Update: 3.20.09 added video
By Ron Paul
ICH
March 10, 2009
Imagine for a moment that somewhere in the middle of Texas there was a large foreign military base, say Chinese or Russian. Imagine that thousands of armed foreign troops were constantly patrolling American streets in military vehicles. Imagine they were here under the auspices of “keeping us safe” or “promoting democracy” or “protecting their strategic interests.”
Imagine that they operated outside of US law, and that the Constitution did not apply to them. Imagine that every now and then they made mistakes or acted on bad information and accidentally killed or terrorized innocent Americans, including women and children, most of the time with little to no repercussions or consequences. Imagine that they set up check points on our soil and routinely searched and ransacked entire neighborhoods of homes. Imagine if Americans were fearful of these foreign troops, and overwhelmingly thought America would be better off without their presence.
Imagine if some Americans were so angry about them being in Texas that they actually joined together to fight them off, in defense of our soil and sovereignty, because leadership in government refused or were unable to do so. Imagine that those Americans were labeled terrorists or insurgents for their defensive actions, and routinely killed, or captured and tortured by the foreign troops on our land. Imagine that the occupiers’ attitude was that if they just killed enough Americans, the resistance would stop, but instead, for every American killed, ten more would take up arms against them, resulting in perpetual bloodshed. Imagine if most of the citizens of the foreign land also wanted these troops to return home. Imagine if they elected a leader who promised to bring them home and put an end to this horror.
Imagine if that leader changed his mind once he took office.
The reality is that our military presence on foreign soil is as offensive to the people that live there as armed Chinese troops would be if they were stationed in Texas. We would not stand for it here, but we have had a globe straddling empire and a very intrusive foreign policy for decades that incites a lot of hatred and resentment towards us.
According to our own CIA, our meddling in the Middle East was the prime motivation for the horrific attacks on 9/11. But instead of re-evaluating our foreign policy, we have simply escalated it. We had a right to go after those responsible for 9/11, to be sure, but why do so many Americans feel as if we have a right to a military presence in some 160 countries when we wouldn’t stand for even one foreign base on our soil, for any reason? These are not embassies, mind you, these are military installations. The new administration is not materially changing anything about this. Shuffling troops around and playing with semantics does not accomplish the goals of the American people, who simply want our men and women to come home. 50,000 troops left behind in Iraq is not conducive to peace any more than 50,000 Russian soldiers would be in the United States.
Shutting down military bases and ceasing to deal with other nations with threats and violence is not isolationism. It is the opposite. Opening ourselves up to friendship, honest trade and diplomacy is the foreign policy of peace and prosperity. It is the only foreign policy that will not bankrupt us in short order, as our current actions most definitely will. I share the disappointment of the American people in the foreign policy rhetoric coming from the administration. The sad thing is, our foreign policy WILL change eventually, as Rome’s did, when all budgetary and monetary tricks to fund it are exhausted.
by Ron Paul
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today.
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Update
Six Years of Blood and Lies
Put yourself in the shoes of an Iraqi or Afghani for a just a few minutes, understand why we must completely withdraw from both countries, and be thankful that you’re only imagining what they’re actually living every day.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
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see
Obama and US commander discuss military intervention in Mexico
A shattering moment in America’s fall from power By John Gray
Ray McGovern: Holding Our Leaders Accountable (must-see)
Scott Horton interviews Noam Chomsky: The roots of U.S. imperialism
Dandelion Salad 
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I like the “Treat others as you would like to be treated” Christian mortality displayed by Ron Paul. What I see missing here is an understanding that International Corporations have conspired to put the entire world under one government in which they have total control. These Corporations fund Campaigns (political and propaganda) and thus indirectly pick our leaders. Once in office the leaders we elected (the lesser of two evils), are puppets for these same corporations. The majority of the so called, “people’s representatives”, of both houses of Congress are controlled by these corporations who are seeking world domination.
There is much evidence to show that the World Trade Towers were taken down by explosives set weeks ahead of time in a preplanned demolition. Anyone who would take the time to investigate Building # 7 would find that there is no other explanation for this building’s destruction, which took place about 7 hours after the two main Towers collapsed at free fall speed, onto their own foot print.
With this evidence one can only conclude that if the 19 so called, “Islamic Terrorists” did in fact high jack these planes, they had inside help in bringing the Towers down. So, who planted the explosives inside the buildings? Does it not make since to look for motives?
Should we not investigate the owner of the building who bought the World Trade Towers only two months before this event and was able to insure them for three times what he paid. What insurance company would be so foolish as to provide such a policy, unless they stand to gain even more by these buildings being destroyed. Now ask yourself. How much money have the Oil Companies and Defense Contractors made off this mess stemming from this event? Got any ideas on who might be responsible for 9/11, and the events that followed? I do!
Dan Goebel
imagine being respected for kindness, for being trustworthy, for charity, for peace, for justice, for being friendly, for not selling weapons to foreign countries, for building Libraries, Hospitals, roads, bridges, and allowing “other” cultures to exist.
John Lennon dared, but we dare not to ? .
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