Date: 01/20/2011
Transcript
Ron Paul: We’ve been militarily involved in the Persian Gulf region now for 20 years. Experts have predicted that the cost of this continuous and expanding war will reach 6 trillion dollars. The hostilities and our overt involvement in Iraq can be dated back to January 16th, 1991 when the defensive operation, Desert Shield, became the offensive operation, Desert Storm. Though the end of the Persian Gulf War was declared on April 6th, 1991 with a U.S. military victory, the 20 year war was just beginning. The U.S. and Britain have had an intense interest in controlling the oil of the Middle East dating back to the overthrow of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. This interest expanded during World War II with FDR’s promise to protect the puppet governments in the Persian Gulf region, especially Saudi Arabia. Though this arrangement never sat well with the citizens in the region, a fairly decent relationship remained between the Arab people and the American public. But animosity continued to build with our ever-present military involvement in Iraq. Our military assistance to the Mujahedeen in the 1980s, now the Taliban, helped the Muslim defenders, one of whom was Osama Bin Laden, oust the Soviets from Afghanistan. At that time, we were still not seen as occupiers, and the radical Muslims, encouraged by the U.S., were expected to direct all their efforts toward the communist threat. That all changed with the breakup of the Soviet system and the end of the Cold War when, as the lone superpower left standing, we named ourselves the world policeman. It was then that the resentment by Arabs and Muslims became directed toward the United States, now seen as an invader and an occupier.
Continuous bombing and crippling sanctions against Iraq during the 1990s, the appearance that the U.S. did not care about the plight of the Palestinians, and our military bases in Saudi Arabia, led to attention getting attacks against the United States. The 1998 embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania and the attack of the U.S. Cole in the year 2000 were warnings that war was far from over. The horrible tragedy of 9/11 shouldn’t have been a surprise, and many believe it was preventable. Currently, the war has morphed into a huge battle for control of the Persian Gulf region and Central Asia. This involves Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Iran. Foolish policies lead to foolhardy conflicts. Foolhardy conflicts lead to unsustainable costs and a multitude of unintended consequences. To name a few, we have spent trillions of dollars based on the false pretense of defending freedom and our Constitution. The notion has been furthered solidified that war no longer needs to be declared by Congress, and can be pursued as a prerogative of the president. We are now seen by the world not as a peace maker, but rather a trouble maker and aggressor.
Thousands of American service members have been killed and tens of thousands wounded with a sharp increase in service-connected suicides. Over 500,000 veterans are seeking medical treatment and disability benefits. Millions of citizens have been killed, wounded, and displaced in the countries on the receiving end of our bombs, drones, sanctions and occupation. The region has suffered huge environmental damage as a consequence of our military occupation. Christians from Iraq have suffered the worst rout in the history of Christendom. Iran and Iraq are now better allies than ever with strong anti-American sentiment. Iraqi political stability is a joke. Ending hostilities in Afghanistan is a dream. China and Iran have been drawn into a closer alliance against the United States. America’s uncontrolled deficits are senselessly fuelled by needless militarism. We are now much poorer and less safe.
There was no Al-Qaida in Iraq before we invaded in 2003. Today, there is. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq. War always leads to government growth and the sacrifice of civil liberties. In the past 10 years, this has been particularly costly to us, with the acceptance of military tribunals, torture, assassination, abuse of Habeas Corpus and PATRIOT-Act-type legislation. Senseless war and senseless destruction and death should not be rationalized as providing a great service in protecting our freedoms, our Constitution, or maintaining peace. The only value that can come of this is to recognize that our policies are flawed and they need to be changed. Without this history will record that the sacrifices were all in vain.
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Again, Ron Paul Speaks the TRUTH
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WE ARE THE TERRORIST !
WE have nuked a country
we have committed false flag operations
we will do it again and again till we the people have had enough !
we are not in control of this world government that is conspiring as we speak !
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Well said I totally feel all that you said! Thanks Ron Paul & God Bless!
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he is so right !!
