he may not have been so kind. We had a lot of people come through, and I didn’t always know their fate in the end. That information was above my pay grade. There was nothing I could do about it. I always tried to treat them with respect and dignity. Of course I couldn’t help them escape, because I would have faced disciplinary charges, and they probably would have been found and killed. This would help nobody. From my position I could at least make their lives a little more tolerable.
I’ve never killed anybody; I’ve never even fired my weapon at another person. I won’t follow orders which go against our national principles. I have taken an oath to our country, our flag, and our Führer, and I will not violate that oath.
Now that I’ve laid out my defense of my chosen occupation, let me offer some solutions.
Those who criticize our troops are always welcome to find another country to live in. Nobody is stopping anybody from leaving. Granted, there are certain checks and procedures that need to be followed, but that is only for security; those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. Those who get disappeared by the Gestapo are criminals and represent a danger to our pure nation.
If you don’t wish to leave, I encourage you to write to your politicians. They are the ones who make the decisions; they have the power to change things. Our political freedoms allow us to have access to the legislators, and to vote out those who don’t represent the voice of our unified people. We are only their tools and cannot make changes on our own. It is they who determine the orders; we only follow them.
I may not like the stench of the incinerators, I may not agree with every race law, and I may not believe fully in the final solution, but the only reason you enjoy your freedom is that rough men like me are willing to do violence to protect you. It is our willingness to put aside our personal lives, sacrifice our liberties, and deploy to the harshest places on earth that allows you to be comfortable at home, to enjoy the blessings of living in the greatest nation on earth, and to have a peaceful and prosperous holiday season. Don’t forget, as you prepare the Weihnachtsplätzchen this Christmas, that we, the National Socialist soldiers of der Führer Adolf Hitler are away so that you can walk down the Reichsstraße to the Rhine in peace.
Remember the words of our German National Anthem:
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt,
Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
Brüderlich zusammenhält.
Germany, Germany above everything,
Above everything in the world,
When, for protection and defense, it always
takes a brotherly stand together.
Sgt Heinrich Ehrlichmann
Military Post Number 34 539 F
Ukraine
Does this sound familiar?
If you are like me, you were mentally preparing your rebuttal as you read the first half of the letter- only to realize that this soldier wasn't stationed in Guantanamo, he was likely stationed in Auschwitz! This letter could be satire. Nonetheless, all the "justifications" the author used- "duty", "protecting our way of life", preservation of "freedom", bad guys who seek to do harm, providing for his family in a poor economy, etc.- are constantly reasons used by US troops when discussing why they enlist in the military.
Such rationale is as illogical as it is timeless. Although the arguments for soldiering can appear to have validity for the casual observer, they fall apart altogether upon even an inkling of perusal. It is too bad such scrutiny seems to be beyond consideration for the hoards of people volunteering to partake in death and destruction, and those who "support" them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)