A Tea Party Foreign Policy

[Matt Collins]

By Ron Paul:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/08/27/a_tea_party_foreign_policy

[bucfish]

bump

[Sola_Fide]

As one who is opposed to centralization, I am wary of attempts to turn a grassroots movement against big government like the Tea Party into an adjunct of the Republican Party. I find it even more worrisome when I see those who willingly participated in the most egregious excesses of the most recent Republican Congress push their way into leadership roles of this movement without batting an eye -- or changing their policies!

As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party realize, we cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad. We cannot talk about fiscal responsibility while spending trillions on occupying and bullying the rest of the world. We cannot talk about the budget deficit and spiraling domestic spending without looking at the costs of maintaining an American empire of more than 700 military bases in more than 120 foreign countries. We cannot pat ourselves on the back for cutting a few thousand dollars from a nature preserve or an inner-city swimming pool at home while turning a blind eye to a Pentagon budget that nearly equals those of the rest of the world combined.

Our foreign policy is based on an illusion: that we are actually paying for it. What we are doing is borrowing and printing money to maintain our presence overseas. Americans are seeing the cost of this irresponsible approach as their own communities crumble and our economic decline continues.

I see tremendous opportunities for movements like the Tea Party to prosper by capitalizing on the Democrats' broken promises to overturn the George W. Bush administration's civil liberties abuses and end the disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A return to the traditional U.S. foreign policy of active private engagement but government noninterventionism is the only alternative that can restore our moral and fiscal health. I am optimistic, and our numbers are increasing!

Awesome...

[Lucille]

Great piece!

Ironic that it was published on the very day Beck and the teaocons are holding their big pro-war Restore Neocons rally at King Abe's Temple.

[dean.engelhardt]

Thank you Dr. Paul!

[Slutter McGee]

I completely agree with what Dr. Paul says. I disagree when it comes to him saying it. The tea-party will fracture if foreign policy becomes an issue it is pushing right now. We all realize that foreign spending is an important aspect of fiscal responsibility. But that facet we can not push right now. The Right is slowly turning against interventionism again. If we push the issue, we break the tea-party apart. Just like if they push social conservative issues they will break the tea-party apart.

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

[Matt Collins]

Spread this far and wide among the 9/12 Tea Party groups. Even if they want war, they cannot debate the fact that we can't afford it.

[Romulus]

spread this far and wide among the 9/12 tea party groups. Even if they want war, they cannot debate the fact that we can't afford it.

+2012


the growing grassroots movement can't fight big government at home while supporting it abroad.

[brandon]

I completely agree with what Dr. Paul says. I disagree when it comes to him saying it. The tea-party will fracture if foreign policy becomes an issue it is pushing right now. We all realize that foreign spending is an important aspect of fiscal responsibility. But that facet we can not push right now. The Right is slowly turning against interventionism again. If we push the issue, we break the tea-party apart. Just like if they push social conservative issues they will break the tea-party apart.

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee


Fuck the tea party. We are murdering millions of people around the globe.


Sincerely,
Brandon

[brandon]

great article here. Will spread it around. Short and to the point.

[Slutter McGee]

Fuck the tea party. We are murdering millions of people around the globe.


Sincerely,
Brandon

Fuck winning. Who needs to actually change the way our government operates anyway.

SINCERELY,

Slutter McGee

[Matt Collins]

Fuck the tea party. We are murdering millions of people around the globe. I am not murdering anyone; the government is.

[Sola_Fide]

Spread this far and wide among the 9/12 Tea Party groups. Even if they want war, they cannot debate the fact that we can't afford it.

+1

[Slutter McGee]

Do you guys really want to tear apart the biggest grass-movement for domestic fiscal change this country has had in years?

Yeah, the tea-party doesn't look it the fiscal aspects of foreign policy. It is pretty stupid. But as long as it doesn't become a vehicle for further escalation of the war, why in God's name would we make it turn on itself.

Dr. Paul is right in what he says. I am not arguing that. But we need to start treating this like a game of chess instead of a game of fifty two card pickup.

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

[ItsTime]

Do you guys really want to tear apart the biggest grass-movement for domestic fiscal change this country has had in years?

Yeah, the tea-party doesn't look it the fiscal aspects of foreign policy. It is pretty stupid. But as long as it doesn't become a vehicle for further escalation of the war, why in God's name would we make it turn on itself.

