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Thread: Rand Paul's Foreign Policy Team...So Far

  1. #1

    Rand Paul's Foreign Policy Team...So Far

    Buried in a recent Daily Beast article is a rundown of who's advising Rand Paul on foreign policy issues:

    the daily beast.com/articles/2014/08/18/rand-paul-s-romance-with-realism.html

    “To begin, I guess you could say what he’s not: he’s not a neoconservative, a unilateralist on the one hand; and he’s not what some people call a liberal interventionist on the other,” Richard Burt, a former ambassador to Germany and State Department adviser to Ronald Reagan, who acts as an unofficial foreign policy adviser to Paul, told me. “I would put him in the mold of a traditional, Republican internationalist—more along the lines of a kind of Dwight Eisenhower, to some extent, Ronald Reagan, and maybe George H.W. Bush, in the sense that he, I think, he certainly is not an isolationist.”

    Burt is part of an informal, unpaid foreign policy team who regularly briefs Paul on international issues. In addition to Burt, the group includes Rob Givens, a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general from Kentucky, and Elise Jordan, Condoleezza Rice’s one-time speechwriter, and Lorne Craner, a former John McCain staffer and the head of the International Republican Institute. Hardly a collection of pacifists.

    Burt seems ok. Elise Jordan's a no brainer. Ever since she went on TV in early 2012 defending Ron Paul's presidential run, the Pauls have been keeping an eye on her, so it's no surprise she's come full circle to advising Rand.

    Not sure on the others.



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  3. #2
    Rand needs to add former Brigadier General Mark Bircher to his team if Bircher doesn't want to run for Congress again. See why here.

    I hope no one here suggests adding Michael Scheuer. His enraged outbursts and anti-Israel comments have tarnished him, otherwise he would be highly qualified to be part of any national security team.

  4. #3
    It's worrisome that he has a former John McCain staffer on his foreign policy team.

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by TaftFan View Post
    Rand needs to add former Brigadier General Mark Bircher to his team if Bircher doesn't want to run for Congress again. See why here.
    Not bad at all!
    Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law. -Douglas Hofstadter

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  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Traditional Conservative View Post
    It's worrisome that he has a former John McCain staffer on his foreign policy team.
    Gotta have diversity I guess.
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  7. #6
    Advisors, in my view, should probably be scrutinized the most. And they will be as time rolls on. Foreign policy is so much more than the brown people in the middle east model that we see 24/7 in the mainstream we ask, you decide world and so it's important to understand how foreign policy is framed by these people moving forward. And it's not limited to junior. Across the board, really. All of them. Foreign policy seems like just some word that people throw around to sensationalize war in the middle east in an effort to limit the questions they get with regard to their policies in scope. Assuming that they actually have them. Foreign Policy is broad. Which I'm sure everyone knows already.
    Last edited by Natural Citizen; 08-18-2014 at 11:11 PM.

  8. #7
    If I was in a position where I had to explain my points to the general public I would aim for a diverse group of opinions. Even ones that were different than my own this way I would know what my opponents and political advisories would be coming from. Although I'm not sure if that is the case in this situation.
    "The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles." —Jeff Cooper

    Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.

  9. #8
    What is funny is I remember Jennifer Rubin going absolutely hysterical over that list of advisors when it first came out a while back. I don't know anything about them, but I am pretty sure they are not the most hawkish people.



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  11. #9
    Good to finally have some names.

    Possibly the lot of them should be fired.
    “The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.” --George Orwell

    Quote Originally Posted by AuH20 View Post
    In terms of a full spectrum candidate, Rand is leaps and bounds above Trump. I'm not disputing that.
    Who else in public life has called for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea?--Donald Trump

  12. #10
    I'm none to happy about this and will keep watching Rand's actions.

    http://www.bushcenter.org/people/lorne-craner
    ================
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  13. #11

  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by LibertyEagle View Post
    I'm none to happy about this and will keep watching Rand's actions.

    http://www.bushcenter.org/people/lorne-craner
    And yet you get on me any time I have even a mild criticism of something Rand says or does.

  15. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Traditional Conservative View Post
    It's worrisome that he has a former John McCain staffer on his foreign policy team.
    should be more worrisome to McCain than to Rand.
    Knowledge is Liberty!


