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April 05, 2005
This is rational?
From the weekly update of the Ayn Rand Institute:
The Failure of the Homeland Defense: The Lessons from History
“With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, America has accepted a permanent, institutionalized state of siege on its own soil. But is this the correct strategy? In this lecture Dr. John Lewis examines several examples from history—including Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome*—in which great nations, facing attack, have acted defensively rather than with bold offense. The results are clear: such a policy is suicidal. Rather than bracing against further attacks at home or spreading "democracy" abroad, America should destroy her enemies.”
https://secure2.convio.net/ari/site/SPageServer?pagename=reg_welcome&autologin=true
(* Other empires we should emulate? Sheesh.)
Rather than running all over the world trying to secure oil fields, why not just pay the lawful owners of those resources the price that they ask, or seek alternative sources, develop substitutes, or try other non-violent free-market responses? That would seem to me to be the more rational course of action. Has the ARI now morphed into a neo-con outfit too?
Putting garrisons all over central Asia and the Middle East helps not at all. If the oil flow from the Middle East becomes too undependable or expensive the free market can and will react to those circumstances and transition to other sources and fuels will start. If people then still want to drive a 9 MPG behemoth like the Ford Expedition or a Hummer they still could. They would of course also pay for the privilege of doing so too.
American society should not have to pay for the ill will created by maintaining garrisons, with terrorism, and the fear of it, and the subsequent loss of blood, treasure, and liberty the current irrational policies produce.
For scholars that avow rationalism and logical thinking the ARI seems more animated by fury and nationalism rather than what is moral and logically consistent with the views they advocate. Go figger?
Posted by Ali Massoud at April 5, 2005 03:04 PM
Comments
Right On!
Posted by: rpleger ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.strike-the-root.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif){kind=small}
at April 5, 2005 05:32 PM
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