Conscription – The Terrible Price of War

The ultimate cost of war is almost always the loss of liberty. True defensive wars and revolutionary wars against tyrants may preserve or establish a free society, as did our war against the British. But these wars are rare. Most wars are unnecessary, dangerous, and cause senseless suffering with little being gained. The result of … Continue reading “Conscription – The Terrible Price of War”

Mistreating Soldiers and Veterans

Congress recently voted to send $87 billion to Iraq, money that will be used to build everything from roads to power plants to hospitals. Yet while Congress appears ready to rubber-stamp unlimited monies for nation building in Iraq, thousands of our own soldiers at home are languishing with substandard medical care. You may have read … Continue reading “Mistreating Soldiers and Veterans”

Heed Bush Sr., Stop the $20 Billion Iraq Giveaway

Congress passed an $87 billion spending bill last week to fund our occupation of Iraq, $20 billion of which is an outright foreign aid giveaway of your money for all kinds of civic and social programs there. This $20 billion was tied to money for troop support, so that members of Congress who object to … Continue reading “Heed Bush Sr., Stop the $20 Billion Iraq Giveaway”

Syria Sanctions Will Cut Trade and Peace

I would like to express my strong opposition to this ill-conceived and ill-timed legislation. This bill will impose what is effectively a trade embargo against Syria and will force the severance of diplomatic and business ties between the United States and Syria. It will also significantly impede travel between the United States and Syria. Worse … Continue reading “Syria Sanctions Will Cut Trade and Peace”

National Endowment for Democracy: Paying to Make Enemies of America

The misnamed National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is nothing more than a costly program that takes US taxpayer funds to promote favored politicians and political parties abroad. What the NED does in foreign countries, through its recipient organizations the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI), would be rightly illegal in the … Continue reading “National Endowment for Democracy: Paying to Make Enemies of America”

We Cannot Afford Another $87 Billion in Iraq

The neo-conservative media machine has been hard at work lately drumming up support for the $87 billion appropriation to extend our precarious occupation of Iraq. Opposition to this funding, according to the Secretary of Defense, encourages our enemies and hinders the war against terrorism. This is a distortion of the facts and is nothing more … Continue reading “We Cannot Afford Another $87 Billion in Iraq”

War and Red Ink

The president plans to request another $87 billion from Congress to fund operations in Iraq, a number that not surprisingly is much higher than originally called for by the administration. It’s not surprising because everything government does costs more than originally expected, but it’s important to note that some in the administration who warned about … Continue reading “War and Red Ink”

Can We Afford To Occupy Iraq?

The recent bombing of the UN headquarters in Iraq has refocused the world’s attention on the dangerous situation in that nation. The Bush administration is now softening its position against UN involvement, and is considering the use of UN military forces to serve as an international peacekeeping coalition in Iraq. We should not expect any … Continue reading “Can We Afford To Occupy Iraq?”