Down the Memory Hole with Cato

A friend has pointed me in the direction of some Cato web pages that have been erased and others that have been restructured. However, thanks to the Wayback machine, those web pages have been archived, beyond the delete buttons of the Cato crew. What has Cato been deleting and restructuring? Some awfully, pro-war commentary. Hmm. Cato in its battle against the Koch brothers is claiming to have always been anti-war, so it appears they have used the internet version of a date rape drug and hit the delete button. But the Wayback machine never forgets, just as a woman given a date rape drug never forgets the emptiness of the hours seemingly ripped out of her brain.

Here's Cato's Tom Palmer attacking a group that is not only anti-war, but also anti-bankster. It can only now be found at the Wayback machine:

 D.C. is currently full of the ragtag remnants of the American left. They're protesting against, um, let me check the list: Israeli occupation of the West Bank; the existence of Israel; the U.S. war against the Al Qaeda and the Taliban; IMF and World Bank policies (not that they know what they are); globalization; trade; and badness generally. I could not resist a little argument with a number of the unpleasant little critters in the local Chipotle burrito bar on Saturday. 

And via the WayBack machine, this looks like Cato support for Guantanamo:

 The primary objective of the Bush administration should not be bin Laden's trial before an international tribunal, but the crushing defeat of him and his organization. The administration would have great leeway in that regard should it request and receive a congressional declaration of war against bin Laden and his terror network. According to long-established rules of war, enemies who do not wear uniforms, hide their weapons from view, and act as saboteurs are considered "illegal combatants." Illegal combatants are not entitled to prisoner of war status under the Geneva Conventions, are not protected by the law of war, and are subject to summary execution upon detection. When captured, such infiltrators are not entitled to be tried before civilian courts, court-martial panels, or international tribunals based on the Nuremberg model, but must instead face specially organized military commissions.

Then the WayBack machine records David Boaz supporting air strikes in Afghanistan, the removal of the Taliban, a call for a new bomber and a vigorous, determined  government:

Go after Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The air strikes are a good beginning, but we must insist that Afghanistan hand Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants over. Failing that, we must go into Afghanistan to find them. It won’t be an easy task; the Soviet Union learned that in a nightmare decade. But this is the sort of mission that our Special Forces train for. They’ll find bin Laden.

Also, the Taliban rulers have made clear that they are sponsors of bin Laden and his wave of terrorism. So, one of our goals must be the removal of the Taliban from power...

 Build a new bomber. In conflicts such as the one we’re entering, the United States may find air bases close to the fighting unavailable or vulnerable to enemy attack—especially by ballistic missiles. Yet the U.S. Air Force is investing billions of dollars in two new types of tactical fighter aircraft that require access to such bases. In contrast, the Air Force will not begin research and development on a new long-range bomber until 2013 and will not begin producing the aircraft until 2034. Heavy bombers can carry heavier payloads over much longer ranges than can fighters and can operate from less-vulnerable bases in theaters that are farther away from the fighting or even from bases in the United States. No matter what type of foreign policy the United States adopts in the future, it will need the ability to project power abroad. It’s time to start developing a new bomber...

Libertarians usually enter public debates to call for restrictions on government activity. In the wake of September 11, we have all been reminded of the real purpose of government: to protect our life, liberty, and property from violence. This would be a good time for the federal government to do its job with vigor and determination.

Oh yeah, a real principled bunch, I'll remember this the next time the TSA gropes me with vigor and determination. And all this is before my friend finishes investigating other kinds of deletions.