Good advice

["John Gelles" <indexed-savings@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The US can increase its own security and the security

of the world by adopting foreign and trade policies more

in tune with its professed values of peace and justice

for all.   -- Henry Liu, 24 March

 

=======================================

 

Policy in tune with the objectives of peace and justice

is desired by definition. Whether it will lead to a higher

minimum standard of living or greater national security

depends on too many other factors to know for sure.

 

It is often thought that power abhors a vacuum. Some

scholars interpret this homily as an invitation to be laid

low, destroyed or taken over by foreign devils if you ever

let your nation live in peace without formidable military

power-- ready to repel any attack and stop a war before

it starts.

 

It was said that the democracies attacked by Germany,

Italy and Japan at the end of the 30's and beginning of

the 40's were soft and guilty of provoking war by their

softness.

 

It's fine to abhor war. But the victims of insane dictators

really have to look to other people to rescue them from

victimhood. War may be the greatest friend to liberty in

our lifetimes.

 

This is not to say that reasoned collective security is to

be shunned. But Japan cannot be asked to live so near

North Korea without a protector or self-protection.

 

And Europe could not have recovered after WWII without

a protector from Stalin and his heirs.

 

What we need is protection from capitalist-fundamentalism

(via Keynesian spending on all needs, civilian and military),

from socialist fundamentalism, and from religious funda-

mentalism. Such protection will require a policy in favor of

peace and justice-- enforced by benevolent spending,

production, banking, police and military power.

 

Let us not disarm or allow economic slow downs until we

know how we will guarantee a rapid return to prosperity and

deal with crazies who won't disarm.

 

John Gelles