AmericanPapist Comments
Honestly, Ron Paul's candidacy is not worth getting hyped up about, and thank God for that.
His wanting the defeat of America in the Middle East makes even Guiliani look good.
Also, please read this article: h
I saw where a homosexual group is trying discredit Romney among social conservatives by playing up his pro-choice past. Why don't we accept this guy as sincere? Jane Roe herself is now a pro-life spokesperson. I accept that she's sincere. I accept that women who take part in Project Rachel are sincere when they regret their abortions. Romney saw the light. Why keep his past over his head?
Anon, I don't see how you can think RP "wants the defeat of American in the Middle East." It seems clear to me you don't even have a basic understanding of his policy. Did you raed the CFRP post about isolationism vs. non-interventionism? RP wants to defeat terrorism, not build nations.
I read through the links posted, which includes plenty that raises the eyebrows.
In the main article comparing Benedict and Paul, did the author really say that Reagan is a model to follow in terms of spreading freedom? "What America's youth are hoping for in Ron Paul today, is that Reagan's freedom oriented rhetoric is set into action . . ." Reagan not only meddled in the affairs of Nicaragua (against the expressed wishes of Congress), but he invaded Granada. That's the very interventionism that another article says Paul opposes.
As for non-interventionism, the link posted doesn't really explain his foreign policy agenda. It says he's like the Founding Fathers who opposed entanglements. They did so for two reasons: one, Europe was involved in virtually perpetual war at the time Washington issued his farewell address; two, we barely had a navy, much less a well-trained army that had the power to get involved. Things have changed in the past two hundred years that I don't think the original George W. could have ever anticipated. Globalization has made the world more connected then ever. What goes on in another country, such as building nuclear weapons to sell at top dollar, what goes on in these other countries very much becomes our business. There's a direct correlation between failed states and spawning terrorism. If Dr. Paul doesn't want to nation-build, I don't understand how he plans to make America secure. Reading from his official site, he wants to bring home the troops from the 130 countries in which they're stationed. Not one president in the last 54 years has been willing to simply hope that North Korea doesn't invade South Korea. He wants to bring them home to defend America? From what? How? Our economic and military power is unrivaled, and with power comes responsibility. That's just simply the way it's been since 1945.
His site says the war in Iraq was illegal. He voted against the resolution entitled, "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution 2002." That's about as unambiguous a declaration of war that you can get, and D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals apparently agreed. Now there are questions about the legality of the war in international law, but Ron Paul's site says we should never be drawn into war "as a result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations," so logically, if we can ignore its call for military action, we can also ignore its call prohibiting action (if that is, in fact, what the UN Security Council said in 2003). To throw in a little history about the necessity of international institutions, when we refused to help enforce decisions from the League of Nations, it was one of the many factors that helped to bring World War II. The UN isn't called a "collective security" organization for nothing. We're all in this together.
No matter how powerful America is, we need friends. Withdrawing from international organizatio
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Withdrawing from international organizations will only serve to alienate allies and potential allies.
He's right in that we need to secure our borders from illegal immigrants, but his stance to deny amnesty and welfare to those illegals already here isn't what the Catholic Church teaches.
It's nice that he has changed his position on the death penalty, but Mitt Romney has changed his position on abortion, and people remain skeptical. I think that's a little hypocritical.
Dr. Paul is right in seeking to protect privacy and personal liberty, as well as property rights. But there are still plenty of questions surrounding his stances, particularly on matters of foreign policy. He might be picking up momentum in terms of fundraising, but he barely makes the radar in polls. Barry Goldwater stuck to his principles and got trounced in one of the worst landslides in American history. Not that Paul will have to worry about getting that far...
"Why keep his past over his head?"
Hear! Hear! As a private citizen, we should rejoice that Mr. Romney has repented of his awful ways. Wake me when Ms. McCorvey starts her preisdential campaign.
Truthfully, this is so easy it is hardly fun. A few years at university hasn't helped the old boy any.
Thomas Jefferson sent the fledgling US Navy to wipe out the Muslim pirates preying on US shipping in the Mediterrean sea during his term. Pulling US troops out of 130 countries wouldn't make us safer - it would lead to a power vaccuum to be filled by Russia, China, and a newly re-militarized post-Christian and growing Islamic Europe. I fail to see how that would make us safer.
Then there's all the US business interests abroad served by the US Navy patrolling world's oceans - ships need ports, ergo alot of those 130 nations' have USN bases. Pulling out would restrict our Navy patrols and that would again lead to less security not more.
Ron Paul strikes me as sincere, but sincerely misguided. While human nature has not changed in 200 years, technology has and that means our defensive posture can't be what it was in 1807. Back then it was enough to have a small Navy and Army because the oceans and vastness of our land filled with an armed citizenry made America virtually impregnable. We're not impregnable anymore.
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