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Ayn Rand's Tawdry July 1999 $4.00 Passion "He who forfeits Liberty for fear ofpoverty will be a slave forever. " -Cicero Us vs • Them "NATO's chiefs must want the entire Balkan peninsula to "Congressional Republicans have now miraculously be under U.S. occupation for the next hundred years, hun transformed themselves into a simulacrum of Vietnam-era dreds of thousands of U.S. troops permanently garrisoned left-wing Democrats. They call for peace at any price. there.... These are not the garrisoned troops of the old They fly off, Ramsey Clark-style, to negotiate with Amer movies, sitting around in the local taverns and flirting ican enemies and their backers in Moscow.... What's with almond-eyed, bare-shouldered Mediterranean maid next? Sit-ins? Posing for TV cameras while sitting on ens in flouncey folk-embroidered skirts. The troops would anti-aircraft guns in Belgrade? A few brave Republicans, be constantly killed in reprisals ifthey mingled with the lo led by Senator John McCain, have tried to prevent the par cals. These brave soldiers will be maintained in ty from driving off this isolationist cliff." self-contained biospheres, like giant lizards from another -The Weekly Standard, May 3, 1999 star, which given the moral status of their behavior, they might as well be." -David Ramsay Steele "The war in Kosovo isn't about getting an 'A' for effort. It's about getting a 'V' for victory. NATO doesn't need to "Given that the old American Republic is deader than Sal show the world that its intentions are still pure after all ly Hemings, and that we are subjects of a lumbering hom these years. It needs to show the world that its in icidal empire which massacres foreigners every couple of stitutions, military and political, are still effective." years (while its propaganda sheets revile those who prefer - The New Republic, May la, 1999 the foreigners alive as "xenophobes"), he who does not wish to become a perpetual sputterer must learn the lesson of Elvis Costello: 'I used to be disgusted - but now I'm "War is not simply a mistake, a failure to communicate. just amused."' -Bill Kauffman There is radical evil in the world, which is why there are just wars. And this is a just war. Even if it has been bun "Unfortunately, there are three bad things about nice little gled. Stop the genocide. Return all refugees to their wars. They are not nice, at least not nice to the people homes. Worthy goals. But how is any of this conceivably we're killing. They're not little, at least not to the people going to happen unless the Milosevic regime is over- whose cities we're destroying. And they sometimes grow thrown?" -The New York Times up into great big wars." -R.W. Bradford Magazine, May 2, 1999 "Anyone who believes in truth, or the constitutional bal- "It is time for the United States and its allies to escalate their ance of powers, will see the Yugoslavian War as a major efforts on both the military and humanitarian fronts.... We setback. Former peace freak Clinton... went to war with- must win this war, and we must win it absolutely. First, out asking so much as a by-your-Ieave from anybody (ex- the United States should lead its allies in making the cept the officialdom of NATO, which he controls). strength of NATO's actions commensurate with Milosev- -Stephen Cox ie's attacks.... In my view, the next step in achieving our Leb t 10001 d fj objectives and winning the war is to position NATO 1 er y. .. 10 propagan a ree. ground forces in readiness for combat. ... Sustained Subscribe today! pinpricks are not the correct response to Milosevic's r- ----------------- ., scorched-eart~,policies. Why shoul~n't we , I'm sick of warmongering gibberish. Please enter my play our aces? -WaShln$ton Post, I Yes. subscription to Liberty immediately! I Apn124, 1999 I 0 12 issues (One Full Year) $29.50 Add $5 per year for foreign sub- I "So what should we do now? Win. By all o 24 issues (Two Full Years) $56.00 scriptions. means necessary. Failure would encourage ty- I Name: I rants and rogue regimes around the world to challenge our interests more aggressively, and I Address: _ I it would deal a potentially fatal blow to NATO's authority in the post-cold war world. I City: State: Zip: _ I We must bring the full weight of American air I 0 I enclose my check (payable to Liberty) power to bear on Serbian forces.... The costs o Charge my: 0 Visa 0 Mastercard I of failure are infinitely greater than the price of victory. Can anyone contemplate the prospect Account #: Expires: _ I I of taking leave of this century with the greatest I Signature: I defensive alliance in history in tatters after los- ing a war in Europe?" L. -----------------Send to: Liberty, Dept. L75, 1018 Water St. #201, Port Townsend, WA 98368 ..I -Time, April 12, 1999 July 1999 Inside Liberty Volume 13, Number 7 4 Letters Everyone's a critic. 