Libertarians have given considerable thought to refining their basic principles and their vision of a libertarian society. But they have given virtually no thought to a vitally important question, that of strategy: now that we know the nature of our social goal, how in the world do we get there?
[This article was excerpted from chapter 3 of Reassessing the Presidency, edited by John V. Denson.]
It is vital — indeed, it is literally a life-and-death matter — that Americans be able to look as coolly and clear-sightedly, as free from myth, at their government’s record in foreign affairs as they increasingly are able to do in domestic politics.
The Establishment media put it this way: After shilly-shallying in a weak and indecisive manner, the Carter administration has at last decided to “get tough” in Africa against the Cuban (and behind them the Soviet) menace. President Carter himself has kept up a drumfire of hysteria about the specter of Cuban troops in the recent invasions of the Shaba province of Zaire from bases in Angola. This bogey was used as the pretext for America’s decision to go military in its continuing intervention in Africa.
