Posted on 12/19/2007 5:34:25 AM PST by 50mm
Ron Paul is the only Republican presidential candidate saying we should get our troops out of Iraq now. Here's more of my edited interview with the congressman.
Some people say that if we don't attack the enemy there, they'll attack us here.
Ron Paul: I think the opposite is true. The radicals were able to use our bases in Saudi Arabia and the bombing of Iraq (from 1991 to 2001) as a reason to come over here. If China were to do the same thing to us, and they had troops in our land, We would resent it. We'd probably do some shooting.
Is this case not different? Religious fanatics hate us and want to kill us because of our culture.
I don't think that's true. It is not Muslim fanaticism that is the culprit. The litmus test is whether we are actually occupying a territory. In the case of Saudi Arabia, that was holy land.
Many say the surge in Iraq is succeeding, that we're at a turning point now, and we are creating a model of democracy in a part of the world that hasn't seen that.
That's the propaganda. I don't happen to believe that.
And if in most of Iraq, some religious fanatic comes to power and has money to buy nuclear weapons, we should just leave him alone?
The Soviets had the technology. They were 90 miles off our shore, and they had nuclear weapons there. But we were able to talk to them. We took our missiles out of Turkey. They took the missiles out of Cuba. We should be talking to people like this. It's the lack of diplomacy that is the greatest threat, not the weapons themselves.
You say we shouldn't be the world's policemen. Isn't it our responsibility to help others?
It's OK for us to personally help other people. But to go around the world and spread democracy -- goodness, no -- too many unintended consequences. It usually requires force. I think we should only do those things under the prescribed conditions of the Constitution.
Is war ever justifiable?
Sure. If you're attacked, you have a right and an obligation to defend (your) country. I do not believe there is ever a moral justification to start the war.
So in World War II, we were justified?
Sure.
How about going into Afghanistan after Sept. 11?
I voted for that authority to go after those responsible for 9/11.
The Korean War?
Totally unjustified.
Kosovo?
Absolutely unjustified.
Vietnam?
A horror.
The first Iraq war? Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. He might have invaded the next country, and the next.
I bet Israel would have done something about it, and I bet Saudi Arabia maybe would have talked to Israel. I think if it would have been left to the region, they might have taken care of Saddam Hussein in 1990 and we wouldn't have the problems we have today.
What if there's genocide and terrible suffering in a country?
It's a tragedy, and we can have a moral statement, but you can't use force of arms to invade other countries to make them better people. Our job is to make us a better people.
You'd pull American troops out of Korea, Germany, the Middle East, everywhere?
I would. Under the Constitution, we don't have the authority to just put troops in foreign countries willy-nilly when we're not at war.
If North Korea invades South Korea, we should just leave it alone?
Sure, but it's not going to happen. South Korea's about 10 times more powerful than North Korea.
If China invaded Taiwan?
That's a border war, and they should deal with it.
If Canada invades Montana?
I think that might be a little bit different. Montana probably could take care of it, but we'd probably help them out from Washington if that happened.
That's a role for the federal government?
Oh, sure.
Next week: Ron Paul on subsidies to special interests.
None, zero, zilch, 0
Ron Paul on War: “War is bad, mmm-kay? If you do war, your’re bad. Because war is bad. Mmm-kay?”
“It is not Muslim fanaticism that is the culprit.”
All I need to know.
The US presence in Saudi Arabia was at the invitation of the Saudi government to protect the Saudi people from the Baathist invasion that had already claimed the neighboring country of Kuwait.
The only reason why Chinese troops would ever be stationed on US soil would be because China was invading us.
Ron Paul is clinically insane.
Ron Paul makes a lot of sense! Sanity in a high office is an asset.
Wiping tears from eyes. Boy, I needed a good laugh this AM.
This Ass thinks he is a constitutionalist? This creep doesnt know squat about the US Constitution.
This guy’s a loser..and those who support him are losers also.
Ron Paul is out of his mind.
He basically said in this interview that the US was an occupying power in Saudi Arabia during the First Gulf War.
That makes about as much sense as saying that US troops in England were an occupying force in the Second World War.
He is clearly delusional.
“Lol. He’s right, Montana could handle it.”
HaHa! Everything he said was stupid but this was very funny.
Ron Paul, the right man for the right time.
If the right time is 1901.
Ron Paul, once again, drives my tagline home.
Under the actual Constitution of the United States, the Commander In Chief is entitled to deploy troops anywhere outside the United States he desires for any reason.
He has complete executive authority over US armed forces in both wartime and peacetime.
Ron, wake up and smell the jihad. You are completely, 100% wrong on this one.
When I get into it with one of these “experts” who say we dont have the right to go to war in another country...all I do is ask them this-”Then we must have screwed up when we went to war with the Barbery (sic) pirates then?”
The only problem I have with this conflict is..It isnt a declared war. If we would have declared war a lot of these issues like the patriot act and the detaining of prisoners at gitmo would not have come up.
Oh, they have and they will. It may not be as vitriolic, but they'll defend him. It's in their water.
The main reason why they support this treasonous faggot in the first place is because he is a shill for Islamic fascism.
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