7 Reflections Liberty'S editors make sense, not war. Making Sense of the Colorado Massacre 12 Symbols for the Masses Stephen Cox wonders: why are some incidents "national tragedies," while others are quickly forgotten? 15 Consumers of Safety Jeffrey Snyder explores the origin of the urge to control guns. with additional analysis by Douglas Casey, Ross Levatter, Randal O'Toole, Jane S. Shaw, Clark Stooksbury and Timothy Virkkala. Features 19 Why Johnny Can't Disobey Sarah J. McCarthy uncovers the real scandal of our schools. 21 Compliance in the House Ron Paul tells the inside story of how Congress caved on Clinton's war. 23 Gateway to Oppression Alan Bock examines the latest scientific study of marijuana, and wonders: if marijuana kills, why hasn't anyone ever died of it? 25 How Murderous Are the Serbs? David Ramsay Steele sifts through the rubble of NATO's war on Yugoslavia. 33 Freedom Under the Law James Bovard looks behind the easy rhetoric of politicians and finds the greatest political lie of them all. 35 To Think and Speak in Hong Kong Benjamin Ostrov tells what happened when he spoke truth to power in the world's richest city-state. 37 The Road to Dissent len Tracy profiles the rise of a Soviet dissident, and his revolutionary origins in ... jazz. 39 Shades of Gray G. R. Steele reviews the long strange trip of a philosopher who went from Hayek advocacy to Tony Blair sycophancy. 42 Liberty in N-Space John C. Goodman explores the frontiers of libertarian theory. 45 The Virtue of Salesmanship Tom Isenberg explores what's good and what's bad - about moralistic fervor and cautious consequentialism. 47 Apolitical life How a nice Jewish leftist became a rugged individualist anarchist. Richard Kostelanetz tells his tale. 49 Garghibition Scott Stein grows a few inches as he engages in an ironic fiction. Reviews 51 Days of Decadence Brian Doherty wonders whether it's just a coincidence that liberty was reborn in the 1960s. 53 He Seen His Opportunities Jonathan Ellis explores the tiny mind of George Stephanopolous. 56 Privacy Unbound? Bruce Ramsey suggests a rapprochement with communitarianism on the subject of privacy. 59 Tawdry Triangle R.W. Bradford didn't expect exact historic accuracy when he watched the film verson of The Passion ofAyn Rand. But he did expect the characters to ring true. 61 Notes on Contributors 62 Terra Incognita cle? Am I supposed to feel sorry for this lady drug smuggler? If the article was [~=============::=============::L intended to make my blood boil, it did, e=======tt=======e=======rs=============::============:::J but perhaps not exactly in the manner envisioned by the editors. Know Your Legislator tional rights of citizens. And I shall proudly stand at your side in battles yet Let me putit this way: I'm no big fan I would like to thank you for the of our national drug laws, or of the DEA. Jefferson Meyers's article "Know Your to come. But note: understanding that the question of liberty is always a However, I amno big fan of people who Regulator" (May) which chronicled the bring thatjunkinto this country. death of proposed federal bank regula "moral" question should not bar us from taking actions we believe will be Moreover, all actions, legal or illegal, tions that would have meant massive have consequences. And ifyou can't do encroachment on the privacy rights of most "consequential." Richard H. Baker the time, don't do the crime. Please, individual citizens. The so-called spare me any more of the women-in "Know Your Customer" (KYC) rules United States Congress Washington, D.C. chains articles and let's move on to some were defeated by a veritable firestorm stimulating (or perhaps less stimulating) of public opposition, an encouraging Meyers responds: I am delighted that Rep. Baker stands proudly on our side. topics. sign that the American people have not Fred Bluestone And I agree that our interest in the moral lost sight of the importance of their Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. God-given liberties, and the need to be should never discourage our taking ever-vigilant in protecting them. actions whose consequences enhance our Eternal Appeal On the other hand, I was surprised liberty. In criticizing Harry Browne's electo and disheartened to discover that Mr. But with all due respect, I believe my ral strategy, R.W. Bradford ("Looking Meyers distorted my role in helping to characterization was entirely accurate: out for numbers 1 through n," May) is kill KYC.