We Must Break the Vicious Circle of Violence!
by Ron Paul
Last week the National Bureau of Economic Research published a report on the effect of civilian casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq that confirmed what critics of our foreign policy had been saying for years. The killing of civilians, although unintentional, angers other civilians and prompts them to seek revenge. This should be self-evident. The Central Intelligence Agency has long acknowledged and analyzed the concept blowback in our foreign policy.
It still amazes me that so many think that attacks against our soldiers occupying hostile foreign lands are motivated by hatred toward our system of government at home, or by the religion of the attackers. In fact, most of the anger toward us is rooted in reactions towards seeing their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and other loved ones, being killed by a foreign army. No matter our intention, the violence of our militarism in foreign lands causes those residents to seek revenge if innocents are killed. One does not have to be a Muslim to react this way – just human.
Our battle in Afghanistan resembles the battle against the many-headed Hydra monster in Greek mythology. According to former General Stanley McChrystal’s so-called insurgent math, for every insurgent killed, ten more insurgents are created by the collateral damage to civilians. Every coalition attack leads to six retaliatory attacks against our troops within the following six weeks, according to the NBER report. These retaliatory attacks must then be acted on by our troops, leading to still more attacks, and so it goes. Violence begets more violence. Eventually more and more Afghanis will view American troops with hostility and seek revenge for the deaths of a loved one. Meanwhile we are bleeding ourselves dry militarily and economically.
Some say if we leave, the Taliban will be strengthened. However, those who make that claim ignore the numerous ways our interventionist foreign policy has strengthened groups like the Taliban over the years. I have already pointed out how we serve as excellent recruiters for them by killing civilians. Last week I pointed out how our foreign aid to Pakistan specifically makes it into the Taliban’s coffers. And of course we provided the Taliban with aid and resources in the 1980s when they were our strategic allies against the Soviet Union.
For example, our CIA supplied them with stinger missiles to use against the Soviets, which are strikingly similar to the ones now allegedly used against us on the same battlefield according to the Wikileaks documents. As usual, our friends have a funny way of turning against us. Manuel Noriega and Saddam Hussein are also prime examples. Yet Congress never seems to acknowledge the blowback that results from our interventionism of the past.
Our war against the Taliban is going about as well as our War on Drugs or our War on Poverty, or any of our government’s wars. They all tend to create more of the thing they purport to eradicate, thereby dodging any excuse to draw down and come to an end. It is hard to image even winning anything this way. We have done enough damage in Afghanistan, both to the Afghan people and to ourselves. It’s time to reevaluate the situation. It’s time to come home.
Processing your request, Please wait....









ANYONE who thinks the American Government works in ignorance is a fool.
The US has left 15 generations of wrecked Dictatorships, Kings, Empires,
and “Glorious People’s Leaders” in the dustbin of history. It’s converted
Europe, South America, the Near East, and now the Mid-east to democracy
MANY without a war at all. Gee, Fella, did you ever say your crap in a
Refugee community from Vietnam, East Germany, or Communist country?
Try that sometime?
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
OH PLEASE, little Nazi Boy / Bitch, the Rothschilds? The Bank runs were
NOT undocumented events dating from pre-history, they were commented
on quite a lot during their day, and the distrust of public banking is a
known issue that was politically charged in the 1700s, and 1800s, and the
Andrew Jackson Presidency was officially CENSORED by Congress for
obviously setting of the 40 year depression that followed his removal of
funds. YOUR piss poor education is showing.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
– Sorry (NOT!) to bust your reality-challenged delusional bubble, old chap, but you’re full of shiite. The bank runs you claim are proof of the need for a private banking franchise to centralize monetary control, were engineered by the Rothschilde/Rockefeller/Morgan et al. robber-baron banking moguls themselves, specifically to create the context for their centralized ponzi-scheme racket. The Fed Reserve was established thru secrecy, legal chicanery & conspiracy.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
– Sorry (NOT!) to bust your reality-challenged delusional bubble, old chap, but you’re full of shiite. The bank runs you claim are proof of the need for a private banking franchise to centralize monetary control, were engineered by the Rothschilde/Rockefeller/Morgan et al. robber-baron banking moguls themselves, specifically to create the context for their centralized ponzi-scheme racket. The Fed Reserve was established thru secrecy, legal chicanery & conspiracy.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Ron Paul is a senile old fool. His own house was bought by an FHA Loan financed by the FEDERAL RESERVE.
The two occasions when we stopped national banking, caused the biggest, longest lasting, bank runs in american history, and the world economy tanked because of it.
