by Ron Paul
Grover Norquist, the influential conservative activist, recently made some very frank and sobering remarks about the U.S. military budget. Unlike many conservatives, Mr. Norquist understands that American national security interests are not served by the interventionist foreign policy mindset that has dominated both political parties in recent decades. He also understands that there is nothing “conservative” about incurring trillions of dollars in debt to engage in hopeless nation building exercises overseas.
Speaking at the Center for the National interest last week, Norquist stated that “We can afford to have an adequate national defense which keeps us free and safe and keeps everybody afraid to throw a punch at us, as long as we don’t make some of the decisions that previous administrations have, which is to over extend ourselves overseas and think we can run foreign governments.”
He continued: “Bush decided to be the mayor of Baghdad rather than the president of the United States. He decided to occupy Iraq and Afghanistan rather than reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That had tremendous consequences… Richard Nixon said that America’s national defense needs are set in Moscow, meaning that we wouldn’t have to spend so much if they weren’t shooting at us. The guys who followed didn’t notice that the Soviet Union disappeared.”
When a prominent DC conservative like Grover Norquist makes such bold statements, it shows that public support for a truly conservative foreign policy is growing. The American people simply cannot stomach more wars and more debt, especially with our domestic economy in tatters.
The American people should reject the hype about so called defense “cuts” from both side of the political spectrum. When the Obama administration calls for an 18% increase in 2013 military spending, those who propose a 20% increase portray this as a reduction!
Even the supposedly draconian cuts called for in the “sequestration” budget bill would keep military spending at 2006 levels when adjusted for inflation, which is about as high in terms of GDP as during World War II. It’s also more than the top 13 foreign countries spend on defense combined. Furthermore, sequestration only cuts military spending for one year after taking effect. In future years Congress is free to reinstate higher military spending levels– so under sequestration the most drastic case would mean spending $5.2 trillion instead of $5.7 trillion over the next decade.
Is there any amount of money that would satisfy the Pentagon hawks? Even if we were to slash our military budget in half, America easily would remain the world’s dominant military power. Our problems don’t result from a lack of spending. They result from a lack of vision and a profound misunderstanding of the single biggest threat to every American man, woman, and child: the federal debt.
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It is well-known that the mass media has put forth an abundance of deliberately distorted information about Ron Paul, so it behooves you to be mindful of this when taking in information from them. Romney & Ron Paul have vastly different platforms, and I daresay that Ron Paul would not be inclined to reduce himself to “striking a deal” with the likes of Romney. Particularly since Romney vacillates drastically by changing his stand on many things, back & forth. Ron stands like a rock.
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Perhaps you are perplexed because you are posing an invalid inquiry. Ron Paul is not a bully – wherever did you get that notion? This fine & noble gentleman stridently takes a stand for what he believes in; and he has ‘right’ on his side, because he stands up for the right things for the right reason. It’s a simple equation. May I respectfully suggest that you indulge in some conscientious research on Ron Paul and his platform – I think you’ll find that his moral character & ethics are intact.
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Me: “Yea I’m just gonna watch one Ron Paul video today” 30 or so videos later.
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Why is Ron Paul such a bully?
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RON PAUL FTW!
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He is pleased that the platform is slowly changing back to anti-nation building. If he supported the platform he would endorse Romney.
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It’s not just making treaties. We give foreign aid to Russia and Egypt to name a few WHY
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The constitution was NOT written for the government. It was written for the people. So that the government doesn’t get out of control. The Government is owned by the people. If congress has a 9% approval rating than clearly people don’t agree with this nonsense policing the world.
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Giving dictators money and fighting them is not making treaties…Its nonsense
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That was on fox news, cnn etc. If no one takes Ron Paul seriously than why does he get the most…by far… donations from military personal. Mitt Romney could probably run as a democrat. Mitt Romney is in no way conservative.
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Apparently you didn’t read the news today. Ron Paul said he is “happy” and “pleased” with the foreign policy plank of this year’s platform despite not having anti-nation building language. Look it up for yourself. Paul is a fraud.
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Haa haa umm (clearing my throat), You sound like you have been watching the news, no offence, however a more reliable source would be right hear on YOUTUBE, you know, where the people actually have a voice.
P.S. Do you know what they say about people who feel the need to use profanity during a conversation? now thats something you might be able to learn watching FOX. good luck!
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the government has power to tax and the government has power to make treaties with other nations and through those treaties we are allowed to send money to other nations. That is what we have done in places like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. We used power given to our government through the Constitution to make treaties.
Ron Paul is a libertarian not a Constitutionalist. He cherry picks from the Constitution and from our founding fathers to support his libertarian agenda.
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And in fact, America WAS at one point for new opportunities, new beginnings… a NEW CHANCE from the rest of the world filled with fucked up laws and rules and all this bullshit regulations without being judged upon(Obviously it’s changed) of but I’m still proud to know my history of America of what it once was… you will never take it away from me.
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Obviously, you don’t know me but only the comment I wrote
I preach this everyday, and mind set based on “Hate”? Your basically saying I’m just like the government which I preach everyday to the overall brainwashed population. Just because I told you I’m proud to be born where I was born doesn’t mean I have any characteristics of the government. In fact I agree with everything you just said, it’s just were reading each other through just words, no emotion…
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“I think he has the support of the people”
Why the fuck you need to lie, now when he has gone as the AMERICAN VOTERS REJECTED HIM!
