JOSHUA FRANK: In Defense of Lew Rockwell

[Tace]

By Joshua Frank -- World News Trust

Recently Jacob Laksin over at the dreadful Frontpagemag.com snapped at Lew Rockwell, the Libertarian minded editor of the popular LewRockwell.com, for aligning himself with the most “unhinged elements of the far left,” AKA Cindy Sheehan, Stan Goff et al. I mean really, you’ve got to laugh out loud when saps like Laksin get all huffy over trivial matters. Come to think of it, though, this isn’t that trivial of a matter. Any major alliances against U.S. Empire means the movement against the war in Iraq must be making serious headway.

The American public isn’t happy about this war, or the Bush administration for that matter. They don’t trust the liar-in-chief, and the polls are finally confirming it. In New York State, which is a liberal haven (or is it? Governor Pataki is a foaming mouthed right-winger, and so are Mayor Bloomberg and his predecessor Giuliani, heck so is Senator Clinton – but no biggy), Bush has reached an all time low of 29 percent, according to a recent poll conducted by Quinnipiac University. Things aren’t looking much better for Bush and his agenda nationally, either. According to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup conducted on September 17, almost 68% of respondents said they disapproved of how Bush is handling the Iraq war, with 59% admitting that they thought the 2003 invasion was a mistake.

Those numbers must worry the neocons and their feeble apologists like Mr. Laksin and David Horowitz. Rather than deal with reality, they’d just as soon make up fantastic conspiracy theories that leftists are taking over the whole friggen world. Communism is all but dead. Yet, if you were ever to wander over and scroll on through Frontpagemag.com (I don’t recommend it; the prose is unbearable and the analysis puerile), you’d think Stalin was still shipping my ancestors off to the Gulag.

Sorry, but it’s the neocons we’ve got to worry about today. Not the Bolsheviks.

more

http://worldnewstrust.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=1144

[reprehensor]

1. I enjoy Rockwell in moderation.

Love Cindy, I've met Stan to talk about his new focus of study, 'Gender & Militarism' and frankly, America has got much bigger problems, namely Corporate Fascism.

[MrBenchley]

3. I've always found this puzzling....

If you think fascism is a problem, why on earth would you climb into bed with a specimen like Rockwell? He's the son of George Lincoln Rockwell (anybody else remember Joe Pyne?).

"A key player in the institute for years was the late Murray Rothbard, who worked with Rockwell closely and co-edited a journal with him. The institute's Web site includes a cybershrine to Rothbard, a man who complained that the "Officially Oppressed" of American society (read, blacks, women and so on) were a "parasitic burden," forcing their "hapless Oppressors" to provide "an endless flow of benefits."
"The call of 'equality,'" he wrote, "is a siren song that can only mean the destruction of all that we cherish as being human." Rothbard blamed much of what he disliked on meddling women. In the mid-1800s, a "legion of Yankee women" who were "not fettered by the responsibilities" of household work "imposed" voting rights for women on the nation. Later, Jewish women, after raising funds from "top Jewish financiers," agitated for child labor laws, Rothbard adds with evident disgust. The "dominant tradition" of all these activist women, he suggests, is lesbianism. "

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=106#11

"(It turns out that another Lew Rockwell writer, Paul Gottfried, writes for Junge Freiheit and “defends the magazine for rejecting ‘the view that every German patriot should be evermore browbeaten by self-appointed victims of the Holocaust.’”)
There’s more to be said, but people can figure out the implications for themselves. Hoppe and his promoter, Lew Rockwell, have done their best to open the gates to the nastiest denizens of the fever swamps. They have laid out the welcome mat to holocaust deniers, anti-Semites, bigots, racists, neo-Confederates, and others who are understandably unwelcome elsewhere."

http://www.tomgpalmer.com/archives/022289.php

Yeah, THAT Lew Rockwell...

