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by RON PAUL
Over the weekend Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin explained to the American people what’s really wrong with US foreign policy. Some might find his conclusions surprising.
The US standing in the world is damaged not because we spent 20 years fighting an Afghan government that had nothing to do with the attacks on 9/11. The problem has nothing to do with neocon lies about Iraq’s WMDs that led untold civilian deaths in another failed “democratization” mission. It’s not because over the past nearly two years Washington has taken more than $150 billion from the American people to fight a proxy war with Russia through Ukraine.
It’s not the military-industrial complex or its massive lobbying power that extends throughout Congress, the think tanks, and the media.
Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California’s Simi Valley, Austin finally explained the real danger to the US global military empire.
It’s us.
According to Secretary Austin, non-interventionists who advocate “an American retreat from responsibility” are the ones destabilizing the world, not endless neocon wars.
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Austin said the US must continue to play the role of global military hegemon – policeman of the world – because “the world will only become more dangerous if tyrants and terrorists believe that they can get away with wholesale aggression and mass slaughter.”
How’s that for reason and logic? Austin and the interventionist elites have fact-checked 30 years of foreign policy failures and concluded, “well it would have been far worse if the non-interventionists were in charge.”
This is one of the biggest problems with the neocons. They are incapable of self-reflection. Each time the US government follows their advice into another catastrophe, it’s always someone else’s fault. In this case, as Austin tells us, those at fault for US foreign policy misadventures are the people who say, “don’t do it.”
What would have happened if the people who said “don’t do it” were in charge of President Obama’s decision to prop-up al-Qaeda to overthrow Syria’s secular leader Assad? How about if the “don’t do it” people were in charge when the neocons manufactured a “human rights” justification to destroy Libya? What if the “don’t do it” people were in charge when Obama’s neocons thought it would be a great idea to overthrow Ukraine’s democratically-elected government?
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Would tyrants and terrorists have gained power if Washington did NOT get involved? No. Tyrants and terrorists got the upper hand BECAUSE Washington intervened in these crises.
As Austin further explained, part of the problem with the US is democracy itself. “Our competitors don’t have to operate under continuing resolutions,” he complained. What a burden it is for him that the people, through their representatives, are in charge of war spending.
In Congress, “America first” foreign policy sentiment is on the rise among conservatives and that infuriates Austin and his ilk. He wants more billions for wars in Ukraine and Israel and he wants it now!
And our economic problems? That is our fault too. Those who “try to pull up the drawbridge,” Austin said, undermine the security that has led to decades of prosperity.
Prosperity? Has he looked at the national debt? Inflation? Destruction of the dollar?
There is a silver lining here. The fact that Austin and the neocons are attacking us non-interventionists means that we are gaining ground. They are worried about us. This is our chance to really raise our voices!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Ron Paul is a former U.S. Congressman from Texas and the leader of the pro-liberty, pro-free market movement in the United States. His weekly column – reprinted with permission – can be found here.
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6 comments
Yes. The problem is “you”, WronG Paul, and the other Republican useful idiots who have been Putin’s pawns for over a decade now.
Including this blog, that is constantly reposting Russian propaganda and supports Putin loving authoritarian-loving MAGA politicians and groups.
MAGA is an anti-American domestic terrorist organization working with hostile forgiven govt’s to undermine our Democracy and should be treated as such by law enforcement. Similar to how we handle groups like Hamas or Al Qaeda.
You can always count on a pro Putin anti American post from Russian Ron.
I still find it hilarious, the commies who infest this comment session and come here to berate non-intervention and America First ideas. When there was a communist Soviet Union, these same types were screaming for us to leave Soviet and Chinese interests be. Today’s commie sympathizers want us attacking modern, non-communist, Russia at every turn.
Ron’s right! Warmongers from both parties are putting America in danger because of our meddling around the world. Nations despise being dictated to by a holier-than-thou America that kills millions of people to prop up the military industrial complex and it’s well-fed political pawns in DC. If you think America is justified in its attacks around the world you’re delusional. We aren’t wearing the white hats here. We have blood on our hands and mud on our faces.
Every once in a while “blind squirrel Ron” gets one right. Austin is and has been a disaster. “Swilley” is finally gone and the rest of the “poligenerals” need to go with him. We can’t be the world’s police – however, we do need to pick sides and need to do a hell of a lot better job doing it!
“Would tyrants and terrorists have gained power if Washington did NOT get involved? No. Tyrants and terrorists got the upper hand BECAUSE Washington intervened in these crises.” Correct, Ron Paul, but our government refuses to see this, as we spend our way into recession. Several points from Other Side Asset Management’s Nov 2023 newsletter:
* The mortgage industry is so bad right now that Citizens Bank, the largest bank owned wholesale lender, is exiting the wholesale mortgage lending market! As are many others.
*And then you throw increased prices due to inflation on top of 24-28% borrowing rates, you should be able to understand that the life is being sucked out of the consumer and any purchasing power they once had.
*Wonder what they’re going to do with all the employees from the 64 bank branches U.S. banks just filed to close in a single week.
U.S. is in trouble but Austin & our leaders keep their heads in the sand, intentionally, and want us to do the same. No thanks.