“The Saakashvili government in Georgia made a foolish mistake by initiating hostilities in its breakaway province of South Ossetia,” says Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr in a press release entitled No Foreign Aid for Georgian War. “American taxpayers should not have to pay for that mistake. After all, they already are paying $10 billion a month for the administration’s mistaken invasion and occupation of Iraq. They cannot afford to pay the price for other people’s wars as well.”
In response to the press release, Liberty Maven says:
It is comforting to know that Barr is quick to point out what the press and the Bush administration seem to want to sweep under the rug: Georgia instigated this conflict. Even if the Russian response was disproportionate that fact remains.
15 responses so far ↓
1 G.E. // Aug 19, 2008 at 1:45 pm
A thoroughly libertarian and heroic press release from Bob Barr.
Alas, it’s too little; way, way too late.
2 Trent Hill // Aug 19, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Oh no..you arent going to start using the word “heroic” are you?
I think Lew Rockwell uses it enough for everyone.
3 G.E. // Aug 19, 2008 at 2:06 pm
It is quite heroic of you to challenge me on the use of the word “heroic;” but even more heroic for me to continue using it in the face of such adversity and condemnation.
4 green in brooklyn // Aug 19, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Lest we forget, Shrub was so excited to have Georgia as a member of the very small coalition of the willing club, that we’ve trained Georgia’s armed forces and armed them to the teeth for just this contingency, so the blame can be put at least half way on dubya’s drooping shoulders.
5 Trent Hill // Aug 19, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Would you believe that I actually heard people, liberals and neocons, saying we should go into Georgia?
6 G.E. // Aug 19, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I have a friend, a conservative Christian home-schooled guy I met through the Ron Paul campaign, who sent me a Facebook invitation to join “Americans Standing with Georgia.” I told him my opinion and he said, while Georgia “probably should let” South Ossetia secede, South Ossetia would be crazy to do so. This fellow is amazingly well educated and, I thought, a consistent defender of libertarian principles.
7 langa // Aug 19, 2008 at 5:43 pm
For some reason, foreign policy seems to be the area where people are most willing to throw principles out the window and go along with whatever the MSM talking heads are saying. I’m pleasantly surprised to see Barr avoid that tendency. It’s something I’d like to see him do a lot more of.
8 G.E. // Aug 19, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Barr is also ultra-dovish on Iran; quite indignantly so. These would be reasons to vote for him if not for the fact he was such a vile and despicable character.
9 SovereignMN // Aug 19, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Whether it’s 1860 or 2008, keep the federal army out of GEORGIA!
10 G.E. // Aug 19, 2008 at 5:54 pm
“Whether it’s 1860 or 2008, keep the federal army out of GEORGIA!”
I like it!
I’ve also coined this one: “NO to aggression! YES to secession!”
11 Mike Theodore // Aug 19, 2008 at 10:54 pm
“This fellow is amazingly well educated and, I thought, a consistent defender of libertarian principles.”
Foreign policy is the one thing that people are fooled into staying from libertarianism for.
“You know, I agree with you guys, but we have a country to defend.”
I hear that all the time from ex military.
12 Ross Levin // Aug 19, 2008 at 10:56 pm
No to aggression! Yes to slavery!
13 darolew // Aug 20, 2008 at 12:07 am
“Barr is also ultra-dovish on Iran; quite indignantly so. These would be reasons to vote for him if not for the fact he was such a vile and despicable character.”
Character doesn’t matter too much, in my opinion. Foreign policy is the most important issue. War is the health of the state; the worst of statist murdering and plundering. Barr is good on foreign policy, and most of his other positions are semi/quasi-libertarian, which is why I’m voting for him.
Now, if Barr starts talking like Root, that’d probably be the last straw.
14 G.E. // Aug 20, 2008 at 12:54 am
Ross – Secession is the opposite of slavery. If one is prevented from peacefully seceding, then one IS a slave.
15 Trent Hill // Aug 20, 2008 at 1:01 am
Sic semper tyrannis.
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