[reprehensor]

14. I read articles on his website occasionally.

Authors that include;

Cindi Sheehan
Stan Goff
Uri Avnery
Shadia B. Drury
John Pilger
Michael Moore
Karen Kwiatkowski
Jim Lobe
Eric Margolis
Nat Hentoff
Morgan Rynolds
Paul Craig Roberts
Normon Solomon
Tom Tomorrow
Kevin Zeese

Some of these authors have exclusives with Rockwell. Their political positions span the political spectrum.

I would say that over half of these authors have no national platform beyond Rockwell's website. All of them have interesting insights.

Rockwell is a Libertarian, not a fascist. Is he stupid to have 'holocaust deniers' posting articles on the same website as Uri Avnery? YES.

So, by reading the occasional article on Lew Rockwell, I'm in bed with fascists?

If we follow that logic, anyone who uses an IBM machine is 'in bed with fascists.'

IBM and the Holocaust

-----------------------

The problem is not Lew Rockwell and a few nuts from the extreme ends of the political spectrum who post there.

The problem is squatting in the White House, winds its way through various corporations, and lives in the heart of those who put profit above all else.

The problem is bi-partisan and corporate in nature. Did you think Bush was kidding when he said he would run the Government like a CEO?

Any politician who puts corporations FIRST, before the citizenry, is far more dangerous to this country than Lew Rockwell.

I can see the problem perfectly well.

Its roots are in Corporatism, and its branches are raiding the treausry via the 'Military-Industrial-Congressional-Thinktank-Complex'.

The GW Bush Gang: IG Farben 2001

As promised GW Bush has recruited competent and experienced advisors. Despite their seeming diversity however they have a common denominator. The America they reflect is the oil, pharmaceutical, armament, Wall Street and eugenics interests long associated with the Bush family.

Seventy years ago a similar configuration of oil, pharmaceutical, chemical, military supply and eugenics interests were organized by Wall Street into IG Farben/Standard Oil-Hitler's industrial powerhouse. To grasp the real significance of what GW Bush's cabinet has been brought together to accomplish it is essential to understand the history of IG Farben, its relationship with American corporations and how together they applied modern technology to the task of eugenics or scientific racism.

According to former US Justice Dept. Nazi War Crimes prosecutor John Loftus-who is today the director of the Florida Holocaust Museum-"The Bush family fortune came from the Third Reich,"-Sarasota Herald-Tribune 11/11/2000 (Click Here)

Along with the Rockefellers (Standard Oil, Chase Manhattan Bank), Mellons (Gulf Oil, Alcoa Aluminum), DuPonts (DuPont Chemicals), General Motors and Henry Ford, banks and shipping companies operated by the Bush family were crucial players in setting up the industrial power behind the Third Reich. These companies poured hundreds of millions of dollars into IG Farben and provided it with technology for tactically-essential synthetic materials-while withholding the same materials and patents from the US government.

Train your guns somewhere else.

[MrBenchley]

18. No, he IS a fascist...

"The problem is not Lew Rockwell"
Suit yourself. But don't bitch when I point out your peculiar chum is a racist, bigoted imbecile wearing an ACTUAL swastika.

[Orrin_73]

29. I have to disagree with you

Lew Rockwell is not related to George Lincoln Rockwell.

[MrBenchley]

30. Feel free to prove it...

He sure shares the miserable old Nazi's disgraceful fascist philosophy....

[Orrin_73]

34. Lew Rockwell has some nasty habits

but he is no nazi. He calls himself a culturally conservative paleocon, many paleocons have views that borders rasicm.Lew Rockwell

[MrBenchley]

36. He's a neoNazi who promotes other neoNazis....

As the links I posted show...

If you want, I can post links to neoNazi websites like vanguard and overthrow sticking up for the odious Rockwell too....

Nor is that the only scummy position he holds...here he is spouting neoConfederate revisionist history...

http://www.patriotist.com/miscarch/lr20000605.htm

"He calls himself a culturally conservative paleocon"
Gee, sounds just like this guy...

