Why Calling Rand Paul An Isolationist Is And Was Stupid

The Federalist ^ | 09/03/2014 | Mollie Hemingway

[SeekAndFind]

Various folks expressed surprise when the Associated Press wrote “Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky pounced Friday on President Barack Obama’s ‘we don’t have a strategy yet’ comments.”

Rick Perry, sure, but Rand Paul? Isn’t he supposed to be an “isolationist” as the AP claims in a later paragraph?

The broader debate pits those who favor the GOP's traditional muscular foreign policy — a group that includes Perry and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio — and those, like Paul and Cruz, who prefer a smaller international footprint. The so-called isolationist approach plays well with grassroots activists and a war-weary public, but worries many Republican officials and donors who prefer an aggressive American role in world affairs.

Oh please. Preferring a smaller international military footprint is hardly isolationism. It could simply indicate support for good old-fashioned statesmanship, propriety, conservatism, or even just an acknowledgement of limited human and financial resources. Certainly there are people whose idea of national defense is so limited that it might be called isolationism — and Paul is certainly closer to these people than Dick Cheney is. But people who believe in robust trade between nations, healthy use of diplomacy — but also not bombing most of the countries that have serious problems — these aren’t isolationists! And Rand Paul and others whose view of limited government extends to our foreign military entanglements are not accurately termed isolationists. Yes, it’s kind of tricky for AP writers and more bellicose members of the right to get this because Rand Paul is of course the son of Ron Paul and, well, sometimes his foreign policy views tend toward extremes.

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

The PC term is non-interventionist.

[SoConPubbie]

The PC term is non-interventionist.

The non-PC term is Ostrich(Head in the sand, if you know what I mean).

[Vendome]

Rand Paul is stupid...

[P-Marlowe]

He’s a stupid isolationist.

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

precisely.

[Responsibility2nd]

Paul may or may not be an Isolationist. Whatever. That is the LEAST of his problems.

First and foremost - he is a libertarian. That is reason enough to dismiss him as unsuitable.

[Nervous Tick]

I never call Rand “Son Of Elron” Paul an isolationist.

I call him lots of other stuff though.

I can’t repeat it here though... don’t want to be banned.

[353FMG]

The USA can never become isolationist, even if it wanted to.

They are already invaded.

[ansel12]

Rand has been weak on everything, including Russia and claiming we went into Iraq for Cheney’s ties to “Halliburton”.

“On another Sunday show, ABC’s “This Week,” Cruz said he considers Paul a friend but stands in contrast with the libertarian-leaning senator in one area.

“I don’t agree with him on foreign policy,” he said. “I think U.S. leadership is critical in the world. And I agree with him that we should be very reluctant to deploy military force abroad. But I think there is a vital role, just as Ronald Reagan did.”

As the crisis in Ukraine was unfolding, Paul told The Washington Post last month that Republicans are too often trying to “tweak Russia.”

“Some on our side are so stuck in the Cold War era, they want to tweak Russia all the time, and I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said.”

[US Navy Vet]

“Rand(like his Daddy) is NOT “isolationist”, he IS however(like Daddy) a First Class “Libertarian” COWARD and a REAL Flake!

[zerosix]

It does seem to run in his family.

Next we'll hear that the journalists beheaded by Islamist Muslims are only doing so because we've (the U.S. ) have killed Muslims in the Caliphate!

The Paul's will argue that "Americans chicken's are comin' home to roost!"

[GraceG]

Ideally we would be isolationist until attacked then go over kill off all their adult males and salt their land...

[ansel12]

Do you know what that would have resulted in against the USSR?

Us being Russian now.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Ideally we would be isolationist until attacked

The question is this — does Isolationism entail NO US presence ( not even infidel businesses ) on their lands?

If the answer is ‘yes’, then we should also withdraw all of our oil and shipping companies from the Levant.

[GraceG]

Note use of word ideally... we don’t live in an ideal world.

[ansel12]

Sure, ideally we wouldn’t need to defend our nation, and ideally if we ever did, and then murdered all that nation’s adult males and salted the earth for the remaining women and children, we wouldn’t become enemy number one to the entire world, a monster to be defeated at all costs, and go to hell.

[what's up]

Libertarians are generally isolationist.

What libertarians really are...soft liberals.

[TexasCajun]

Last I read, he said he was running to the left of Hillary which is ok by me if its ok bayou.

[onedoug]

‘No Paul’s for me today, thanks.’