Letter of Liberty News Edition (10-08-2013)

Here's Tuesday's News Edition.

Pat Buchanan on the major conflict of our times

C. Jay Engel comments on the authority to coerce.

Ron Paul: An opening to Iran?

Kelly Vlahos on bitter 9/11 justice

Doug Newman writes on the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" madness.

Audrey Kline shows that gun prohibition actually increases the demand for guns.

Butler Shaffer on the statists' smearing anarcho-capitalists

Walter Williams on racial tradeoffs

Laurence Vance takes Christian anti-capitalism to the woodshed.

Thomas Sowell on ridiculous, inarticulate Republicans

The world can thank the Nazis for the invention of sarin.

Alexander Salter explodes the mercantilist myths.

The era of the dollar is ending.

Police officers are a third more likely to murder than concealed carry permit holders.

There are twelve nations now currently holding U.S. debt, with China leading the pack.

Joseph Mercola gives some tips on safe and unsafe sugar substitutes.

Alex Greig reports on newly remastered COLOR photos of the Civil War.

Bruce Schneier on why the NSA's attacks on the Internet should be made public

The Guardian reports on the U.S. and U.K. governments' attack on Tor.

Doug Bandow: Shut down the welfare-warfare state.

Dominick Armenanto on the stupidity of minimum-wage laws

Joseph Margulies asks why the Left isn't more irritated of the U.S. government's treatment of Ahmed Warsame.

Michael Shank and Elizabeth Beavers attack the further militarization of the police.

Cathy Reisenwitz on why shutting down Silk Road did not make us more safe.

Nathan Smith writes a two part article on bringing back the Gilded Age. Part One and Part Two

Mark Thornton gives his tips on how to read Ludwig von Mises.

Anthony Gregory on why America's prison system is its worst national disgrace

An Opening to Iran?

"An Opening to Iran?"

by

Ron Paul

Texas Straight Talk 10-08-2013

Reprinted from LewRockwell.com

Last week, for the first time since the 1979 Iranian revolution, the US president spoke with his Iranian counterpart. Their 15 minute telephone call was reported to open the door to further high-level discussions. This is a very important event.

I have been saying for years that we should just talk to the Iranians. After all, we talked to the Soviets when they actually had thousands of nuclear missiles pointed at us! The Iranians have none, according to our own intelligence services. I even suggested a few years ago that we should “offer friendship” to them. Unfortunately, so many so-called experts have a stake in keeping tensions high and pushing us to war. They did not want to hear what I was saying. It seems, though, this is beginning to change now with these recent events.

The phone call was one of the most important moves away from war and conflict in a long time. Taken with the Obama administration’s decision to hold off on bombing Syria, we should be encouraged.

It is also probably a good sign that this phone call has infuriated the neoconservatives at home, the pro-war faction in Israel, and the hard-liners in Iran. Now that a process of negotiation has begun, the chance of war has been significantly reduced. The US is very unlikely to bomb Iran while it is talking with them, and Israel is also unlikely to start a war while the US is at the negotiating table with the Iranian leadership.

But we should also remain very cautious. Obama’s war on Syria was only stopped because the American people finally stood up and said “enough.” The message was received loud and clear and it shocked the neocons pushing war. They were used to being in charge of foreign policy.

In a recent CNN poll, more than 75% of Americans favored negotiations with Iran. This is very good news, but those pushing for war will not give up that easily. Believe it or not, some Members of Congress have recently introduced legislation to authorize war on Iran – even as these first steps toward a peaceful resolution of our differences begin to bear fruit!

So no, they will not give up that easily. There are many in the president’s own Cabinet who do not want to see US/Iranian relations improve. Even the president himself seems unable to avoid provocative statements — such as his claim that the Iranians are only willing to talk because the sanctions have been so successful in bringing them to the table. That is a false and unnecessary boast, and if he continues in such a way he will destroy what progress has been made.

But we are in the majority now. There are more than three-quarters of us who do not want war on Iran. It is essential that we keep the pressure on the Administration to ignore the war demands in both political parties and among the so-called foreign policy experts. There will be much more war propaganda coming our way as the warmongers get more desperate. Americans must see this propaganda for what it is. They should educate themselves and become familiar with alternative news sources to gain the tools to counter the propaganda. We do have a better chance at peace, but this is no time to let down our guard!