  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Galileo Galilei View Post
    should be more worrisome to McCain than to Rand.
    Perhaps he was more worried about certain influences on Paul's foreign policy positions?
    “The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.” --George Orwell

    Quote Originally Posted by AuH20 View Post
    In terms of a full spectrum candidate, Rand is leaps and bounds above Trump. I'm not disputing that.
    Who else in public life has called for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea?--Donald Trump

  17. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by LibertyEagle View Post
    I'm none to happy about this and will keep watching Rand's actions.

    http://www.bushcenter.org/people/lorne-craner
    Craner is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations

    WHAT?!!!?
    THE?!?!
    Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder. ~GEORGE WASHINGTON, letter, Aug. 17, 1779

    Quit yer b*tching and whining and GET INVOLVED!!

  18. #16
    Does anybody think Rand really needs foreign policy advisors?

    This is window dressing.
    Non-violence is the creed of those that maintain a monopoly on force.



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  20. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by limequat View Post
    Does anybody think Rand really needs foreign policy advisors?

    This is window dressing.
    You think Rand has it all figured out on his own? Advisers are absolutely necessary for any President or candidate.

  21. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Traditional Conservative View Post
    And yet you get on me any time I have even a mild criticism of something Rand says or does.
    When I repeat it 52 times like you do, then come tell me all about it.
    ================
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  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by LibertyEagle View Post
    When I repeat it 52 times like you do, then come tell me all about it.
    No, I only repeat it 51 times.

  23. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by LibertyEagle View Post
    I'm none to happy about this and will keep watching Rand's actions.
    Me too . . . former McCain staffer or other neocon wanna-be ain't so smart . . . imho.









    But . . . I would recommend to Rand to get Condi Rice . . . if you could get her onboard.

    Jus' my 2 ˘





    .
    Last edited by extortion17; 08-20-2014 at 04:16 AM.

  24. #21
    Why can't Rand just assemble the kind of policy team his father had? Other than some controversy about Bruce Fein, what was wrong with them? Like the news about "Cato being onboard," Rand's entourage is increasingly looking more establishment than change oriented.
    -----Peace & Freedom, John Clifton-----
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  25. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by extortion17 View Post

    But . . . I would recommend to Rand to get Condi Rice . . . if you could get her onboard.

    Jus' my 2 ˘
    Sorry, but barf.
    ================
    Open Borders: A Libertarian Reappraisal or why only dumbasses and cultural marxists are for it.

    Cultural Marxism: The Corruption of America

    The Property Basis of Rights

  26. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Peace&Freedom View Post
    Why can't Rand just assemble the kind of policy team his father had? Other than some controversy about Bruce Fein, what was wrong with them? Like the news about "Cato being onboard," Rand's entourage is increasingly looking more establishment than change oriented.
    Ron had no team of advisors and it showed.
    War; everything in the world wrong, evil and immoral combined into one and multiplied by millions.

  27. #24
    I want Rand to hire the most knowledgeable FP advisers he can find, regardless of their ideology; because Rand knows what the goal of his FP should be (i.e. reducing US involvement overseas), and he's not going to be dissuaded from his goal by any adviser, but he lacks the specialized knowledge that's required to achieve it. When the US starts withdrawing from the world, there will be a risk of conflict emerging from the vacuum, which could discredit our policies. Hence the withdrawal has to be planned to minimize that risk. This means you need all kinds of specialized knowledge about each region in question. Rand doesn't have it, he doesn't have time to get it, so he needs advisers who have it.



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  29. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by r3volution 3.0 View Post
    I want Rand to hire the most knowledgeable FP advisers he can find, regardless of their ideology; because Rand knows what the goal of his FP should be (i.e. reducing US involvement overseas), and he's not going to be dissuaded from his goal by any adviser, but he lacks the specialized knowledge that's required to achieve it. When the US starts withdrawing from the world, there will be a risk of conflict emerging from the vacuum, which could discredit our policies. Hence the withdrawal has to be planned to minimize that risk. This means you need all kinds of specialized knowledge about each region in question. Rand doesn't have it, he doesn't have time to get it, so he needs advisers who have it.
    Very well put. ISIS is an example. Quitting cold turkey foreign involvement could very well destroy nonintervention to the public for centuries if mass genocide occurs. I also completely ignore anyone that claims all evil stems from the US and all will be peace and flowers if we totally mind our own business.
    War; everything in the world wrong, evil and immoral combined into one and multiplied by millions.

  30. #26
    Having a wide variety of backgrounds, ideologies and opinions among his advisors fits right into Randals core themes: of having debate, discussion and coming up with solutions that people even of very different backgrounds can agree upon. The more information and variety of information he gets the better and the better it will enable him to frame policy and debates for the greatest groups of people. I'm not worried about this one bit.

