Letter to the editor: Libertarians are wise — if you like fascism

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To the editor:

A recent letter proudly, if erroneously, proclaimed “Libertarian wisdom” in calling for the withdrawal of the U.S. from NATO. As an 18-year U.S. Army veteran and having served seven years in what was West Germany, I write this in order to refute both the stated desire to withdraw and the self-proclaimed “wisdom” of the Libertarians.

First, we should address the origins of NATO. A three-point purpose was stated as NATO’s “charter.” Those three points are:

  1. To deter Soviet aggression on the European continent
  2. To forbid the reemergence of nationalist militarism throughout Europe
  3. To encourage European political integration.

The first point stands front and center as it pertains to the current Ukraine crisis. With the dissolution of the USSR, the entire European continent is a changed picture from that of 1949 when NATO was formed.

While there is no more Soviet Union, there is still a very belligerent Russia. Putin is a former KGB operative and from “the old state” state of mind. While he has yet to actually invade Ukraine, I would submit that should he, it would be little different from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

The world reacted then, and I think it would be right that the world react again if need be.

The second point calls for us to reexamine the isolationist policies of the U.S. throughout the 1930s. Had those policies persisted, and they nearly did, perhaps Japan would not have invaded Pearl Harbor. Seeing no need to counter our Pacific fleet, the Japanese might not have drawn us into the war and had we not been drawn into the Pacific War, we most likely would not have been drawn into the European one either.

The end result? Imperial Japan would have won out in mainland China. For the result of that, see the Japanese occupation of Nanjing. The Philippines, Guam and New Zealand would have also been occupied, as would have Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. See the Bataan Death March for the likely comparison there.

Australia would most likely have fallen as well, without the aid of British and U.S. military forces. With militant Japanese imperialism undefeated, Japan would be a far different nation/people from what we see today.

As for Europe? Without the U.S. industrial might and without the U.S. destroyers in the Atlantic, it is probable that Nazi Germany would have strangled the United Kingdom with its U-boat forces.

There would have been no defeat of Rommel’s Afrika Corps and Nazi fascism would control North Africa from the Suez Canal to the Straits of Gibraltar. The invasions of Sicily/Italy would not have occurred, and Italian Fascism would control Greece and Crete, along with Ethiopia on the African continent.

Mussolini would not have been deposed and hung, and his ideals of fascism would have grown. Hitler’s Nazi Party was modeled on Mussolini’s Fascist Party in Italy. Without U.S. forces and without being able to import adequate amounts of steel and oil, Great Britain would not have been able to stave off simple attrition long enough to defeat Nazi Germany.

With no D-Day and no need to create an Atlantic Wall, it is even possible that Hitler would have succeeded with his invasion of Russia. Bear in mind, the much needed by Russia Lend-Lease program via the port of Archangel would not have occurred had we maintained our isolationist policies.

It is likely that Nazi Germany would control the European mainland from the French border with Spain all the way to Moscow and then south through the Middle East and its oil.

Had we in the U.S. been choked off then from the many millions upon millions of tons of imports we have received over the past 75 years, can we imagine where we would be today? Let me also remind my fellows that it was NATO that responded in our defense following the events of 9/11/2001.

So, sure, support isolationist Libertarians if you wish to stand in support of fascism. And if you wish to call wise the support of fascism, then by all means applaud the “Libertarian wisdom.”

Jim Dirks
Redding, California

2 COMMENTS

  1. Jim: Very well written and very true. That’s why as Americans we should teach our children history. Many of these European countries, still to this day, honor our fallen heroes. Thanks for educating people. –Bill

  2. To the Editor:

    I thank Mr. Dirks for his comments. We need more people like him. An important facet of wisdom is to know what one is talking about. I find with my age it is important to re-check my facts versus memory. I hope Mr. Dirks will forgive me some corrections.

    NATO: There is no ‘NATO Charter.’ If he means the NATO Treaty, his 3 points are nowhere in it. Libertarians under my ‘diplomatic family’s’ guidance and indeed living rooms set in motion both the relevant NATO Treaty and UN Charter/Rights Declaration; and the US Bill of Rights and then both Republican and later US Libertarian Parties (USLP), so he may be assured these are dear to us.

