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"Surrender Should NOT be an Option" by Ron Paul
Sep 04, 2007 - 08:15 AM
Surrender Should Not Be an Option
Faced with dwindling support of the Iraq War, the warhawks are redoubling their efforts. They imply we are in Iraq attacking those who attacked us, and yet this is not the case. As we know, Saddam Hussein, though not a particularly savory character, had nothing to do with 9/11. The neo-cons claim surrender should not be an option. In the same breath they claim we were attacked because of our freedoms. Why then, are they so anxious to surrender our freedoms with legislation like the Patriot Act, a repeal of our 4th amendment rights, executive orders, and presidential signing statements? With politicians like these, who needs terrorists? Do they think if we destroy our freedoms for the terrorists they will no longer have a reason to attack us? This seems the epitome of cowardice coming from those who claim a monopoly on patriotic courage.
In any case, we have achieved the goals specified in the initial authorization. Saddam Hussein has been removed. An elected government is now in place in Iraq that meets with US approval. The only weapon of mass destruction in Iraq is our military presence. Why are we still over there? Conventional wisdom would dictate that when the "mission is accomplished", the victor goes home, and that is not considered a retreat.
They claim progress is being made and we are fighting a winnable war, but this is not a view connected with reality. We can't be sure when we kill someone over there if they were truly an insurgent or an innocent Iraqi civilian. There are as many as 650,000 deaths since the war began. The anger we incite by killing innocents creates more new insurgents than our bullets can keep up with. There are no measurable goals to be achieved at this point.
The best congressional leadership can come up with is the concept of strategic redeployment, or moving our troops around, possibly into Saudi Arabia or even, alarmingly enough, into Iran. Rather than ending this war, we could be starting another one.
The American people voted for a humble foreign policy in 2000. They voted for an end to the war in 2006. Instead of recognizing the wisdom and desire of the voters, they are chided as cowards, unwilling to defend themselves. Americans are fiercely willing to defend themselves. However, we have no stomach for indiscriminate bombing in foreign lands when our actual attackers either killed themselves on 9/11 or are still at large somewhere in a country that is neither Iraq nor Iran. Defense of our homeland is one thing. Offensive tactics overseas are quite another. Worse yet, when our newly minted enemies find their way over here, where will our troops be to defend us?
The American people have NOT gotten the government they deserve. They asked for a stronger America and peace through nonintervention, yet we have a government of deceit, inaction and one that puts us in grave danger on the international front. The American People deserve much better than this. They deserve foreign and domestic policy that doesn't require they surrender their liberties.
Coeur d'Alene Press Newspaper - Local and National News - Kootenai County, Idaho (http://www.cdapress.com/blogs/?req=read&blogger_id=118&entry_id=412 - broken link)
"Surrender Should NOT be an Option" by Ron Paul
Sep 04, 2007 - 08:15 AM
Surrender Should Not Be an Option
Faced with dwindling support of the Iraq War, the warhawks are redoubling their efforts. They imply we are in Iraq attacking those who attacked us, and yet this is not the case. As we know, Saddam Hussein, though not a particularly savory character, had nothing to do with 9/11. The neo-cons claim surrender should not be an option. In the same breath they claim we were attacked because of our freedoms. Why then, are they so anxious to surrender our freedoms with legislation like the Patriot Act, a repeal of our 4th amendment rights, executive orders, and presidential signing statements? With politicians like these, who needs terrorists? Do they think if we destroy our freedoms for the terrorists they will no longer have a reason to attack us? This seems the epitome of cowardice coming from those who claim a monopoly on patriotic courage.
In any case, we have achieved the goals specified in the initial authorization. Saddam Hussein has been removed. An elected government is now in place in Iraq that meets with US approval. The only weapon of mass destruction in Iraq is our military presence. Why are we still over there? Conventional wisdom would dictate that when the "mission is accomplished", the victor goes home, and that is not considered a retreat.
They claim progress is being made and we are fighting a winnable war, but this is not a view connected with reality. We can't be sure when we kill someone over there if they were truly an insurgent or an innocent Iraqi civilian. There are as many as 650,000 deaths since the war began. The anger we incite by killing innocents creates more new insurgents than our bullets can keep up with. There are no measurable goals to be achieved at this point.
The best congressional leadership can come up with is the concept of strategic redeployment, or moving our troops around, possibly into Saudi Arabia or even, alarmingly enough, into Iran. Rather than ending this war, we could be starting another one.
The American people voted for a humble foreign policy in 2000. They voted for an end to the war in 2006. Instead of recognizing the wisdom and desire of the voters, they are chided as cowards, unwilling to defend themselves. Americans are fiercely willing to defend themselves. However, we have no stomach for indiscriminate bombing in foreign lands when our actual attackers either killed themselves on 9/11 or are still at large somewhere in a country that is neither Iraq nor Iran. Defense of our homeland is one thing. Offensive tactics overseas are quite another. Worse yet, when our newly minted enemies find their way over here, where will our troops be to defend us?
The American people have NOT gotten the government they deserve. They asked for a stronger America and peace through nonintervention, yet we have a government of deceit, inaction and one that puts us in grave danger on the international front. The American People deserve much better than this. They deserve foreign and domestic policy that doesn't require they surrender their liberties.
Coeur d'Alene Press Newspaper - Local and National News - Kootenai County, Idaho (http://www.cdapress.com/blogs/?req=read&blogger_id=118&entry_id=412 - broken link)
The sooner this election is over the sooner we can stop hearing about Ron Paul. Had we taken his views before WWII we might now be part of the German or Japanese Empire. Had we taken his advice after WWII Germany and Japan might now be part of Russia.
