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View Full Version : Buchanan @TAC: What Hagel's Show Trial Means




COpatriot
02-05-2013, 02:08 AM
"It exposed a GOP that focuses on only one country, and it's not the United States."

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/a-party-without-a-foreign-policy/


If last week’s hearing for Chuck Hagel raised questions about his capacity to be secretary of defense, the show trial conducted by his inquisitors on the tribunal raised questions about the GOP.

Is the Republican Party, as currently constituted, even capable of conducting a foreign policy befitting a world power? Or has it learned nothing and forgotten nothing since George W. Bush went home and the nation rejected John McCain for Barack Obama?

Consider the great foreign issues on the front burner today.

Will the Japan-China clash over islets in the South China Sea, now involving warplanes and warships circling each other, lead to a shooting war that could, because of our security treaty with Japan, drag in the United States?

Is China an economic rival and trade partner? Or is Beijing seeking strategic and military hegemony in East Asia and the Western Pacific? Is engagement or containment of this emerging superpower the way to go?

Is Vladimir Putin’s Russia friend or foe? Has the “reset” failed?

How many troops should we leave in Afghanistan to prevent its receding into the Taliban darkness, as it did when the Red Army departed in 1989?

Is Iraq, where we lost 4,600 soldiers and 35,000 wounded in a misbegotten war to strip that country of WMD it did not have, about to disintegrate into civil, sectarian and ethnic war? After Bashar Assad falls, will Syria fall to Islamists—or fall apart?

More at the link. Excellent article.

Lucille
02-05-2013, 10:40 AM
It exposed a GOP that focuses on only one country, and it's not the United States.

McCarthy tweeted (https://twitter.com/ToryAnarchist/status/297086132250882048): How about we just have a Secretary of Israel? Let the Secretary of Defense deal with the rest of the world.

Heh.


Query: What is behind this Republican preoccupation, bordering on obsession, with Israel and its nemesis Iran, to the near exclusion of other threats and dangers faced by our country all over a world that is a good bit larger than one small corner of the Middle East?

Satisfying the Israel lobby and pandering to their base (http://www.theamericanconservative.com/evangelicals-ron-paul-and-war/)?


The Book of Revelation is the integral passion of their foreign policy, their belief that the founding of Israel foretells the imminent Second Coming, conversion or death for Jews and eternal happiness for themselves in Heaven. In their view America, as God’s instrument, should encourage wars and chaos in the Middle East in order to “hurry up” God and His agenda. One of their leaders is John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel. Senator Lieberman is a friend and favored speaker at his events. I have described The Strangest Alliance in History about how each side thinks it is using the other for its own ends.

Evangelicals like to quote a biblical text that God favors those who favor the Jews. However, for them they mean only Jews who make wars and contribute to chaos in the Middle East. Jewish peacemakers are cursed in their view. No tears were shed for Yitzak Rabin who negotiated peace with the Arabs until Israeli fanatics killed him. Indeed Pat Robertson said that Rabin was killed because he was trying to thwart God’s plans.

Herein lies their antipathy to Ron Paul, who in all other respects is a family values conservative. Indeed, most of them are Baptists who used to look upon Catholics with suspicion. Today they would prefer Senator Santorum or Newt Gingrich, both Catholics, to Ron Paul, who is Baptist. Santorum is no libertarian believer in limited government (he would use government to enforce his social values) and urges absolute support for Israel and the military industrial complex. These evangelicals don’t want peace because it would mean postponing Armageddon. That’s why their leaders oppose Ron Paul.

COpatriot
02-05-2013, 11:41 AM
Ha! Whadya know. My comment is the first one under the article.


Excellent article as always, Pat. As for this question:

“Query: What is behind this Republican preoccupation, bordering on obsession, with Israel and its nemesis Iran, to the near exclusion of other threats and dangers faced by our country all over a world that is a good bit larger than one small corner of the Middle East?”

My guess is they’re pandering to all the evangelical “end times” nuts running loose. That’s at least part of it.

I wish I could have answered for Hagel when Graham laughably asked that him to name one person intimidated by the Israel lobby.

“Well senator, I could name about 535, but that would take a while. Should I start with the ones sitting right in front of me?”