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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His main point that Jackson can’t exactly be singled out as being so uniquely evil when virtually the entire nation at the time agreed with and encouraged what he did with the Native Americans. Now, as for the banks and spoils system, it’s been far too long since I took AP US History in high school to make any valid comments on those things.
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Doesn’t bother me none. I carry no form of white guilt.
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the spade is played
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the spade is played
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We ‘assimilated’ in Canada. Children were tortured in return.
They stick him and you with a bad reputation because you both deserve it.
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Hillary has a tattoo on her thigh it says Zionist only with an arrow pointing at her minge.
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You wish
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What main point?
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lol Ron Paul supporters are just as silly and nuts as he is.
»crosslinked«
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What if the best of both parties was good for the country, insted of promoting a completely political agenda. You’re right, fuck the people, as long as the status quo isn’t challenged.
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no need to be rude. but here’s what i could find on line
“Obama issued a presidential memorandum dated December 15, 2009, formally closing the detention center and ordering the transfer of prisoners to the Thomson Correctional Center, Thomson, Illinois”
but then the Congress passed the Omnibus budget, which prohibits “the use of funds to modify or construct facilities in the United States to house detainees transferred from United States Naval Station, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
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no need to be rude. but here’s what i could find on line
“Obama issued a presidential memorandum dated December 15, 2009, formally closing the detention center and ordering the transfer of prisoners to the Thomson Correctional Center, Thomson, Illinois”
but then the Congress passed the Omnibus budget, which prohibits “the use of funds to modify or construct facilities in the United States to house detainees transferred from United States Naval Station, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
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Sorry, I was talking about modern day America.
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i doubt the Greek protesters fighting against privatization and social welfare austerity agree that they need libertarianism
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“The president DID close Guantanamo” . Ummmmmm, excuse me? Dis bitch is straight up lying
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that probably will not happen due to his age
GARY JOHNSON 2016
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Though your last sentence comes off as somewhat racist, I agree with your main point.
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Every country on YouTube was smart enough to see that we needed Ron as President this year… except the country that needed him. What the hell is wrong with America?
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I wish…
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I BET Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush for 2016!
Ron Paul lost because the United Nations is here.( Agenda 21 )
This is all a show to make you think you have a choice.
( hope and change? ) Stop paying taxes and demand a refund.
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Thank you brother.
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They are both horrid things.
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hells yes.
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She’s a bold face liar.
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……… Soon there after apply that same process to my house
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Hillary showed a very astute skill necessary for political survival. When you can’t answer a question honestly and directly you should suck up a little.
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marijuana bomb that whole building, play some beatles/jimi/pink floyd/bob marley/dylan, and lock the door.
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thanks again ron for being a legend
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thanks again ron for being a legend
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You should really think things out before you write. You’re offensive.
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Delusional old man rambling.
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well assimilation is the name of the game and the indians did not want to assimilate. the people wanted the indians far far away and jackson did what any president should do, the will of the people. also its not like jackson was the only politician to do this. i just think they try to stick him with this bad rap so people wont focus on the bankers. seriously lol whats worse bankers enslaving the entire nation or a few dead indians?
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i can find good things from pretty much every president. i didnt call jackson a terrible politician, but trail of tears really puts a lot of things into perspective though. he also made huge additions to the spoils system which added a whole lot of uncertainty to the ethics/validity of the voting process
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killed the 2nd bank of the US and america was debt free, dude
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trail of tears, dude
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