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Additionally, if you think that Ron Paul is “happy with the GOP’s foreign policy” than you must be talking about Willard Romney because if there was one single message you could take away from Ron Paul’s position of Foreign Policy it’s that he is against ALL NATION BUILDING. He wants all foreign aide to stop, because the constitution does not give the US Government the power to take our money and give it to another country! Pick up a text book and stop relying on the Media for info on politics.
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I find it HILARIOUS when I find someone who honestly feels like Ron Paul is a fraud. However, this being the first time I have found someone who honestly believes that, I think I’ll just laugh to myself rather than waste my time trying to explain the fact that Ron Paul is one of VERY FEW in Washington that is NOT a fraud. Ron Paul is and has always been a consistent defender of civil liberties and constitutionalism. But lets face it, that makes those of us who believe in civil liberties sheep.
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rEVOLution!
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and your comment is why no one takes Ron Paul or any of his cultists seriously.
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hmmm… I couldn’t really speak on those issues, if they exist. Regardless, the fact that Romney gave Paul the delegates in the recent deal should at least slightly indicate that something was unjust. You think? Or I suppose Romney did it to shut up the whiny Paul supporters. Good luck with your procedural rules. I’m sure the country benefits from them to get good business men like Romney elected.
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Ah, another presidential year, and another year that Ron Paul is not on the ballot. Dumb Paulbots. Do you feel betrayed that Paul is happy with the GOP’s foreign policy plank even though it doesn’t include anti-nation building language? Fact is, Paul is a fraud and his followers are mindless SHEEP!
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I’m not American and I think Americans will be considered official idiots in the international community if Ron Paul does not win. But my fear is that even if he does I think powerful people behind the scenes will do everything they can to overturn his policies and smear his presidency.
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Ron Paul isn’t an isolationist, he wants to engage with the world just diplomatically and not aggressively.
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ISOLATIONISM IS THE WAY TO GO
NOBODY ASKED FOR OUR HELP. -
WE’RE NOT THE LIFE GAURDS OF
THE WORLD
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Actually he won about half of the states. Not counting counties that supported Ron Paul doesn’t mean he lost lol. (Maine cancelled voting in a Ron Paul county due to 1 inch of snow). The votes were never counted. About half of the States also had ridiculous “incidents” happen in areas that supported Ron Paul.
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Because the government doesn’t approve of Ron Paul’s perception, and thus the FCC doesn’t want to support him through the media. The masses get their information from government controlled media (“news”) and so the actual brainless zombies are those who don’t step out of their comfort zones to do research on any form of history and events that ACTUALLY GO/WENT ON instead of the lies/misinformation or lack of information projected through the FCC’s media. It’s all brain control in this country.
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“You have NOTHING to do with the things you deem a result of your supposed fellow countrymen/women.”
Go fuck yourself Communist.
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I don’t exactly know where to start. Ron Paul is the only candidate this year who will preserve our nation. Obama is a good man, with a good foreign policy, but he spends too much money. Mitt Romney is even worse, and he promises to spend more money than Obama. I’m glad Ron Paul is running, because he is the only Conservative in the race. However, I don’t have any good ideas for his winning the race. I would recommend that Dr. Paul show up at the convention and try to get some airtime for his philosophy. People will relate to his philosophy is they can be made to listen. The convention is a stacked deck, but use the occasion to make your platform. My only criticism is that Dr. Paul has some wacko social ideas which shouldn’t be part of his platform and which can be eclipsed by someone with even more wacko social ideas, so sit down on this portion of the conversation and talk about debt reduction, foreign policy, military matters, and other things for which Dr. Paul is head and shoulders above all these other bozos.
Neil Thex, CPA
1024 W. Pampa Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85210
Phone: (602) 957-0096 (Office)
(480) 838-7547 (Home)
FAX: (602) 381-3130
Email: neilthexcpa@yahoo.com
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What money? what are you taking about? Nobody gave Ron Paul any money, some people donated to his campaign to our campaign for liberty and that is it. You give money to the banks everyday, but those are not money just debt IOUs.
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Nationalities are nothing but fictional borders that derived from the time when humans lived in tribes.
You have NOTHING to be proud of.
You have NOTHING to do with the things you deem a result of your supposed fellow countrymen/women. You contributed NOTHING to any “American” achievement. You are merely born into a mind set that is based on aggrevating seclusion and ultimately hate.
We are all one humanity and it is time we start to enter a new age and get rid of those who enslave us.
Peace
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Please Ron Paul dont drop out. Get those lawyer to charge people on corruption or something. Get Romney out of the race. He is a lier. And I dont trust god damn Obama either. They both want us to kill Iranians. Please Ron Paul we have to do something. No More Wars. How do we stop them?
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some one needs to get ron paul off his ass and quit quitting at the last moment. if he wasnt going to run for president then he is commiting fraud on all those people that blindly gave him money. if he is truly giving up the presidency agian then he should give it all back. or go to jail. he needs to get a back bone. is this the president that we really want.
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WHY IS THAT OFFENSIVE ROMNEY REPRESENTING THE REP PARTY. RON PAUL COME BACK IN 2016
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My understanding is that the so called foreign ‘nation building’ money goes to contractors who have friends in the federal govt quite similar to how war money goes to preferred defense contractors like blackwater, lockheed etc.
I don’t think that fed govt is going to stop its antics, altho i admire people like Ron Paul who are at least trying
I hate to say this but i think secession seems the only practical way to take power away from fed govt and restore it back to the people
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