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From: steven@qubix.UUCP (Steven Maurer)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: The Draft
Message-ID: <444@qubix.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Aug-83 21:13:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: qubix.444
Posted: Mon Aug 22 21:13:19 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Aug-83 00:44:23 EDT
References: <946@ittvax.UUCP> hou5e.719, <165@wxlvax.UUCP>, <912@utcsstat.UUCP> <1762@allegra.UUCP>
Organization: Qubix Graphic Systems, Saratoga, CA
Lines: 49

I have read about various people saying that dictators are nasty, bad,
awful, mean, and rotten.  And that the U.S. should not support them
because of this.  However, these people do not take into account the
fact that the dictators that are overthrown, inevitably are replaced
by another dictator (or junta) that is worse.

(flick) (flick) (flick)

<<BOOOMMMMM>>
<<ROAARRRRR>>
<<WOOSSSHHH>>

SO GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN A GODAWFUL BASTARD WHO SUPPORTS THE US
AND A GODAWFUL BASTARD WHO HATES THE U.S., WHY IS IT WRONG TO SUPPORT
THE FORMER?????

<<PUT>> <<PUT>> <Put> (put) put. . . . .

The examples are innumerable: Iran, Niceragua (sp), Cambodia, 
to name a few.   In all these countries, a govenment
friendly to us was overthrown, only to be replaced by an even
worse government which hated us.  By "even worse" I mean, wholesale
slaughter of its citizens, inspiring immediate resistance movements,
and violating more civil rights than the first government did.

I do not believe we should let this happen.  In some areas of the
world, civilization has just not reached a high enough level for
a stable democracy to take root; too many people are willing to
engage in wholesale slaughter to gain/retain political power.  In
such areas, we must put our influence behind what is the least of
many evils, even though we would never let such a evil exist if
we had an alternative.

Now, no doubt, some of you flaming radicals will immediately deduce
from the above conversation that I am a total interventionist.
Not so.   There is a point where a government is a lost cause.
That point to me exists at the point that it needs outside combat
troops to intercede on its behalf.  This makes me oppose the draft.
I do this not from any pacifist sentiment, nor from any radical
(gee whiz mommy, look at all the nice IRA bombers) orentation,
but because a draft should never be necessary;  If we actually needed
troops for our defense, I believe there would be enough volunteers.


Steven (Cap. Hype.) Maurer