Thursday, February 28, 2013

Walter Block Sends a Stern Letter to Gary Johnson about War Mongering

Walter Block has cc'd me on the below email that was sent today to 2012 Libertarian Presidential candidate Gary Johnson, among others

Subject: War Monger
Dear  Gary, Jim:

I’m bcc-ing you on this, since you asked me not to share your e mail addresses with anyone.

I just came across this:

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2012/09/libertarian-presidential-candidate-gary.html

Had I seen it during the campaign, I would have immediately written to you about it, and asked you to take it back.

I think Wenzel is absolutely correct in his characterization of your statement as “warmongering.” You may remember that in my capacity as an informal advisor of yours, I advised you to be as much like Ron Paul as possible, in an attempt to get as many of his votes as possible, and, even more important, because I think Ron was espousing the correct libertarian view. Ron would never in a million years have made a statement like that. I’ll betcha that if you had taken the Ron Paul (e.g., libertarian) view of this matter, your vote total would have doubled.

But, this is all in the past. I’m writing to you now in the hope that should you seek the LP (or GOP) nomination in 2016, you will leave off your war mongering ways, and take up the mantle of Ron Paul on foreign policy.

Best regards,

Walter 
Walter E. Block, Ph.D.
Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair and Professor of Economics
Joseph A. Butt, S.J. College of Business
Loyola University New Orleans
6363 St. Charles Avenue, Box 15, Miller Hall 318
New Orleans, LA 70118

Note: I asked Prof. Block for permission before publishing the above email and he replied:

Dear  Bob:
Yeah, sure. My only regret is that I didn't see this during the
campaign. Not only your critique, but, more important, Gary's statement.
I, too, would have criticized him for that, then and there. I'm glad you
did. 
Best regards,
Walter 
Walter E. Block, Ph.D.
Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair and Professor of Economics
Joseph A. Butt, S.J. College of Business
Loyola University New Orleans
6363 St. Charles Avenue, Box 15, Miller Hall 318
New Orleans, LA 70118

4 comments:

  1. Wow. I think both of you blew that way out of proportion. It was on 9/11 remember. And he is a politician after all. I'm willing to bet that was the most mild statement made by any candidate (except Ron Paul if he made one) during that cycle.

    I'm as anti-war as anyone, but when you condemn something like that as "warmongering" it's bound to turn people off....including Gary Johnson - who apparently up until this point was taking advice from Walter Block. I would not be surprised to see that relationship end.

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    1. What are you talking about? He said, "The fight against those who would do us harm continues today, and it is a fight we must carry out with the same determination that was so magnificently displayed by the heroes of 9/11." How is that not warmongering? It suggests that the war on terror is justified and should continue. It is an anti-libertarian position, it's pandering to that terrible American exceptionalism BS, and it's calling for a never ending war to continue.

      I also love when people say things like "he is a politician, after all." Is being part of a group that is the scum of the earth supposed to give you license to say awful things? It doesn't surprise me that a politician would make a warmongering statement, but I don't excuse him for doing it.

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  2. That statement wasn't made on 9/11, it was made on September 11, 2011. Fully tens years after the event. Nearly ten years after the Patriot Act and the invasion of Afghanistan. There was no excuse for this.

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  3. I am shocked, SHOCKED, that Gary Johnson is not actually a libertarian. Just as I was shocked, SHOCKED, to learn that Rand Paul is not actually a libertarian. Just as I was shocked, SHOCKED...etc, (repeat ad nauseum).

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