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Great speech, Congressman Paul.
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where’s kucinich’s follow-up?
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this should be mandatory viewing for all US citizens.
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Seems like you only had 5 minutes to say something that needed to be said. Sucks that they interupted you at the end. Great job again. Thank you for showing what 112th congress what it is all about.
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Ron Paul loves this country, liberty ,justice and freedom. He is our only hope.
We have let the elite destroy our very way of life.
They put fluoride in our water and toothpaste.
They have made nearly all of our foods with GMO killer seeds.
The killer flu vaccines.
The meat,dairy and poultry products full of hormones and antibiotics.
The bankers and wall street have seen to it that we have no peace of mind.
The people’s jobs are cut, savings,pensions,401k gone.
.
peace no more.
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Search For the series
“BUSH OBAMA DESTROYED US ARMY”
Part 5 uploaded
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Run Ron Run
Dr.Ron Paul Hope for America!
info at Liberty Poet
website
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love u Ron get em!!
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Run Ron Run !!!
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4:20 It’s not needless militarism Ron, the military industrial complex NEEDS our money to stay rich. War is a deep philisophical fail when it’s undeclared war because it defies the law we are supposed to morally uphold. We are hypocrites for letting it come to this. These wars will not end, sorry to burst bubbles. “THEY” want the wars and they will have them. They don’t our approval anymore.
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I like Ron Paul, but unless he is playing stupid, he is a sleeper. We dont need a sleeper in that position.
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Why dont more people listen to him? He is the ONLY one who doesnt have his head up is butt! Come on America, WAKE UP!!!! Ron and Rand are here to help you sheeple! Please heed what his man has to say, please!!!! Believe it or not, it is NOT too late! Lets help each other by helping our country!!!! VOTE RON AND RAND!!!!
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need to get uot we do not need to be there we can bomb them with the planes
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Ron is the man……He could’ve made this speech a lot shorter thou…..He should of said ……. President Obama Quit taking phone calls from the Rothchilds and Rockefellers….
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Poor Ron, he’s up there by himself. Very few will stand by him in the congress.
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Great work Mr. Paul
this is once again, a wakeup call for those who listen
I know you will run for Präsident again
(just dont publish it to early or the media will block you again)
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way to go ron keep it up.
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I hope don paul runs 2012, he gets my vote.
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obama is pro war
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NoLibertarian is Trolling
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God had mercy on us, so he sent Ron Paul.
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Ron seems to look at ALL facts!
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Washington said to avoid entangling alliances
Over 200 years later and he is completely right.
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Paul needs to tone down his rhetoric before he helps set another unbalanced supporter of his off and another innocent 9 year old child gets killed
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Dr. Ron Paul, LIFE-LIBERTY-and the pursuit of HAPPINESS.
The only U.S. leader I ever listen to.
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End the Fed.
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He is the only person in Washington who understands whats going on.
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Not that biggest fan of Ron Paul, but when he speaks out against a pointless war, it’s utterly beautiful. The man speaks the truth in regards to the war.
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339likes, 1 dislikes. That’s what I like to see on these kinds of videos.
I hope Ron Paul keeps educating and waking people up.
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oh sorry … actually, we do have the best engineers … and engineering.
It’s being revealed of late about the connection with Arabia’s Mufti of Jerusalem with Hitler … and combine that with Days Inn & Limbaugh, … well, it’s almost as if there is a connection. Recall that most of the 9/11 hijackers mostly stayed in their travels at 1 particular hotel chain … Days Inn. WorldCom was founded at a Days Inn. J.H. Hatfield was found at a Springdale, AK Days Inn. Right wing or white ring?
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Our engineering is better than anyone elses. It’s not that our engineers are better – they’re very good … it’s the sum total of our ability, in our great nation, to synthesize systems. We are, however, #1 in virtually all sciences … like by alot.
So, for the Western world, it’s not really personal … much of that equipment has got to be updated … swapped out and transformed … the enemies of the US fail to recognize our advancements …they see it as occupado.
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