Dr. Paul is right in what he says. I am not arguing that. But we need to start treating this like a game of chess instead of a game of fifty two card pickup.

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

Agreed.

[Romulus]

Do you guys really want to tear apart the biggest grass-movement for domestic fiscal change this country has had in years?

Yeah, the tea-party doesn't look it the fiscal aspects of foreign policy. It is pretty stupid. But as long as it doesn't become a vehicle for further escalation of the war, why in God's name would we make it turn on itself.

Dr. Paul is right in what he says. I am not arguing that. But we need to start treating this like a game of chess instead of a game of fifty two card pickup.

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

We are playing a losing game unless you can wake up the pawns.

[brandon]

I am not murdering anyone; the government is.

In your name with your money.

[Danke]

Anyone know where I can get a good deal on Synthetic Motor Oil?

[Matt Collins]

In your name with your money.
It ain't even my money - they are making their own!

[Valli6]

Yeah, the tea-party doesn't look at the fiscal aspects of foreign policy. It is pretty stupid. But as long as it doesn't become a vehicle for further escalation of the war, why in God's name would we make it turn on itself.
This has been an acceptable strategy so far, but at some point it's going to be necessary for us to stand up and speak out loudly! The alternative would mean losing the entire thing to the neocon agenda! That time may have arrived considering that this "honor" rally takes place at 10AM tomorrow, FOLLOWED BY (did you know?) a "Tea Party Townhall" with Michelle Bachman and "other special guests" from 1:30 - 3PM near the Washington Monument!

I would like to invite everyone who is in Washington, DC to attend a townhall with me and several other prominent guests. Our outdoor event will be held next to the Washington Monument, at 15th Street & Constitution. We will be starting on Saturday at 1:30pm. This will be a great forum for individuals who wish to make their voices heard. Please join me for this free event!(biggovernment .com /publius/2010/08/27/congresswoman-michele-bachmann-join-me-for-a-tea-party-townhall-this-saturday/ )

Whoever attends the "non-political" first gathering, will surely attend the second!
Beck and Bachman - too neoconny and accepting-of-Bush for my comfort! :eek: "Tea Party Caucus" my ass:mad:!

Ron Paul's words in this piece make me wonder if he knows something about what's about to go down here.:confused:

I am wary of attempts to turn a grassroots movement against big government like the Tea Party into an adjunct of the Republican Party. I find it even more worrisome when I see those who willingly participated in the most egregious excesses of the most recent Republican Congress push their way into leadership roles of this movement without batting an eye -- or changing their policies!
The way the media's been harping on the NYC mosque and Iran - I'm afraid they are going to use this occasion to finally, openly, try and corral the discontented, back into the neo-con fold!

I won't be at this rally, but we really need to establish how we want to assert our position! Some people WILL find it unacceptable, but we certainly can't sit back and say nothing once they start beating the war drum. WE started this movement!

We cannot pat ourselves on the back for cutting a few thousand dollars from a nature preserve or an inner-city swimming pool at home while turning a blind eye to a Pentagon budget that nearly equals those of the rest of the world combined. 
Real fiscal-conservatives know small government can't include 700 military bases in more than 120 foreign countries!

[Matt Collins]

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

E-mailed to me from a local attorney who goes around the state teaching classes on the Constitution:



Matt:

Ron Paul has no concept of our relations with other nations. He refuses to understand that folks hate & want to kill us, and that their reasons are themselves evil. We do not operate an empire.

Ron is correct that we should pull out of the WWII and Korea bases we still man - but those are there because the host nation always whines when we make pull out noises. Japan and Okinawa are the most recent examples - they simply do not have the technology we do to protect themselves from Chinese cruise missiles. So their recent Democratic Party of Japan Prime minister had to resign after he realized his campaign promise to get the US off of Okinawa would imperil his own nation.
Instead, he begged us to stay, then had to resign for the shame. That ain't us being an empire.

Ron Paul hasn't the first clue how to handle that, any more than that prime minister did as to the necessity of keeping the Americans from leaving.

We need to find out how to leave, while not depriving them of their own barrier against aggressors.

I have a complete policy statement that I believe is compatible with the Tea Party concept of the proper role of our nation in international military posture, if anyone cares.

[Danke]

Anyone know where I can get a good deal on Synthetic Motor Oil?

Bueller?