    The NATO Treaty aims are in Article 2, which may be read here: nato DOT int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_17120.htm In no sense was it e.g. intended as an instrument targeting Russia. When I was called upon by President Reagan, a Fellow of our family’s Libertarian International Organization (LIO), to do our bit to help negotiate the end of the WWIII–the ‘Cold War’–it was verbally noted NATO would in due course expand to include Russia. Mr. Putin publicly reiterated this hope as may be seen with a GOOGLE search. Sadly the last 4 US Administrations seemed to have dropped the ball. Worse, Mr. Putin’s views seem to have changed with the ascendancy of neo-Communist advisors around him: Besides Ukraine he is proposing nationalizations. This is all the more surprising as he was reported to me—by Boris Yeltsin—to have commented that any anti-rights project Libertarian fans opposed was doomed.

    LIO: LIO Libertarian fans are presently key in leading protests in Russia and resistance in Ukraine, and in general are the major catalyzing force against totalitarian communism and fascism worldwide. There’re over 200,000 such fan homes in the two countries. This does not count the growing libertarianist spirit across all views there and here. Polls show opposition is spreading. Mr. Putin’s quest is hopeless. NATO at present has no role absent a direct attack. The US might consider an Article 33/52 UN Charter intervention with peace-keeping troops; a temporary embargo to show displeasure seems to help: but Libertarian fans there are already intervening as the US and NATO left and right debate, and in ways where troops cannot and without which any military action will fail. Should they fail, what happens is as the network grows Libertarian fans re-target so the people elicit inexorable restructuring and re-opening.

    USLP: The US Libertarian Party (USLP) was authorized by LIO to autonomously help advance discussion of more-voluntary options to current statutes, agencies, and programs. Thus they call for the abolition of many things with objectionable moral features—as taxation, irrelevant regulations, costly coerced oligo-monopolies, and simple over-reach –while fully intending to help replace them with superior voluntary eco-options. An example is how calling to abolish government communication monopolies paved the way to the internet. Thus NATO, the USLP feels, has and may be misused to spread taxes, conscription, illegal conflict with current misunderstanding as e.g. Mr. Dirks, or many officials. At the same time, LIO sees a reformed NATO could better serve its Article 2 aims. It may serve in due course for an alliance among the US, Russia, and major UN powers for free trade, science, and mutual help.

    UKRAINE: As far as I’m aware, no declaration of conflict was made under international treaty by Russia in entering Ukraine. A small Russian stated ‘peace-keeping’ mission is now clearly something else. If so, this is an ongoing act of piracy/offense against the law of nations and no treaties are needed to take action. It is an act the US must address under its Constitution. In this sense it may be unproductive to talk of invasion, or NATO, as missing the point. I in no sense criticize President Biden here. It is not my practice to say anything negative about a sitting US President, especially at such a time where he clearly has many strange issues to address and there is no consensus among our citizens beyond dismay.

    LP RUSSIA: Finally, I should note the gallant actions of the Libertarian Party of Russia. In general, LIO fans who are in all parties and members of the much smaller LP Parties international do not regularly interact, but Mr. Putin targeted a speech repression law just passed against their statement on their website widely distributed at LIO-fan catalyzed or supported protests. They have taken it down replaced with this statement here: LP-Russia DOT org/2022/03/silentresistance Sadly, Mr. Putin and his circle now think the Libertarian Party Russia with their work for ballot access, anti-draft, non-intervention and questioning things like NATO over-reach, and basic core rights, let alone having something nice to say about the Libertarian Movement Ukraine, is the door to fascism as well.

    Thank you for your patience. I hope this proves helpful, and again, my thanks to Mr. Dirks for his thoughtful comments,

    Michael Gilson De Lemos
    Curator
    Libertarian International Organization

    See:
    theperrynews COM com/letter-to-the-editor-libertarians-are-wise-if-you-like-fascism/

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