Re: WWII Mythology: The Root of All Evil

----- Original Message -----

From: Tony
To: Velvel@MSLaw.edu
Cc: lewrockwell@mac.com
Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 1:34 PM
Subject: WWII Mythology: The Root of All Evil

We engaged in mass terror bombings of Germany and Japan, but at least one can say, and I personally believe, that in WWII we faced an evil so terrible, one which the civilian populations had put into power and/or in which they were complicit, that the bombing was desirable as an object lesson to those countries never again to attempt war and conquest – a lesson we administered but did not learn . . . .

The fact that the death of that little girl has evoked no comment whatever in the American mass media (at least not so far as I know) speaks to what this country has become. It also brings home another point. In this era of modern war, where more civilians are killed than military personnel (as occurred in World War II), it is morally crucial to have unassailable reasons to go to war, as in World War II.


Dear Prof. Velvel:

I found your column today well-reasoned and compelling, but I have grave reservations about your alarmingly mainstream position on terror bombing, as reflected in the passage I have reproduced above. I believe the U.S. should have refrained from intervening in World War Two. Indeed, if not for FDR's chicanery, his maneuvering Japan's "first shot" (after FDR had rattled his sabre and sicced his Flying Tigers on the Japanese occupying Manchuria) at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. may well have steered clear of that conflict.

If the U.S. had to intervene, it would have done better to intervene against Stalin than Hitler. Yes, Hitler was a genocidal maniac. But Stalin's crimes against his own people--to say nothing of the studiously ignored Leninist-Stalinist holocaust of the Ukrainian peasantry--made Hitler look like a piker. Mainstream historians contorting to uphold the Myth of The Good War fail to acknowledge that crucial fact.

Either way, there is no excuse for terror bombings. The fire-bombings of Dresden, Hamburg and Tokyo--to say nothing of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Japan--were crimes against humanity. "Desirable as an object lesson," indeed. The lessons court historians have carried from that lesion still haunt humanity today. Americans have embraced a crass and false utilitarianism when it comes to civilian casualties. The Empire assures the average American it has no choice but to inflict collateral damage, that fewer people die as the result of the Empire's intervention than would otherwise be the case.

Apparently, the Empire can't go to the well too many times with this one. The reasons are always "unassailable." And on and on it goes.

Tony


----- Original Message -----

From: Gregory
To: Velvel@MSLaw.edu
Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 1:57 PM
Subject: June 16th Lew Rockwell column comment

Greetings Mr. Velvel,

About your column today in LewRockwell.com

Killing Zarqawi’s Daughter
by Dean Lawrence R. Velvel

and this text within the column:

"Now, as said, the question of why we bombed the house is, in terms of the immediate event, pretty superficial, not hard to answer. And, as I conceded, I would probably have given the same order had it been me giving orders instead of the guys who actually did so. But ..."


Mr. Velvel, your commentary presumes the air raid was the primary method of attack on this house.

Did it ever occur to you that there may have been in reality a successful special forces raid on this house and the air raid was planned as ex post facto cover story so that the world will presume Mr. Zarqawi is dead?

When news reports said he survived the bombing, my first thought was we should get a refund from the bomb manufacturers if anyone survived half a ton of high explosives.

My second thought was perhaps he's captured alive, along with his wife, child, and spiritual advisor, et al.

It makes more sense to capture him alive with his familiy. After all, he may not talk out of loyalty to Allah, but one's child on hand is leverage in any interrogation plus the interrogators can show them - if they are captured alive - that the world thinks they are all dead so there will be no UN inquiry nor any human rights watch group inquiry.

I have no evidence that Mr. Zarqawi or anyone in that house is alive. I just presume anything governments say is a lie. I am consistent: The Clintons were liars as are the Bushs.

Why should we believe this latest press release? They have lied from before the start!!

best regards,

Gregory