Dissent from conventional wisdom is welcomed in a democracy like ours, but two letters, ”Isolationism” and ”Immature?”, that appeared on July 28 reflect some fearful and dogmatic views that call for correction.
In ”Isolationism,” Charles Galante mistakenly equates our ”founding fathers” with the U.S.-backed contras, perhaps reflecting the misfortune of taking lessons in history and international affairs from Congressman Henry Hyde. While arguing that it was French anti-isolationism and support that made possible the triumph of the colonists over Britain, Galante neglects to mention that the British were engaged in a costly war with France, which made the costs of a distant war in the colonies too high for Britain to bear.
As well, I`m hard-pressed to compare a group of intellectuals, nationalists and settlers defending pioneered lands with a crew of bandits and hired mercenaries pursuing an illegitimate war of attrition against the people of Nicaragua.
In ”Immature?”, the writer (as many Americans) seems to miss the point of the Iran-contra hearings. Lt. Col. North`s ideological bent is a misfortune indeed, because it has many Americans questioning the value of a democracy based on the rule of the law. Without a system of checks and balances–e.g., congressional checks on U.S. foreign policy–American democracy could sell out to dictatorship. I for one am comfortable with the Congress and the Supreme Court, not military officers, guarding the laws of the land.