Ron Pauls followers are tenatious but many are from other countries and can't vote here anyway and those that live in this country are not enough to even come close to getting him elected no matter how many forum posts they make or how many blogs they set up. As to the real number of followers he has, who knows. I see the exact same posts in numerous forums. Everything is the same but the poster's name is different.
The sooner this election is over the sooner we can stop hearing about Ron Paul. Had we taken his views before WWII we might now be part of the German or Japanese Empire. Had we taken his advice after WWII Germany and Japan might now be part of Russia.
Ron Pauls followers are tenatious but many are from other countries and can't vote here anyway and those that live in this country are not enough to even come close to getting him elected no matter how many forum posts they make or how many blogs they set up. As to the real number of followers he has, who knows. I see the exact same posts in numerous forums. Everything is the same but the poster's name is different.
Mikey - there are much more Ron Paul supporters out there than you could imagine. And if he ever got half the coverage as the rest of the stooges in the Republican party, he probably could win with ease.
And secondly, historical analogies are never accurate. Especially the one you just made. We aren't facing Japan or Germany - and if we stopped trying to police the world, came home and took care of our own country, our own borders - the threat of terrorism would drop drastically.
Of course that isn't going to happen - because as I've stated before, this war really isn't about terrorism - it's about oil. And anyone thinks differently is living in a world on denial. Too many big money interests at stake to have a guy like Ron Paul in office. right? This country is not run by the people anymore... and people like you go right along with it.
And good luck voting for your bought and paid for politician. Rudy Ghouliani your guy? Sounds about right.
The sooner this election is over the sooner we can stop hearing about Ron Paul. Had we taken his views before WWII we might now be part of the German or Japanese Empire. Had we taken his advice after WWII Germany and Japan might now be part of Russia.
Ron Pauls followers are tenatious but many are from other countries and can't vote here anyway and those that live in this country are not enough to even come close to getting him elected no matter how many forum posts they make or how many blogs they set up. As to the real number of followers he has, who knows. I see the exact same posts in numerous forums. Everything is the same but the poster's name is different.
Inaccurate and irresponsible post. Had you studied your history more closely, you would realize that one of your bought and paid for Democrats plunged this country into WWII. As for those pesky Ron Paul supporters, well I have to admit that I have made posts on different websites using a total of 876,392 different names. Once I get to 900K I get a free toaster.
While I'm not sure what the best strategy is for leaving Iraq and think we need to do so carefully, I do think Ron Paul makes plenty of good points. We are no longer fighting a war with clear objectives. I guess the only clear objective is to battle insurgents and try to calm the violence. Seems we have made some progress on that, but it also seems the Iraq government has not even come close to meeting benchmarks that were given to them months ago, and those benchmarks were set up to be reachable targets, not pie in the sky dreams.
The fact is, if the people and government of Iraq are not willing to step up their efforts enough to run their country, we don't need to stick around 5 more years to run it for them. Its really high time they get their act together and run the show, and high time we start making plans to slowly and steadily withdraw forces and turn over their security to them.
If America was under attack on our soil, and we chose not to stand up and fight with everything we have, somebody please tell me this. What country would send over the vast majority of their military to die for us while we put forth a mediocre and unconvincing effort for years?
The sooner this election is over the sooner we can stop hearing about Ron Paul. Had we taken his views before WWII we might now be part of the German or Japanese Empire. Had we taken his advice after WWII Germany and Japan might now be part of Russia.
Ron Pauls followers are tenatious but many are from other countries and can't vote here anyway and those that live in this country are not enough to even come close to getting him elected no matter how many forum posts they make or how many blogs they set up. As to the real number of followers he has, who knows. I see the exact same posts in numerous forums. Everything is the same but the poster's name is different.
Well considering he's the only one that is documented to have voted against the Iraq war, he's pro-American rights (against the patriot act), never voted to increase executive branch powers, never voted for a pay raise, anti NAU, NAFTA, CAFTA.
I understand there are those who believe that Ron Paul supporters are really three college students running an advanced computer program which hijacks other peoples computers to vote in IP identified polls to skew the results and make other candidates look bad. All part of the vast constitutionalist conspiracy.
However, if you would like to take just a moment and view the straw poll results from across the nation, you know, those polls that require people to show up and physically vote. You might just be surprised.
Inaccurate and irresponsible post. Had you studied your history more closely, you would realize that one of your bought and paid for Democrats plunged this country into WWII. As for those pesky Ron Paul supporters, well I have to admit that I have made posts on different websites using a total of 876,392 different names. Once I get to 900K I get a free toaster.
Good post, Berkshire.
OMG! You were the lone supporter at the Iowa straw poll with the umbrella!
OMG! You were the lone supporter at the Iowa straw poll with the umbrella!
Hard to believe but according to the straw poll data of people that actually showed up and voted, that one lone person with an umbrella is now pulling 27+% actual votes. Amazing!
he's pro-American rights (against the patriot act)
If this is true, he, as well as many others, should read this transcript of an El Paso Times interview with DNI McConnell: RADAMISTO: DNI McCONNELL/EL PASO TIMES INTERVIEW
I had to link to a blogspot because the el paso times took it down and are charging $2.95 for an archive article.. he is amazingly blunt in the information he lets out and most of it was classified back when I worked in the intel world.. He does a great job of explaining all the "spying on Americans" though. It always pissed me off when I would hear people talking crap on something they completely didn't understand. Even worse were the morons in the House and Senate that knew it wasn't what people thought it was, but would propogate the lie for their own political good...
Last edited by rd2007; 09-05-2007 at 06:37 PM..
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