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02/21/2003 Archived Entry: "Bert the Turtle"

On the Political Front:

A while back, I urged readers to visit the Prelinger Archive -- a free online resource offering well over a thousand short "films/moving images", many of which are now part of the North American psyche...e.g. famous commercials. Under the "Most Viewed" category on the right-hand side is "Duck and Cover," the Cold War clip that was shown in US schools, urging children to duck under their desks in casse of enemy attack. Well, the film has been updated to "Duct Tape and Cover" but -- never fear! -- it still features Bert the Turtle.

Cities for Peace is a national [U.S.] "coalition of local officials and concerned citizens working to express the will of their communities through civic resolutions regarding the proposed war in Iraq." So far 104 U.S. cities and counties have passed resolutions opposing the war, along with both houses of the Maine state legislature and the Hawaii House of Representatives. A Cities for Peace toolkit provides a step-by-step guide to getting a resolution passed in your city. I particularly recommend the link "Economic Impacts of a War With Iraq" on the right-hand side of the page.

The aforementioned article points out that the current budget and deficits do not include the cost of a war in Iraq. Where is the money to come from. Ronald Bailey's insightful article in the current Reason Online -- "Homeland Financial Security: Bankers and brokers required to spy on customers" -- gives a clear indication. The government will be scrutinizing financial transactions with an eye to where and what it can skim. One place that is bound to be targetted for taxes is the Internet. BTW, also not included in the current deficit is the cost of military action elsewhere. For example, the Pentagon announced that "the U.S. will send nearly 2,000 troops to the Philippines to fight Muslim extremists." Apparently, there is no lesson to be learned from Vietnam.

What else to say about the economy? Wholesale level inflation is at a 13 year high of 1.6%. The dollar is down against the yen and the Euro. There has been 30-straight months of job losses in the US.

On the Personal/Movement Front:

I am delighted to announce that Robert LeFevre's out-of-print classic The Nature of Man and His Government (1959) with an Introduction by Rose Wilder Lane is available for free online. The book is LeFevre at his best. My thanks to The Voluntaryist for restoring this work to the public realm.

The April 2003 issue of Freedom Daily has an excellent article by richard Ebling entitled "An American Empire! If You Want It instead of Freedom, Part 1." And the LP has come out with another good antiwar piece entitled
"Libertarians challenge Bush to answer 10 questions before going to war with Iraq."

Best to all,
mac