Foreign Policy Tiff in SC Debate
by Marnie L. Pehrson
After the South Carolina Republican Party
Debate of May 15th, FOX announcers immediately began saying it was time to drop
"second tier" candidates like Ron Paul who they perceived as out of
step with what the public wants. Ironically, the after
poll results conducted by Fox via a text-in voting method revealed that 25%
of the people said Ron Paul won the debate. Mitt Romney was the only candidate
with more votes at 29%. Looks like they'll have a tough time making Ron Paul
back out of the next debate with public response like this.
Even with Ron Paul's controversial
statement that US foreign policy over the last decades led to what the CIA
refers to as "blow back," and even with Rudy Giuliani interrupting to
demand a retraction from Ron Paul, Dr. Paul still outscored Giuliani's 19% vote
results.
Speaking of extremists who target the U.S,
Paul said, "They attack us because we've been over there. We've been
bombing Iraq for 10 years. We've been in the Middle East [for years]. I think
(Ronald) Reagan was right. We don't understand the irrationality of Middle
Eastern politics. Right now, we're building an embassy in Iraq that is bigger
than the Vatican. We're building 14 permanent bases. What would we say here if
China was doing this in our country or in the Gulf of Mexico? We would be
objecting." (Read
transcript)
Unfortunately, the after-debate interview with Ron Paul was even more
rudely interrupted by Hannity throwing out accusations and then giving Dr. Paul
no chance to respond. In essence, his interview time was wasted by Hannity's
rant.
It is no secret that the U.S. funded Bin
Laden and Sadam. Our constant intervention and meddling in foreign affairs not
only caused factions in other countries to hate us, but we also funded the very
enemies we now fight. They simply would not have the means to attack us if we
hadn't given them money and arms! That's where meddling got us. What exacerbates
the matter is that we go to war without officially declaring war - which is
unconstitutional. If we do decide to go to war, Congress should declare war,
otherwise we get stuck in wars that never end.
Dr. Paul was able to clarify after the
debate that he wasn't saying "Americans" caused the 9/11 attack. But
U.S. Foreign policy did in fact create enemies, and cause people to hate us. CIA
intelligence confirms this; The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon
the United States confirms this. What these people chose to do with their hate led to
the 9/11 attacks. He wasn't saying American's deserved 9/11 or that they had it
coming to them.
In my opinion, it's time American's stop
taking a self-righteous, proud, and arrogant view of the world. We aren't the
world police. We can't afford it, and frankly it's unethical. We simply
cannot keep meddling in other people's affairs and not expect to pay the
consequences. If my neighbors are
having an argument and I step in and start taking sides and giving money and
support to neighbor A so that he can fight neighbor B, will I not offend and
irate neighbor B?
What if I send in guards to sit in
neighbor B's house to make sure he's staying in line? Isn't neighbor B
going to get ticked? He's bound to retaliate. If he comes and kills me, it could
be argued that I don't deserve to die, but my actions DID precipitate his anger
toward me. If I'd stayed out of their affairs I wouldn't be in this pickle.
If I, as a neighbor, have no right to
interfere in my neighbor's business, what right does my government have to
interfere in other countries' business? The government has no power or right
beyond what we the people delegate to it. If we do not have the right ourselves,
the government doesn't have the right either.
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