Date: 4/22/2009
Venue: House Foreign Affairs Committee
Channel: C-SPAN 3
Transcript:
Howard Berman: The gentleman from Texas, Mr. Paul, is recognized for five minutes.
Ron Paul: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And welcome, Madame Secretary.
I have a general question I want to ask about foreign policy, but leading up to that question I would like to mention first that the election had something to do with bringing about change in tone with our foreign policy. And I think there have been some very positive changes in tone and many of us have argued for more diplomacy rather than more threats, so many of us are pleased with that. It goes back to the old saying of, “Speaking softly and still be willing to carry a big stick”. But sometimes I wonder whether that big stick doesn’t get wielded a little too often.
But I do want to caution all of us that what we say is very important and can be very beneficial, but what we do is also very important. So that may cancel out the benefits of speaking more softly and being willing to talk and negotiate. Some people say that we shouldn’t talk to our enemies, but I remember the cold war rather well, and we did talk to kruchev and Mao Tse Tung when they were great threats to us. So, sometimes I think that when we look at how we stood up to tens of thousands of nuclear weapons, that we should be cautious as far as what we might do in Pakistan and put it into a proper perspective.
But my big concern is whether or not we can reverse the empire mentality that I think we have adopted over these many, many decades, and also the relationship of this to our financial burden. Though we are speaking more softly and would like to get some troops home, the first thing that was done was that our DOD budget was increased by 9% in a time when our national debt in the last 12 months went up 2 trillion dollars.
All great nations have been brought to their knees for economic reasons. We didn’t have to fight the Soviets. The Afghanistan adventure that the Soviets were involved with was very significant and I don’t know how we can ignore that.
So, I would like to ask the question about whether or not you can give me some signs or indications or some encouragement that maybe we shifted policies in the slightest manner. Have we brought any troops home? Are we less involved in Iraq? Will that war ever end? Or we really going in the opposite direction because we’re seeing Pakistan as so necessary, we need more troops, more expansion, more money, more DOD funds.
So, coming from my perspective I can’t see the difference even though, like I said, I am pleased that there is a willingness to talk and try to work things out and I think that is very positive. I always think that people who aren’t willing to talk are insecure. This whole idea that we are so strong, to me, it seems that we lack confidence if we can’t talk to people. And we are strong enough. Nobody is going to attack us militarily.
So, I see it as very important that we change our tone. I think it’s good that you got rid of the term “war on terrorism”. How can you have a war against a tactic? It doesn’t make any sense. But I am not sure “overseas contingency operation” is more specific. So could you address that and maybe give me some answers that maybe we may be seeing actually some shift in our policy.
Hillary Clinton: Well, thank you, Congressman. I think that the president’s actions in these nearly 100 days do match actions with words, although I admit there is a lot more to be done. We are still sorting out everything we’ve inherited and trying to make sense of it. We want to protect America’s national security, but we think there are better and more effective ways of doing that. So we are ending the war in Iraq. There is a definite end date for our troops to be there. The president did close Guantanamo. The president is looking for ways to engage with those who nobody wanted us to talk to, which is a sea shift in how we are proceeding.
Words and actions both matter. I mean, at the end of the day actions count more. But you have to begin by at least articulating a new approach. In our budget we have asked for more money for diplomacy and development. And the budget committee, in both the house and the senate, cut back the president’s request. It’s kind of old thinking, in my view. I mean, the secretary of defense has said that there are fewer foreign Service diplomats posted oversees than there are sailors and marines on one aircraft carrier. There are more musicians in the military bands than there are diplomats across the board. So, we are trying to shift this gigantic ship of state, Mr. Paul. And we are looking for your help to do so.
And at the risk of going over our time, I just want to say having campaigned during the last presidential election, you had the most enthusiastic supporters of anybody I ever saw.
Ron Paul: I love to hear that.
Hillary Clinton: Well, I mean, my goodness! Everywhere I went they were literally running down highways holding your signs. So, I’ve never had a chance to tell you that, but your message obviously resonated with a lot of people.
Ron Paul: Thank you.
Howard Berman: You’re going to encourage him.
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Guantanamo was in play at that time, and it got blocked/stomped by conservatives who flat-out refused to have the prisoners come onto US domestic soil into maximum security prisons.
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Deep down inside Hillary Clinton know Ron Paul is the truth!
