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.
Processing your request, Please wait....
I said, what are you doing in the white house, if you’re not selling cocaine?
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Ron Paul was right….Why did Hillary say Guantanamo was closed when its not??/
»crosslinked«
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boy did you bite the hook??? HELLO peace b civil
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thats how it works? hello another tid bit? 4-your mind??? peace
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dross mr bush!
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waa! bingo! how did you know that???
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mr bush iam honored!
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take the botton off your(lapel} coat? clearly its a signal! yeshua is the messiah! shut up
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Actually, in my opinion,jesus should be running the show and a lot of solid history points to that?????????????? hmmm? food 4 thought only
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4:30 more money for diplomacy and dev. This is a good “space” to work in
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Thank you.
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Lying that much makes you worry alot.
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Look at Clinton here at the beginning of her term and then look at her today. That job aged her fifteen years.
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Bitch lied…..surprised? she has no choice on the matter just a puppet.
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We don’t give a fuck about your car. There is much more serious shit going on everywhere around to pay attention at.
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Why does one get the feeling that Secretary of State Clinton is blowing smoke? Half of what she said was demonstrably not true.
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You scam.
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It’s too bad Mr Ron Paul, that you are not our President!
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do u people understand this tape is four years old?
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Hillary is right (not about Gitmo obviosly), but Hilary is right in that Ron Paul DOES have the most enthusiastic supporters. I honestly believe that most Democrats are sheep, and most Republicans are sheep. They are followers. They dont really know all of the issues and where the people they elect stand on those issues. Ron Paul supporters KNOW where Ron Paul stands, they support his common sense view points, and they are GLAD to have a politician with COMMON SENSE so they are EXCITED!
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Yeah, she actually told a lie right there. Interesting. The media never reported this.
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SO TRUE. If he were 67 instead of 77 he may have given people more problems as an independant.
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I’d chose either one of them as president over Bush or Romney. Obamah killed Binladin. We are well on our way out of Iraq. Gitmo is still open. . . Two outa three aint bad.
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Good thing there is an expert kunt like you around. How that for a sentence?
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still waiting!
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Interesting. I find it kind of odd that you’d insist that Jeremy is unqualified to comment for lack of a comma. Does that also mean that pentium3fan is unqualified to support Ron Paul after saying, “why ron paul didn’t win?”
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ロックフェラチオ・シニア用おむつは、アメリカ合衆国の銀行家、実業家、エロ産業家であり、現在のロックフェラチオ家の当主。1936年.、ハーヴァード大学を金で卒業。卒業論文のテーマはフェラビアン協会であった。その後、フェラビアン協会が設立したロンパリ・スクール・オブ・チンコミックス (LOSE)に留学、同校で修士号をまた石油の金で取得。同時期にLＯSEに留学していた後のアメリカ大統領ジョン・F・ケネディと脅しで出会う。その後、シカゴ大学で経済学博士号をこりずに金で取得（日本で言えば池田大作ばり）。1973年役にたたない三極委員会を設立。1981年までチーズ・チンコマンハッタン銀行の頭取兼最高経営責任者を解雇される。外交問題評議会名誉会長も停職処分。ボディービルダーハンバーグ会議には呼ばれずにも初会合からいやしくも参加している
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Delusional, he supports gay marriage. Also you’re not qualified to comment when you can’t even put together a sentence.
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Delusional, he supports gay marriage. Also you’re not qualified to comment when you can’t even put together a sentence.
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the government is sick.
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Because keeping him from winning was easier than murdering him.
easier in the sense that it didnt spark a civil war.
In a age of technology its hard to keep us from the truth.
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The Wall Of Shame: A dirty Zionist game..
- Demand The Freedom Of Palestine
┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬ ILLegal
┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬- Satanic
┬┴┬┴┬┴ israel’s Wall┬┴┬┴┬Racist
┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴ Apartheid
┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴ Ethnocratic
┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴—Lunatic / Liars….
They did 9-11 and were waiting to film. Rise against injustice Before the Zionists Neo-Nazis take over your Nation for Satan,Anti-christ, and illuminati NWO.
Copy and Paste for Justice. Hows that?
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Yeah, GTMO is closed, Russia is our partner, China is respecting its neighbors, Iran and N. Korea have given up their nuclear programs, and the Middle East is free. All we had to do was talk to them. Yippeee skippy! Pass the mushrooms, Alice…
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Man has this job aged her. She looked so much better in 2009. No wonder she wants out. Stress will kill you.
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GITMO is closed? When? When was it reopened?
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