I also have no problem with us selling arms and equipment to those fighting "the good fight", like Israel, where Dr. Paul would have us cut off all such dealings. He does have a point that we should not be dictating their policy for them nor should we be giving ANY other Nation "freebies".
I guess I still haven't forgiven Dr. Paul for standing on the same podium as Dougy Kookcinich.
...Free trade, I’m with ya, problem is Big business, like Big government is monopolizing free market. Nepotism and good ole boy network is making us slaves of working for the “man”, instead of ourselves...
But what's the point of us giving Israel aid, and then giving its enemies twice as much financial aid? We say that we support Israel, but the price tag for that "support" is that we are forcing them to accept a Palestinian State. All DC is doing is giving boatloads of OUR MONEY to EVERYBODY, and calling it "part of the Peace Process". "Peace process" my rear-end, it's afinacial boondoggle!
I am pro-Israel in the sense that I respect Israel as a sovereign state with the right to defend herself and her territory as she sees fit, and run her country as she sees fit. I am old enough to remember when Israel and Israelis were considered a formidable enemy for anyone -- you didn't mess with Israelis. But right now the US is using Israel like a pawn on a ME chessboard and if this "game" continues the direction it is going, I suspect that it will not be too long before we sacrifice that "pawn" to appease the Muslim world. Israel, herself, should tell us, "Thanks for the past support, but we'll take it from here and defend ourselves as we see fit".
I have a two word response to this arguemnt: Fidel Castro. He would have been out of power long ago had we adopted a policy of unilateral free trade with Cuba. Your policy, by contrast, has a fifty-year failure record.
We agree on MFN. The whole process should be abolished and be replaced by uniform policy of tariff reductions for all comers. I am not interested in "carrots." I see as free trade as a subversive battering ram against tyranny. You don't seem very confident in the effectiveness of free trade. Why? If you really believe in the radical possibilities of free trade, you would be shy in allowing it full reign. If you don't believe in its potential, on the other hand, you'll cede trade policy to the caprices of politicians (a clear failure).
Kucinich is a lefty but he is often right when the GOP is wrong. Unlike McCain, Romney, Bush, Gingrich, and the entire GOP congressional leadership, for example, he opposed the TARP. Did you "forgive" them for their stand?