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The government/army of USA killed more people in one war than Serbia has in their whole lifetime
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Gauntanamo is not shut down is it? Hillary says it is…
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like “Milo” and his genocidal generals? Really?
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**You’re** sorry, had to do it.
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her family and Bush family are war criminals …end of story.
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In 2009, Obama Issues a Directive to Shut Down Guantánamo by signing an executive order. But closing down Gitmo was easier said than done. Congress was opposed to his efforts, and won’t allow them to bring the detainees to U.S soil and no countries won’t take them. U.S can’t just release them either. So, Gitmo is still open. Obama has broken his campaign promise, but at least he made an effort to fulfill his promise.
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Am I misinformed? I thought Gitmo was still open…?
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did she say the president did close guantanimo?
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He makes too much sense.
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Ok you are free to disagree. Perhaps civilized was the wrong word to use. I meant that there is an unwarranted amount of vitriol towards HC and a lot of toxic language that male politicians don’t get.
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Well you’re entitled to your opinion, as am I, but I highly disagree w/ your stance that cursing & swearing are considered appropriate or civilized behavior. Perhaps in certain circles (i.e. close friends/family) but generally speaking, it’s frowned upon.
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Bigotry is uncivilized, swearing is an appropriate response.
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little ironic you write “stfu” and “be fucking civilized” when asking for civility.
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little ironic you write “stfu” and “be fucking civilized” when asking for civility.
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he is old and senile…
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he is old and senile…
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Yes, and Ron Paul should have won. Why didn’t he?
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oh stfu. Why can’t people criticize female politicians without calling them “bitch” or “whore”. Be fucking civilized.
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why?
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pleas vote
wwww.openpetition.de/petition/online/eu-in-bruessel-aufloesen-zurueck-zur-kooperation-der-freien-ewg-staaten-europas
pleas share this site
Bitte Unterstützen
wwww.openpetition.de/petition/online/eu-in-bruessel-aufloesen-zurueck-zur-kooperation-der-freien-ewg-staaten-europas
Link bitte weiter verbreiten
auch in andere EU Länder
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These politicians really believe the average American is that stupid,”yes, the president did close Guantanamo Bay” Almost 4 years later it still is open. An American politician once said “95% of people want to be ruled by the 5%, and 95% do not want to know how government does it”
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These politicians really believe the average American is that stupid,”yes, the president did close Guantanamo Bay” Almost 4 years later it still is open. An American politician once said “95% of people want to be ruled by the 5%, and 95% do not want to know how government does it”
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I cant believe it! Now I can eat all the chipotle i want with out worrying about blood stains. All I did was buy this sweet new product called Chipotle-Away. Try it hear >> bit.ly\X80hNt
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Get the fuck out of here.
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Get the fuck out of here
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yes I agree cant even believe it. before I started eating right it didn’t matter how much I exercised my abs were still jello. And One of my friend working in fitness field suggested me this 7 secret food items to kill our jelly belly. you can see it here >> bit.ly\X80hNt
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yes I agree cant even believe it. before I started eating right it didn’t matter how much I exercised my abs were still jello. And One of my friend working in fitness field suggested me this 7 secret food items to kill our jelly belly. you can see it here >> bit.ly\X80hNt
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Then you’re probably not a ‘die-hard left winger’. Whatever that means.
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lol now that is propoganda. and please explain to me why me finding many flaws in the gold standard makes me an idiot or is propoganda. really I would like to know
»crosslinked«
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Maybe a bi metallic currency with both gold and silver as currency, without fixed exchange rates
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I’m a die-hard left winger but damn Ron Paul is intelligent an makes some good points
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Yes you are an idiot. Using a gold standard will not fuck up the country. That’s nothing but propaganda. Every paper money system has failed in the past and it’s failing again now. There are lots of economists coming out and talking about how we should switch to a gold standard. Inflation would stop and it would drive prices back down to where they should be. And how exactly do you suggest we make the global economy stronger? Print more money and devalue our dollar even more than it already is?
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yes, but we have quite permantent borders now, we cannot create new gold out of nothing so if a disaster happens we are screwed which is what happened to ‘peacefull’ societies in the past. Also look at Spain, used to be a superpower, they used the Gold standard, and that screwed up their country 300 years later, I LIKE THE GOLD STANDARD, but it is not the best we can do, neither is the current system, but the gold standard is soooo very flawed
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BULLSHIT.. Guantanamo Bay is still open.
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