  31. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by r3volution 3.0 View Post
    I want Rand to hire the most knowledgeable FP advisers he can find, regardless of their ideology; because Rand knows what the goal of his FP should be (i.e. reducing US involvement overseas), and he's not going to be dissuaded from his goal by any adviser, but he lacks the specialized knowledge that's required to achieve it. When the US starts withdrawing from the world, there will be a risk of conflict emerging from the vacuum, which could discredit our policies. Hence the withdrawal has to be planned to minimize that risk. This means you need all kinds of specialized knowledge about each region in question. Rand doesn't have it, he doesn't have time to get it, so he needs advisers who have it.
    This guy gets it. Philosophy is nothing to public policy.

  32. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by r3volution 3.0 View Post
    I want Rand to hire the most knowledgeable FP advisers he can find, regardless of their ideology; because Rand knows what the goal of his FP should be (i.e. reducing US involvement overseas), and he's not going to be dissuaded from his goal by any adviser, but he lacks the specialized knowledge that's required to achieve it. When the US starts withdrawing from the world, there will be a risk of conflict emerging from the vacuum, which could discredit our policies. Hence the withdrawal has to be planned to minimize that risk. This means you need all kinds of specialized knowledge about each region in question. Rand doesn't have it, he doesn't have time to get it, so he needs advisers who have it.
    So, the imperialists and neocons can be on the team if they're "knowledgable," and interventionists can go on discrediting themselves in episode after episode, but noninterventionists have to act interventionist out of fear of having their views discredited? Has being 'discredited' stopped the neocons? This sounds perilously close to the Strangelovean "we've got to increase or 'surge' troops in country X, before we can withdraw them" hawk cocktail the neocons once asked everybody to drink.

    How about Rand simply announce, "we are changing US policy" upfront, and letting the world just deal with the change, rather than participate in undeclared wars, and thus war crimes, colonialism, drone bombing, torture, etc, as if nothing has changed? What would truly discredit us is to take office perpetuating, even temporarily, the evils we have been complaining about, from principle, for many years. The Reagan administration similarly went downhill when it announced, soon upon taking office, that it favored raising the debt limit---which led to it continuing to capitulate on almost every other fiscal front.

    I also completely ignore anyone that claims all evil stems from the US and all will be peace and flowers if we totally mind our own business.
    Which nobody claimed. How about majoring in the majors, and not the strawmen, by acknowledging US overt and covert interventionist activity has been the main source of the problem in each part of the world the US has tried to forcibly exert or maintain influence?
    Last edited by Peace&Freedom; 08-21-2014 at 09:45 AM.
    -----Peace & Freedom, John Clifton-----
    Blog: https://electclifton.wordpress.com/2...back-backlash/

  33. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Peace&Freedom View Post
    Why can't Rand just assemble the kind of policy team his father had? Other than some controversy about Bruce Fein, what was wrong with them? Like the news about "Cato being onboard," Rand's entourage is increasingly looking more establishment than change oriented.
    You do realize the neoconservatives are harshly criticizing him for these advisors? These are hardly neoconservative or hardcore hawks. And what does Bruce Fein know about foreign policy? He's a lawyer.

    And who was Ron Paul's team? Lew Rockwell and Walter Block? Ron Paul didn't have a team. I love Ron Paul but you actually have to have competent people, dealing with reality as it is not as you want it, around you. BTW, I do like Rockwell and Block. I would want them nowhere near advising a President.

  34. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Peace&Freedom View Post
    So, the imperialists and neocons can be on the team if they're "knowledgable," and interventionists can go on discrediting themselves in episode after episode, but noninterventionists have to act interventionist out of fear of having their views discredited? Has being 'discredited' stopped the neocons? This sounds perilously close to the Strangelovean "we've got to increase or 'surge' troops in country X, before we can withdraw them" hawk cocktail the neocons once asked everybody to drink.

    How about Rand simply announce, "we are changing US policy" upfront, and letting the world just deal with the change, rather than participate in undeclared wars, and thus war crimes, colonialism, drone bombing, torture, etc, as if nothing has changed? What would truly discredit us is to take office perpetuating, even temporarily, the evils we have been complaining about, from principle, for many years. The Reagan administration similarly when downhill when it announced, soon upon taking office, that it favored raising the debt limit---which led to it continuing to capitulate on almost every other fiscal front.



    Which nobody claimed. How about majoring in the majors, and not the strawmen, by acknowledging US overt and covert interventionist activity has been the main source of the problem in each part of the world the US has tried to forcibly exert or maintain influence
    ?
    No they don't claim it they just state it in every case in the world. If they could say the US propped up the sheriff of Nottingham they would.
    Last edited by klamath; 08-20-2014 at 01:38 PM.
    War; everything in the world wrong, evil and immoral combined into one and multiplied by millions.

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