"(Mr X) found his greatest support in traditionally conservative small towns. He campaigned with attacks on Marxism, making it clear that by Marxism he meant the Social Democrats. (Mr. X) appealed to morality, attacking free love and what he inferred was the immorality of...major cities. He promised to stamp out big city corruption. He called for a spiritual revolution, for a "positive Christianity" and a spirit of national pride. (Mr. X) repeatedly called for national renewal."

http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch16.htm

[Tace]

28. I Enjoy Different Points Of View -- Especially If I Disagree

What's good about always reading people I agree with?

[MrBenchley]

2. Fuck Rockwell...he's a neoNazi imbecile

with ties to the neoConfederate movement.

[400Years]

4. People approach their opposition to this war for various reasons

depending on the lens that they are viewing it through.
I won't condemn anybody for being opposed to this shitty foreign
policy we have but I don't have to believe everything they
stand for either. I enjoy reading article over there
from time to time as well.

[MrBenchley]

5. So actual fascism don't bother you even a little bit...hokay.

[DinahMoeHum]

6. Uh, methinks you' re referring to George Lincoln Rockwell ???

This guy Lew Rockwell is libertarian.

:shrug:

[jonnyblitz]

7. and George Lincoln Rockwell has been dead since the 60's.

he was shot by one of his nazi flunkies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lincoln_Rockwell

[MrBenchley]

12. No shit.

But Lew is still spreading his repellent message.

[jonnyblitz]

15. i dont know much about Lew Rockwell to be honest..

I just have read about the other guy...George Lincoln..

[MrBenchley]

16. Maybe you ought to find out before you leap up to cheer....

If you follow the links up above, you'll find a lot of unsavory things about Lew and his chums.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[400Years]

21. that guy is totally irrational

[MrBenchley]

23. Since nobody said

that Lew Rockwell WAS the same person....

So now that you see he 's a neoNazi, think his views ought to be defended or celebrated on DU?

"CALM THE FUCK DOWN."
I'm perfectly calm...and somewhat amused.

[MrBenchley]

11. This guy Lew Rockwell is a neoNazi

as the links show...

And as far as I can see, the only difference between a libertarian and an ordinary right wing piece of shit is that a libertarian owns a modem...

[400Years]

8. pure hyperbole

The fascism coming out of the elitist establishment, i.e. the real tangible fascism, is what bothers me not the imagined fascism you
are spouting. Don't get mad at me for not being a puritanical ideologue.

[MrBenchley]

10. Well that is hilarious.....

An asshole like Rockwell, who actually sticks up for the folks waltzing around with swastikas, is "imaginary fascism"....

"the elitist establishment"
Who dat? People who chew with their mouth closed? Classical music lovers?

[400Years]

13. You obviously only want to argue, I have no interest in that

and by "the elitist establishment" I am referring to people like Kissinger, Scaife, Coors, Koch, etc.

This is twice now that you have attempted to put words in my mouth
or mischaracterize what I stated. I've seen your type before.
I won't respond to you in this thread again.

edited for clarity.

[MrBenchley]

17. I'm always happy to argue with someone promoting a neoNazi...

and I didn't mischaracterize a thing.

[400Years]

19. You obviously have comprehension problems

First of all, exactly how is anyone here promoting Nazi shit?
Do you even comprehend the stuff you read or do you just make shit up all the time?

It seems like the majority of people here are pretty cool thus
your behavior is not representative of what I have seen here so
I will put you down as a trouble maker and move on.

[MrBenchley]

22. I'm not the one with the comprehension problems

"xactly how is anyone here promoting Nazi shit?"
Yeah, now could a thread titled "In defense of Lew Rockwell" possibly be promoting the neoNazi loon Lew Rockwell in any way? It's a mystery worthy of Kojak or Dick Tracy.

"do you just make shit up all the time?"
Nope...And that's why I have links that demonstrate just what a fascist piece of shit Rockwlell is.

