With a national debt of $16 trillion, almost incalculable unfunded government and private debt, a declining industrial base, and the worst educational system of any Western democracy, the United States cannot sustain the international role it has for 70 years. Irrespective of Ron Paul's unrealistic vision, this nation will need several decades to rebuild the sort of power needed to become preeminent once again. We have tried to provide guns and butter. Given the choice, the electorate will likely choose the latter. Realistically, the government will be able to provide neither sooner than later.
The Barbary war was far from short, at 15 or so years our longest till now unless you split it up. And while most of our actions were in the hemisphere, we fought the French and Brits at a distance, Spanish too, and none our neighbors. By the civil war you could find a dozen or so actions in the South Pacific and Africa unrelated to the Brits. I’m a manifest destiny guy, love Polk, so I won’t argue the “defending our borders” thing, they were fluid. What I was addressing was the frequent Paul supporter contension that the founders didn’t fight foreign or undeclared wars, which you clearly didn’t raise. Nation building, different issue. Worked in Europe and Japan, but we paid a heck of a price both in totally desstroying our enemies, then rebuilding them. We’ve done neither in recent conflicts. Can’t disagree with your economic assessment, faced with a threat we might have to opt for more hurt on the enemy, less nation building. Not sure we disagree on all that much.
The military has NOTHING to do with the debt.. What is spent on the military is mee pennies compared to other programs.
The military is the ONLY thing that is MANDATED to be funded, yet the foaming at the mouth paultards on here are quick to demand that the military be neutered.
The paultards sound like a bunch of codestink, international answer, demoncrapunderground treasoncrats with their constant demands that the military be cut.
Oh and before one of you closet treasoncrats label me as some “big government statist”, my plan for setting things straight goes far deeper than your village idiot’s plan.
For one, with exception of military funding everything gets cut back to FY1940 levels. Every agency that came about after 1940 would be eliminated.... That means no EPA, Dept of Education, DHS, TSA, etc, etc. all agencies that remain will be realigned to eliminate duplicate services, and they will be mandated to use the same accounting system that the military is currently using which accounts for every penny, and eliminates slush funds.
All of these various government commissions would be eliminated.
The Post Office would see their million dollar salary board of directors as well as their tax payer funded entourages fired.
I’d call for tort reform to end these frivilous medical malpractice lawsuits thus lowering the cost of healthcare.
I’d call for the elimination of public sector unions, as well as going after other unions (such as the UAW, and SEIU) under the RICO Act.
Taxes would be cut across the board.
I’d close all borders and fully overhaul the immigration system. I’d reimpliment Eisenhower’s Operation Wetback to round up and deport all those here illegally.
As far as congress, I’d call for term limits. No more than 2 terms for senators, and no more than 4 for congresscritters. And on top of that an immediate repeal of the 17th amendment. I’dalso call for a permanent ban for those leaving office from seeking jobs as lobbyists.
Thats just a fraction of the plan I have, and just what I posted goes further than what the village idiot from TX-14 says he would do.