EDITORIAL
Hussein’s survival
mandates misery
As has occurred so many times since the Gulf War
cease-fire went into effect, Iraq thumbed its nose las!
week at U.N. inspectors attempts to gather information
on that country's weapons of mass-destruction re
search, development and stockpiling. This is in direct
conflict with the terms of the cease-fire.
And as has occurred just as many times. Iraq
backed down when confronted by the very real possi
bility of renewed action by U.N. forces, most likely in
the form of air-strikes launched from U.S. aircraft carri
ers.
That Saddam Hussein would continue to offer up
his people to be sacrificed in the name of pride demon
strates his true lack of concern for their well-being. His
rationale, however, is quite clear. Without the threat of
renewed military conflict with the West. Hussein
would have no cause around which his people might
rally, giving them cause to reflect on their domestic sit
uation.
Contrary to what many believe, the Iraqi people art;
not suffering because of the U.N. imposed sanctions
Rather, they are suffering and dying because their mis
ery and death gives Hussein a powerful public rela
tions weapon in his self-serving crusade against the
West. Hussein would like people to believe that the
sanctions are responsible for the widespread starvation
and sickness that has run rampant through Iraq.
He would have us forget that food, medical sup
plies and other humanitarian items are exempt from
the sanctions. Hussein points out that the sanctions
prohibit the sale; of Iraq oil, thereby denying his conn
try the much needed cash necessary to purchase food,
etc. Yet, Iraq has refused a U.N. proposal that would al
low St billion worth of Iraqi oil to be sold, provided
the proceeds go rlirectly to providing food, medicine
and humanitarian assistance.
With virtually no economy except oil. which can’t
be sold, and its international assets frozen, Hussein
must decide where his priorities lie. He continues to
spend money on a military whose only mission is to
murder Kurds and other nomadic peoples.When can
the people of Iraq expect to get on with their lives?
Probably not for some time. Unless Hussein gives up
his dream of uniting the Islamic world under his
guardianship and realizes that he is the laughing stock
of the international community. Iraq will continue to
play the role of spoiled child, stubbornly refusing to do
as it is told.
And if Hussein's strategy is to wait-out the elec
tion. he may be disappointed. Both Clinton and Gore
were supporters of the Gulf War and continue to pub
licly support Bush's handling of the situation.
Some people just never get it.
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COMMENTARY
Libertarians offer real third party
My lonie Nathan
One hoars a Ini of talk
about third party candi
dates recently, but Koss
Perot's retirement from the
Presidential rare makes an im
portant point there Is only
one real third party in this na
tion and that is the Lilrerturiun
Party The LP Is the only genu
ine alternative for voters led up
with the machinations and cor
ruption of the other two parties
Let me explain win
Historically, third parties
arise for three reasons be
cause of the attrat tlon of a pow
erful candidate, a powerful Is
sue, or a powerful ideology. Ex
amples of candidate oriented
parties (similar to Perot’s
group) are those of Teddy Roo
sevelt's Hull Moose Party,
George VVallai e's Independent
Party and John Anderson's
American Party When the can
didates stopped running, the
parties withered away
examples 01 issue-orienieu
parties are the Prohibition Party
and the Peace and Freedom
Party When prohibition was
repealed and the Vietnam War
elided, the parties disappeared.
Examples ol ideological par
ties are the American Commu
nist party, the Croon Party and
the Libertarian Party Through
the years, (lie ideas disseminat
ed by such parties uro either
partially accepted or repudiat
ed Marxist economic ideas
have greatly influenced the po
litical scene in this country,
(while) ai the same (time) those
ideas are iieing repudiated in
other countries, just as environ
mental ideas are influential
throughout the world.
Libertarian ideas am also in
fluential throughout the world
(Candidates for President of
Peru and Poland Mario Var
gas L1 o s a and S t a n i s I a w
Tyminski — were Libertarians.)
Two Libertarian ideas that have
had a political impact world
wide are privatization (a word
coined by a Libertarian) and
burden sharing, and end to the
American taxpayer defense
subsidy of such rich countries
as Japan and Germany.
The Libertarian Party was or
ganized in 1972 to offer an al
ternative to the failed policies
of both the Kopublicuns and
Democrats Its ideology was
built around the Jeffersonian
ideas of limited government
("That government is best
which governs least ") It has
been on the ImIIoI in every state
in the nation and more than
200 Libertarians have held pub
lic office It bus fielded six dif
ferent sets of Presidential can
didates all well-qualified to
hold office. In 19HH. the LP
presidential ticket won more
votes than ALL THE OTHER
MINOR PARTIES COMBINED'
In ltlKH, the LP Presidential
candidate was a four-term for
mer Congressman who had the
foresight to resign from the Re
publican Party because he lie
lieved the party system was
corrupt and ineffective. In
1090, the LP ran 3H Libertari
ans on 4:i 4 percent of the bal
lots nationwide who won an
average 7 percent of the votes
cast.
This year the LI’ Presidential
lickot is former Alaska state leg
islator. Andre Marrou, and
physician-lawyer, Nancy Lord,
Ml), a former candidate for
Washington D.C. mayor. They
are running on a platform cull
ing for repealing the personal
income tax (36 percent of the
federal revenue), abolishing the
IKS, reducing regulatory agen
cies by attrition, limiting Con
gressional terms, stimulating
job opportunities, privatizing
education, charitizing welfare
and allowing choice in all mat
ters.
Recently. Marrou camo in
first in Uixville Notch. New
Hampshire, the first precinct in
the nation to hold a Presiden
tial primary. He beat George
Bush by two votes because the
voters of that town had a
chance to hear what Marrou
and Lord hud to say and they
preferred the Libertarian ideas
In contrast to any
other party in the
nation, this year
the LP will be
running 600
candidates for
state and local
offices. Every
candidate has
signed a written
pledge not to
advocate a tax
increase.
to those of tfie other candidates.
In New humpshiro. two He pub
lican state legislators switched
to the Libertarian Party, a fore
boding of things to come When
politicians and voters get fed
up. they discover there is only
on place to go the Libertari
an Party, the party of principle
and inheritor of Jeffersonian
ideas.
In contrast to any other party
in the nation, this year the LI’
will be running 600 candidates
for state and local offices Every
candidate has signed a written
pledge not to advocate a tax in
crease or violation of citizens'
"Inalienable rights." The LP ex
pects to have more Congres
sional candidates running than
any other minor party in U S.
history. Now that is a REAL
third party — not a one-shot
publicity stunt! It offers the
public the only real alternative
to establishment politics. Perot
and Brown supporters ought to
take note.
Tonie Nathan is thn first
woman in U.S. history to win
an electoral college vote und is
the former Lllwrtariun I’urty na
tional director of media rela
tions.