Steve Farrell
Monday, April 18, 2005

I'm going to have to confess to Mr. Browne: I watched the event on Fox News, which was the most supportive of the war effort of any network, and I don't remember once getting the feeling that "thousands" were on hand. We all could see the small circle of Iraqis around the statue and the empty streets around the circle. Camera angles exaggerated nothing.

It was a small group, and so what?

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  I had the feeling that the average Iraqi was too frightened of the consequences of taking part in the hoopla. The press took note of that as well.

Common Sense 101, Mr. Browne: Iraq was, after all, a police state, filled with informants and executioners who were quick to bring death or mysterious disappearances to dissenters. And you know that.

On the other hand, what you also failed to mention in your anti-Bush, anti-military diatribe is that regardless of our motives or feelings about this war, millions of Iraqis DID come out at great risk of life and limb and DID vote for their new government in a celebration of the free elections that America DID help to bring about.

Isn't that testimony enough? So why the dark-brushed lie?

Equally disturbing is your libertarian line – which matches the liberal line – that our boys are somehow occupiers rather than liberators.

If that is so, they sure don't act that way. Since when have occupiers paid for the rebuilding of water plants, power plants, oil-producing facilities, schoolhouses, and local police and military forces, and set up free elections, all of this at considerable cost to the so-called "invading hordes"?

And one must question the wisdom and motives of a man who uses the press to make such claims. You had the chance through your representatives, like all of us, to oppose the war prior to its engagement. That time has passed. We are there. Is the aim to give further incentive to terrorists to butcher our boys?

One must wonder.

As for the success of the experiment of free government in Iraq, I am as skeptical about the future of Iraq as the next guy. I firmly believe that free elections guarantee nothing. There needs to be a strong moral and political tradition, a wise system of checks and balances, a commitment to laissez faire rather than centrally planned economies, and a resolve to keep the socialist, capitalist-hating United Nations out of Iraq, rather than extending endless invitations to this radical body to ‘help out.'

That's where our efforts, and your efforts, ought to be at this time – putting pressure on Congress and the president to help bring about a successful experiment in self-government in Iraq, not engaging in the cheap game of calling our sons and daughters, neighbors and friends occupiers rather than liberators.

If you and the Libertarian Party really wish to do some good, you ought to do the above and one thing more: Engage in a fund-raising drive to send to Iraq translations of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Federalist Papers, the Anti-Federalist Papers, the writings of Jefferson, and some of the great free-enterprise-promoting economic works, and hope and pray that the wisdom spreads and a miracle follows.

At least that's this columnist's opinion.

Contact Steve

NewsMax pundit Steve Farrell is associate professor of political economy at George Wythe College, press agent for Defend Marriage (a project of United Families International), and the author of the highly praised inspirational novel "Dark Rose" (available at amazon.com). Read his daily blog at LibertyLetters.blogspot.com

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