Fred Thompson Speech at Policy Exchange (Part 1 of 4)

[giosig]

Thompson is the only real candidate who says what he says and stands by it. Like it or not. Unlike the democrats who pander to every group and tell that particular group what they want to hear. At least you know where you stand with Thompson. A straight shooter. We need a real leader in this country. This is the guy.

[overmind25]

Fred thompson supports the NORTH AMERICAN UNION!

[gchuggins]

Fred Thompson is a hypocrite. We would not have 12 to 20 million illegals if you would not have contributed to an "open borders" immigration when you were in the Senate. This is why Americans for Better Immigration gave you a grade of "C". America has had enough rhetoric from political hypocrites. Stay on TV and stop "acting" like you're a conservative you fraud.

[Dustman3400]

what do you mean when you say he contributed to an "open borders" immigration? Do you mean he wanted to make it easier for people from different countries to become U.S. citizens, or something else?

[OfficalConspirator]

ummmm.....uhhhhhhhh.......ummm­mmmmm

BORING

Typical lawyer talk.

[bodhinature]

Fred has no idea what he's talking about. Does he not realize that a military blockade is an act of war? He's not saying anything that the other Republicans and Democrats haven't already said. What makes him stand out? Nothing.

[miedim]

bodhinature, do you realize that Iran running weapons and fighters through Iraq is an act of war? And he is saying things Democrats won't say. And he is saying things better than the other Republicans. Fred Thompson is much more natural being himself than the other Republican candidates. He stands out very strongly.

[bodhinature]

Miedim, who is it an act of war against? We are the invaders of Iraq. If we weren't in Iraq who would they be enacting war with? Have you actually been watching the debates? Democrats are using the same language he is. Ron Paul is the only guy who stands out.

[daquake]

Invaders? Last I heard the Iraqi government doesn't want us to leave yet.  ( I know, I know, and ideally we would be, but not til the job's done) Regardless, Iran regularly commits acts of war (Christ, the country was founded on it when they took the US Embassy - They invaded sovereign US soil.) And it is required that it be addressed.

[bodhinature]

Invaders. The Iraqi government is about to make such a resolution against the US presence, with respect to 80% of the Iraqi population. They already want us to leave and have so for some time. Iran's taking of the US Embassy was in response to the CIA overthrow of their democratically elected leadership and installation of a US friendly dictatorship. Who's the invader in that case?

[BisBoBit]

The Embassy incident was in 1979. The CIA coup was in 1953. It's unlikely that the two events are connected as much as you imply, as it was mostly students born after 1953 involved in the taking of the Embassy. The taking of the Embassy was ok'd by Khomeini to distract Iranians from his unpopular domestic reforms and unite them under a common cause: confronting the United States.

[bodhinature]

Actually, the Embassy incident is directly related to the coup. Iranians eventually overthrew the dictatorial Shah, whom we installed, in 1979 and the Shah fled to the U.S. where he was harbored. When the U.S. wouldn't hand him over to Iran for prosecution, militants took over the Embassy demanding his return. See? Directly linked. The CIA calls it "blowback."

[OrthodoxRobert]

If history followed Ron Paul's advice, blacks in the 50's would have asked the KKK and other bigots what they could do to not make them so upset. Jew's could have asked the Nazi's what they had done, if anything, to make the Nazi's hate them so much.

[bodhinature]

The key isn't wishing we could have made the past better. Its understanding and learning from the past to do it better in the future. Remember that during the civil rights movement, our government was actively supporting apartheid South Africa. Has the government learned anything from the blowback caused by funding bin Laden or the Shah? Now we are funding extremist Sunni groups to fight extremist Shia's without congressional approval or oversight.

[OrthodoxRobert]

No, what I am talking about is Ron Paul saying we need to talk with AQ, see what we have done to upset them. No, I don't think so. Screw AQ.

[bodhinature]

No. He says we should listen to what they are saying, understand their motivations. That's what the police and FBI do with criminals. And we must understand our own government's culpability. Bin Laden, consequentally AQ, was our creation.

[OrthodoxRobert]

I understand that, but what do you think AQ will do if we say we are sorry? You think they will just lay their weapons down? You think if we just pull all our troops home they will just go about their lives? Yes, and like criminals when you murder, you go to jail. Yes, we would like to know why you did it, but it doesn't justify it.

[bodhinature]

Hunt them down. Kill them. Put them to justice. But illegally invading and occupying an all but defenseless nation and threatening another in the same fashion, etc. only inflames their cause. Lets go about this legally, lest we further blur the line between us and them.

[OrthodoxRobert]

Do you mean the country that has been helping to kill our troops? I agree with you about Iraq, but AQ made Iraq their war, kill em where you find em. Since Iran thinks it noble to kill our troops, then they have declared war on us.

[bodhinature]

We made Iraq our war. AQ was not in Iraq. Neither Iraq nor Iran were engaged with our troops until we got there. AQ, on the other hand, has been engaging our troops and civilians for over a decade.

[OrthodoxRobert]

Again, I agree with you about Iraq, but AQ DECIDED to make Iraq THEIR battle front. Iran is engaged with killing our troops, what more does Iran have to do for you to say they need to go down? Kill 1,000 of our servicemen?

[bodhinature]

So, disengage with Iraq and attack Iran? Engage both? The economic and political fallout would be devastating. Further, are you going to believe everything the White House says about Iran? That's what got us into Iraq in the first place, putting us in the line of fire for everyone who hates America.

[BrianJCongdon]

Good stuff. I think if you cut the last minute of blank screen out it could be a little better. I wouldn't mind being able to see the rest of the speech either. Keep up the good fight!