Over the 100 years when there was no National bank for FED, there were TEN bank runs, and THREE wars, including the civil war. According to YOU idiots, it was the Snidely Whiplash Banks that caused wars, Remember?
You are wrong.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Ron Paul is right. The actors on TV are wrong. Surprise, Surprise.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Keep Up The Fight Ron Im Canadian And You Know The Way It Should Be And Is Not
World Elite Have Infiltrated Government To The Highest Levels, Im With You And So Is Most Of Our Country Just Blog It
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Perhaps NOW the ‘Private Owners’ of the Worlds various Central Banking Systems would care to try the original US Constitutional principles that ‘WERE’ supposed to be used to Govern the Issuance of ‘NEW Currency’ into the ‘ US Free Market System’?
Now that the Biological and Ecological effects of their ‘Private CFR Global Expansion System’ has matured! Their previous issuance has shown to have many environmental side effects apparent now over several ‘Generations’. These side effects are being studied by the ‘Scientific Community’; Pollution and ‘Natural Resource Depletion’ seem to top the charts.
However, the most under evaluated are in the ‘Socio-Political’ effects that ‘Force’ the ‘Private Owners’ of the worlds various ‘Central Banks’ to take great measures in the controlling of ‘Main Stream Media’.
The current ability of the ‘Scientific Community’ to have the ‘Time and Resources’ needed to explore and research ‘Depends’ on a previously established ‘Socio-political System’ of ‘Prosperity’; this was established through the implementation of the ‘US Constitution’ FOLKS. However, there is one aspect of this establishment that has never been fully implemented over the span of necessary ‘Generational’ fulfillment.
Thus, the US after Two Hundred Years of Evolution has not fully implemented its DNA, so to speak!
David, this is what we can do for the US. Use the obvious scientific evidence currently presented to fuel the decommissioning of …………..SHIT
I already see how they will neutralize US.
David, I know of another Plan, one that we can utilize without having to make ‘Industrial War” with our enemies and still inherit the life of Earth after the Central Bankers civilization is destroyed forever! Ha Ha Ha Ha HAAH!
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Ever since Korea we have insisted that we must invade countries who’s culture we don’t understand, who’s people we don’t respect. When they fight back they are called enemies and given names such as Vietcong and Taliban. Now that we have labeled the resistors we can now destroy a country with impunity. When Russia did this they were called Imperialists. When we do this we are expecting to be called saviors. Will we ever learn?
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Who is giving North Korea their weapon capabilities? Why is this happening and who is ultimately responsible? To me and my understanding, the North Korean disposition is a planned engineered situation. One that will sustain the Global Industrial Complex through adversity.
Look inside the box we live in! The true monetary industrial players have no allegiance to any Nation. They control and subject the Nations of the World as we know it. So, why allow a tyrannical Nation to existed within their power and make sure they have the means to be a Threat?
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
We dont exactly take over the country itself but we take over the resources and hang them out to dry. Just like when the CIA overthrew Irans elected goverment because the leader wanted to use their resorces to benefeit the country. If you dont even wanna look up the stuff I am offering to show you then I am done. You dont even wanna listen instead you just call me names and try to say im not american yadayada. dont tell others to change their opinion if you cant change yours. SEEK TRUTH
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Blow Back Syndrome Shlmow Blick Syndrome. Give me a break. How old are you and why are you buying into this crap? Try this on for size. Name all of the Countries the U.S. has taken over compared to the number of Countries the U.S. has helped. Big hint here. The answer to the first part of the question I gave you is a big fat 0.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Well it wont let me copy and paste the source but its at CNN.com.The reason we were attacked is because of the “Blow Back Syndrome”.its on youtube u should check it out.I am not liberal at all actually lol.I am a strict Constitutionist.I believe we should get the people who attacked us.But we havent instead we are using it as a excuse to nation build.Ok i will answer the questions again.I am American.I dont hate America it just needs some help.I would goafter theguiltynottakeovercountries
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Lets just get to the root of the problem. End the Fed and cut government spending. Maybe we should set term limits as well. These 3 issues are the problems. All other issues are synptoms of the core problems. If we could only focus on these 3 issues and educate the masses of dumbed down Americans we could make real change. An out of control military presence does fall under the ‘cut spending’ issue. No need for over 700 bases around the globe, and 2 wars in the Mid East that have accomplished absolutely nothing for our safety. Bring the troops home from everywhere…post them at our borders and in our gang filled city streets. Get rid of our own terrorists and stop foriegn ones from entering. Come on people…this is logic. Wake up. Think.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Who wouldn’t react when attacked?
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
Sooooooo… Is he saying that we can’t cause destruction and death all over the place in someone else’s country and expect them to greet us as liberators? This…this confuses I…
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0
well said…
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0
0