Reflections on an Election
by Ron Beatty
ronbeatty@sbcglobal.net

Exclusive to TLE

Well, the election is over, and George W. Bush has been re-elected. As far as the election itself, I am not surprised that Kerry didn't do better. Late in the campaign, he alienated several very large voting blocks, and never was able to sufficiently recover from these blunders. Nor am I really surprised that Michael Badnarik didn't do better. I am saddened that our national media refused to cover an honest and admirable man, who would have made an incredible president. In fact, I lay much of the blame for the relatively lackluster showing of Mr. Badnarik directly at the feet of the media, considering the de facto news blackout that was imposed on this charismatic man. Had he gotten equal time with Bush and Kerry, I have no doubt that it would have changed the election, and the political landscape for decades to come.

Now it is time to drag out my dusty crystal ball and try and see what the next four years will bring to America.

The War in Iraq:

If events continue on their present course, Iraq will become even more of a quagmire than it already is. As I have said several times in our weekly on-line freedom conferences, our military (or any conventional military force) cannot win a guerrilla war. Fighting insurgents with conventional forces is a recipe for disaster, as we should have learned in Vietnam. In addition, conventional troops fighting in urban areas do nothing but create additional martyrs, provide insurgents with propaganda material, and provide additional impetus for recruits to join the insurgents.

A campaign against insurgents is precisely what our special operations forces were designed for. The answer is not huge numbers of conventional troops. The answer is small hunter killer teams, snipers, each with a specific target. Since a surgically precise operation, by definition, affects only the target and his/her immediate surroundings and associates, there is far less chance of collateral damage, with its attendant hardship, grief, and fianancial and emotional loss. Even if the team calls in airstrikes, with laser designators held precisely on target, again, there is less chance of collateral damage. We have the men, the equipment, and the knowledge to do this, which is vastly to be preferred to indiscriminate artillery strikes or main gun attacks from M-1 Abrams tanks, or even the often less than accurate fire of infantry troops under attack from an unseen enemy.

The War on Terror:

According to many in the higher echelons of government, we are now safer than ever from terrorist attacks. This despite the continual antagonization of one of the world's largest and fastest growing religions, the often suspiciously timed 'terror alerts,' and the constant warnings from Washington that we are still being targeted by al-Quaida, al-Zawari, or the terrorist or terrorist group of the week. The actions taken by this administration are totally ineffective in combatting terrorism, as is quite frequently proved by various successful media attempts to subvert airport security. In addition, various government watchdog agencies which test various security measures have frequently rated airport security as inadequate, in many cases. And this is despite so-called security measures which would be quite at home in Stalinist Russia, frequent and blatant violations of civil liberties, and the total and complete eradication of the Bill of Rights in airports. In addition, we often see proposals to extend the same kind of 'security' to trains, buses, and cruise ships. It doesn't work now, and they want to expand the same failing system? Isn't that the definition of insanity, to keep doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way, and expect different results?

No, the plans and proposals for 'security', as our glorified ninnies and nannies would expound, will do nothing to increase security, and will do everything to hasten the day when a de facto police state becomes a de jure one. In addition, we will still be at risk of terrorist actions, and possibly even higher risk, since the government will have alienated many of those who could possibly have helped, and will have discouraged those who might even tip off authorities to impending attacks, since they will quite rightly fear being painted as terrorists themselves, with all the indignities that come with being 'interrogated' by our government agencies, which now have the right to use torture, according to certain high-ranking officials.

No, there is a very cost-effective way to fight terrorism, much cheaper than what is currently happening, and one that will not only be effective, but also promote civil liberties. If you are interested, please read the article in TLE #264. However, as I said then, it will never be implemented, for the simple fact that our congresscrooks can not stand giving up power that they have abrogated to themselves.

Unless a miracle happens, the war on terror will lead to a total suspension of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the loss of all that ever made this country unique among the nations of the world.

I am going to close this article now, even though there are many more points I could make, and will make, in future articles. Even though this article is an opinion piece, I am going to ask all of you, again, check the facts, do the research. Look up the articles of the Bill of Rights, check out Article 1, Section 8, of the US Constitution. Then read the Patriot Act, and reflect on the fact that the US Supreme Court is so cowardly that they did not do their plain duty and declare the Patriot Act unconstitutional.

Again and again and again, do the research, think for yourselves! Never, ever take my unsupported word, or the word of anybody from government or media for anything, unless and until you check the facts for yourself. When the fit hits the shan, you and only you are responsible for your own safety and freedom!

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