[400Years]

24. Well then go argue with Joshua Frank if you disagree with him

[MrBenchley]

25. No, I think I'll stay right here and point out that Rockwell's a Nazi

[txaslftist]

27. You used the "n" word. You lose.

[MrBenchley]

31. Hey, Rockwell Is a neoNazi and not shy about saying so

As the links I put up show...

[jonnyblitz]

9. "it's the neocons we've got to worry about , not the Bolsheviks"

somebody needs to tell that to the DLC....

[txaslftist]

26. I read Rockwell daily.

It's as far right as I can stomach.

[MrBenchley]

32. Doesn't get much further right than swastikas and holocaust revisionism

but fi you can stomach it, you're welcome to it

[txaslftist]

33. Dude, I don't know what your beef is with Lew Rockwell,

but that's just pure slander. Lew is not a holocaust revisionist and doesn't use swastikas. He's not a nazi, he's a libertarian. Libertarians oppose totalitarianism, they don't embrace it.

There are a lot of f*d up things with Lew's worldview, but what you are saying about him is simply not true.

[MrBenchley]

35. You can't figure out what my beef is with a neoNazi...

"A key player in the institute for years was the late Murray Rothbard, who worked with Rockwell closely and co-edited a journal with him. The institute's Web site includes a cybershrine to Rothbard, a man who complained that the "Officially Oppressed" of American society (read, blacks, women and so on) were a "parasitic burden," forcing their "hapless Oppressors" to provide "an endless flow of benefits."
"The call of 'equality,'" he wrote, "is a siren song that can only mean the destruction of all that we cherish as being human." Rothbard blamed much of what he disliked on meddling women. In the mid-1800s, a "legion of Yankee women" who were "not fettered by the responsibilities" of household work "imposed" voting rights for women on the nation. Later, Jewish women, after raising funds from "top Jewish financiers," agitated for child labor laws, Rothbard adds with evident disgust. The "dominant tradition" of all these activist women, he suggests, is lesbianism. "

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=106#11

"(It turns out that another Lew Rockwell writer, Paul Gottfried, writes for Junge Freiheit and “defends the magazine for rejecting ‘the view that every German patriot should be evermore browbeaten by self-appointed victims of the Holocaust.’”)
There’s more to be said, but people can figure out the implications for themselves. Hoppe and his promoter, Lew Rockwell, have done their best to open the gates to the nastiest denizens of the fever swamps. They have laid out the welcome mat to holocaust deniers, anti-Semites, bigots, racists, neo-Confederates, and others who are understandably unwelcome elsewhere."

http://www.tomgpalmer.com/archives/022289.php

"Libertarians oppose totalitarianism, they don't embrace it."
Rubbish. They might be fooling themselves, but they're not fooling much of anyone else...

[txaslftist]

37. You're confusing Rothbard's anti-Semitism with Rockwell...

He has a lot of writers who contribute to his site. Some are completely vile, like Anne the Manne and Pat Buchanan; some are great, like Cindy Sheehan.

Granted the Libertarians embrace a lot of Rothbard's economic bs, but they don't buy into the anti-semitism angle, at least not overtly.

They do oppose the blind neocon support of Israel, but they also oppose any foreign aid to anyone. They are also staunchly anti-war.

I don't think you are giving them fair treatment, frankly, and I'm nobody's dupe. I'm a hardcore skeptic, and accordingly I'm critical of a lot of what Lew says, but I've never encountered holocaust revisionism, anti-semitism or nazi apologists on his site. I have encountered a lot of stuff (from one contributor in particular) trying to justify the South's secession during the Civil War, but it is on State's Rights grounds, not on the grounds of justifying slavery.

[MrBenchley]

38. I'm not confusing anything...

"He has a lot of writers who contribute to his site."
Yeah? How many did he start a half-assed institute to promote their odious views with?

"I don't think you are giving them fair treatment"
I don't plan to either. Fuck Lew and his neoNazi scum.