-=> On 03-02-98  13:47, Mike Angwin did testify and affirm <=-
-=> to David Hartung concerning Re: Libertarian Party <=-
 DH> You are exactly right, and on this issue, I don't believe
 DH> that you are in the minority. I believe that Reagan's
 DH> insistence on a strong military, and a foreign policy which
 DH> didn't back down to the Soviets, as a minimum, hastened
 DH> their downfall, by forcing the Soviets to expen resources
 DH> on defense which could have been spent on other things. 
 MA> I believe the cost to the United States was greater than
 MA> the results achieved. 
Oh? What would be the cost of rebuilding the East Coast
after a partially successful nuclear strike? 
 MA> With or without adding $3 trillion to the national debt, I
 MA> remain convinced that the Soviet Union would have collapsed
 MA> ecconomically. It almost did in 1977 and was saved only by
 MA> the Carter administration with the most massive sale of
 MA> grain in world history.  In 1979 the USSR was back, buying
 MA> more grain, and in almost as bad a shape as before. 
Collapse does not necessarily imply safety... not unless
one can ensure the collapse doesn't trigger the very
nuclear strike we've been neutralizing.
 MA> Communism is a flawed ecconomic system that cannot sustain
 MA> itself and was destined to fail.
Only when and if it's expansion is obstructed. Otherwise,
the flaws are more than made up by the looting of conquered
satellite provinces and countries.
 MA> With Soviet forces engaged in Afghanistan, Cuba and eastern
 MA> europe requiring continuing subsidies and a massive
 MA> military presence to prop up unpopular governments, and
 MA> with Soviet technology falling off steeply as the aging
 MA> German scientists from World War II died off, the USSR was
 MA> falling to pieces.  With or without taking ourselves to the
 MA> verge of bankruptcy it was breathing it's last gasps and
 MA> crumbling from within. 
You ignore the destabilizing effect of the information
technology produced by the USA. Progress in information
technology beyond a certain point results in increasing
individual freedom irregardless of the wished of central
authority.
... Education is NOT the responsibility of the state.
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