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America at War: The Moral Imperative of Self-Defense

Thursday, April 21, 2005 at 5:30pm
USC Campus: SGM 123

Two major points are presented in this talk.

One: Neither guns, bombs nor tanks constitute a nation's most powerful weapon. Rather, moral rectitude--the courage to proudly defend the property, freedom and lives of its citizens--does. The United States has abdicated this weapon in fifty years of appeasement in the Middle East. Just as President Thomas Jefferson and the fledgling republic--inspired by the battle cry of ""Millions for defense, but not a penny for tribute""--had the courage to stand up to the notorious Barbary Pirates in 1801, so President George W. Bush must have the moral courage to wipe out America's current fanatical and deadly enemies.

Two: This is not fundamentally a political but a philosophical struggle. Islamic Civilization--essentially a religious culture--loathes and seeks to destroy Western Civilization, which is essentially secular. Their religious fanaticism is the fundamental reason they hate the United States and the West, and is the reason that rational negotiation with them is impossible. This is a life-and-death struggle between contradictory philosophical systems.

One hour lecture followed by one hour Q and A.

(description from the USC Objectivist Club)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

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