Fall of Saddam's Regime a Great Chance for Freedom
"Broad smiles and a great sigh of relief for the Iraqi people" is how Libertarianz spokesman Russell Watkins described
libertarian celebrations of the liberation of Iraq from its Stalinist dictator. "One can only stop and wonder why the
Clark government has not yet publicly congratulated US, UK and Australian forces for lifting the veil of tyranny from
Iraqi people," he says.
"This is a wonderful achievement and one which Libertarianz - the only political party consistently advocating
individual freedom and the rights of the individual - celebrates without hesitation. For there is much to celebrate,"
maintains Watkins. "Iraqis no longer need fear secret police, arrests without trial, torture and genocide, censorship
and megalomaniacal Saddam-worship. In short they no longer need fear the totalitarian nightmare that the Saddam Hussein
gang imposed on them. They can potentially now enjoy the many benefits that western civilisation offers, not least being
the three great blessings of freedom of speech, freedom over their own property, and freedom to run their own lives."
Watkins says that Libertarianz now call on the Coalition forces to establish rule of law as quickly as possible, and to
establish a constitution that protects Iraqis rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of private property and happiness.
"The Americans not only bring liberation, they bring with them the remnants of the great U.S. Constitution. The Iraqi
people would do well to establish this as the bench-mark for their new found liberty, a future that is governed by the
principles of each individual persons unalienable right to life, liberty, private property, and pursuit of happiness".
But he warns against the siren voices calling for democracy as a salve for all Iraqi ills. "Democracry is not freedom,"
he say, "unless the politicians who are elected democratically are legally shackled. Granting Iraqis democracy only -
with no limits on the powers of the state - will mean freedom remains subject to the tyranny of the majority. Such
'freedom' can be easily and progressively eroded, as we have seen here in New Zealand."
"Iraqi's have the greatest opportunity to establish themselves as a beacon of freedom in the Middle East. For their own
sake they must distinguish between freedom and democracy; their lives and liberty depend on it," concluded Mr Watkins.