Lionel Beehner is now a columnist for USA today, and a phd candidate at Yale. He was a student of mine when we were both at Holy Cross, me as a prof, him as a student.
From: Walter Block
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 9:05 PM
To: 'xxxx@gmail.com'
Subject: reaction to column from old prof at Holy Cross
To: 'xxxx@gmail.com'
Subject: reaction to column from old prof at Holy Cross
Dear Lionel:
In your USA Today column of 3/26/14, “Putin just the nemesis we need” (http://www.usatoday.com/ story/opinion/2014/03/25/ putin-obama-united-states- russia-ukraine-crimea-column/ 6880951/), you call Putin “a playground bully.”
This characterization it seems to me, far better fits the US rather than Russia. The military budget of the former is bigger than that of the next 14 countries, all put together. The US has some 1000 military bases in about 160 foreign countries. Russia isn’t even close in this sweepstakes. Russia, at least, has the (illicit) excuse that it was invaded by Germany 3 times in the last century, and wants to establish a cordon sanitaire around itself. The US has no such excuse for its imperialistic ventures all over the globe.
You characterize Obama as “weak and unsure.” With him, the US military is still in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo and scores of other countries. If we had McCain as president, he likely would have bombed Syria and Russia too, plus a few other countries no one has ever heard of. Mitt Romney was working up a head of steam against of all places, China. If Ron Paul were president, all the US troops would be home long ago, and no droning would have been launched by our country. If Obama is “weak and unsure” what is Ron Paul? A sissy? He wants a powerful DEFENSIVE force, not an offensive one.
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
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