Ron Paul Foreign Policy Speech 9/30/09

http://www.house.gov/paul
http://CampaignForLiberty.com

Dr. Paul opposes the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, HR 3462:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3642:

Text of speech:

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. Sometimes I wonder how we can, with a straight face, bring a bill up like this with the conditions of this country, especially financially. I oppose this bill for two reasons. One, we don't have the money. That would be a pretty good reason not to support it. And the other reason is I do not believe it's in our national security interests. I know this is being promoted as benefiting our national security, but I do not believe it helps us one bit. This bill was essentially voted on in June, and the vote was 234-185, which means that it is assumed at least 56 or more individuals in the Congress have switched their votes.

Now they say they have tinkered with the bill and changed it a little bit, but it's an authorization that could be $15 billion. So it hasn't had that much of a change. But today it is expected that these individuals will change and vote for this bill not really asking the questions.

Now, the bill is defined as fortifying democratic institutions. That is a good goal. But it never, never works. We are in 130 countries, we have 700 bases around the world, and we pursue this, and we are bankrupting our country by trying to maintain this empire. I have often made the point that the way we treat our fellow countries around the world is we tell them what to do, and if they do it we give them money. If they don't do it, we bomb them. Under this condition, we are doing both. We are currently dropping bombs in Pakistan. The CIA is dropping bombs, and innocent people get killed.

If you want to promote our good values and our democratic process, you can't antagonize the people by literally killing people over there, because if bombs were falling on this country, we wouldn't be all that happy with that. So this does not improve our conditions whatsoever.

I would suggest another proposal for our foreign policy, not using bombs and bribes, but what about neither one? What about just talking to people? What about reducing tariffs? What about trading with them? Instead, it is this form of foreign policy that will not serve our interests.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• congressman
• ron
• paul
• foreign
• policy
• pakistan
• afghanistan
• iraq
• obama
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• war
• antiwar
• peace
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[fortsmith1]

I wish Ron Paul was our President.

[SvrchovaneCechy]

Ron Paul is a HERO.

[21scuderia]

patriot 

[aortagtnj]

that trippie one watch?v=R02tbrZSO3I

[CAinfowarrior]

@music130man because republicans vote for war since there sheep, it doesn't matter of obama was reagan the president interests isn't ours it's for those invested in his presidency. libertarian here and i will always vote for Ron Paul if his name is ANYWHERE on my ballot.

[music130man]

Why don't more people listen and pay attention to this man? It is uncanny that he is was not the front runner in the '08 campaigns or at least close to being. Even now, he is not getting the due attention. His ideas are sharp and views are very clear as well as common sense but the majority of people are still in their little brain fog admiring slimes like Romney, Huckabee and Palin. Yeeesh people, wake up!!! Focus on the issues!!! Ron Paul should be president. Not Obama - an actor!

[Supatom1975]

Ron Paul is a statesman I can stand behind!

[manyobbo456]

Everyday Pakistan faces Bombs

We Urge NATO to stop the Flow of Afgan Fighters into Pakistan, We urge NATO to stop the Flow of Weapons and stop our arch enemies India from supporting terrorist in Pakistan Through Afganistan

Pakistan does not want Aid we want Market Access , Patience of Pakistani ppl is running short, if this continues we will have no choice but to Overthrow the Pakistani Govt.

[imstillalive0331]

@manyobbo456 please don't blame us all. some of our people simply don't understand what is happening beyond their television screens and they just don't hear the truth.

[TheSkinzilla]

No, you're right. I'm Canadian, and anyone up here that follows American politics is well aware of who Ron Paul is. We just can't believe he's not President, lol. He's also helped pave the way for others such as Peter Schiff, Rand Paul, Jesse Ventura(to a lesser degree), etc. I'd love it if we had just one of those guys up here!