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Aid
and Comfort To The Enemy - How We Are Helping bin Laden
by
Pat Pending
Not
only did the U.S. set up Mr. bin Laden as a potential terrorist when we
armed and trained him to fight against the Russians, but we continue to
aid and abet his progress in many ways.
Perhaps at this juncture it would be prudent to ask some questions
about whether we should continue these policies.
Here are four areas in which we could take steps to stop helping
Mr. bin Laden:
1.
Much of bin Laden’s money comes indirectly from sales of oil from
the Middle East. Since we
have put great restrictions on drilling in the U.S., consumers are forced
to buy much of their oil from the Middle East.
Lifting restrictions on drilling in this country would not only
improve our domestic economy and make us less dependent on Middle Eastern
oil, but it would also reduce the funding to Mr. bin Laden’s enterprise.
2.
Much of bin Laden’s money comes from the drug trade.
Since we do not trust adults to decide for themselves what they can
put into their own bodies, we have made drugs illegal, thereby making
drugs very expensive, encouraging and financing thugs and scoundrels, much
as we experienced during prohibition.
However, there is a major difference between the war on drugs and
our former alcohol prohibition in that the illegal drug trade sponsors bad
guys all around the world, not just in the U.S.
If drugs were legalized, their price would plummet, and legitimate
producers would take over from the thugs, again substantially reducing the
funding to Mr. bin Laden’s enterprise.
(Such a policy would also go a long way toward restoring peace in
other drug-torn countries, such as Colombia, rather than furthering the
spread of U.S.-sponsored violence there.)
(See Drugs and thugs)
http://www.reason.com/sullum/100901.html
3.
We have continued to give substantial dollar amounts of aid to
Afghanistan in an attempt to control the flow of illegal drugs from that
country. Does anyone doubt
where that money ends up?
4.
We continue to interfere in the affairs of foreign countries, far
beyond anything that is necessary to defend American lives and property.
Indeed, our presence and interference in the Middle East have
created many enemies and made us much less safe here at home.
While individual American people may choose to take sides in these
foreign conflicts, and individual Americans may well end up on both sides
of these conflicts, it is not the proper place of our government to use
the power of taxation to force us to take sides.
Nor is it proper for us to put our soldiers in harm's way in
conflicts that do not involve our own national security.
Yes, we must now search out and punish the group responsible for
the Sept. 11 attacks, as part of our responsibility to defend ourselves,
but we must stop trying to be the world’s policeman.
For example, we have no business stationing troops in Saudi Arabia
– let the Saudis defend themselves!
(See
Making more enemies for US)
http://english.pravda.ru/main/2001/10/08/
17404.html
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