This is a posting that will not endure me to or make me any fans among the hardcore Ron Paul crowd. However, I do believe that thinking Americans will agree with what I write.
This below, is why I feel Dr. Ron Paul is not fit to be President of the United States of America.
Ron Paul says in a radio interview, as reported by Politico:
“I think things could have been done somewhat differently,” Paul said this week. “I would suggest the way they got Khalid [Sheikh] Mohammed. We went and cooperated with Pakistan. They arrested him, actually, and turned him over to us, and he’s been in prison. Why can’t we work with the government?
Ron Paul also said in another Radio interview:
“I don’t think it was necessary, no. It absolutely was not necessary,” Paul said during his Tuesday comments. “I think respect for the rule of law and world law and international law. What if he’d been in a hotel in London? We wanted to keep it secret, so would we have sent the airplane, you know the helicopters into London, because they were afraid the information would get out?”
Ed Morrissey of HotAir.com, of whom I happen to respect, even if it he is a bald-headed Neo-Con; who just happens to be right here, answers Ron Paul’s foriegn policy fantasies:
For one thing, had we found him holed up in London, we would have been able to trust the British intelligence service to cooperate. MI-5 didn’t spend more than a decade helping to build up the Taliban and playing footsie with radical Islamists the way Pakistan’s ISI did, primarily as a bulwark against India. Moreover, as Paul should know, we tried trusting Pakistan once before on an opportunity to target bin Laden when Bill Clinton had a chance to target his compound. The ISI warned bin Laden, and to paraphrase President George Bush, we wound up sending a $10 million rocket into a ten-dollar tent to hit a camel’s butt.
I would have had no problem with capturing Osama bin Laden, or with killing him. He declared war on the United States and continued to pursue it until his last breath. Furthermore, I have no problem with us conducting a military mission in Pakistan to get him. Pakistan has proven themselves unreliable on high-level intelligence matters in the past, specifically on OBL, and we have had little cause to put any more trust in the Pakistani ISI ever since.
Paul has a few good ideas on fiscal policy, but is otherwise a nut. Insisting that we should have asked the Pakistanis to arrest bin Laden proves rather clearly that Paul lives in a fantasy world.
As much as it pains me to say it and believe me, I do not write this feeling good about slamming Dr. Ron Paul — but Ed is absolutely correct. As Ed wrote above, and Yes, I have known this for a long time, the Pakistani Government has been double dealing with USA and Al-Qaeda for years. President Obama knew it, Hillary Clinton knew it and they did something about it.
I wrote this just a few days ago:
For the United States sake, I hope like hell that they have their most experienced men on the job. Because like we found out on September 11, 2001; The United States cannot afford to be wrong anymore. We blew it on 9/11, we blew it with Iraq — we are now active involved in the war on terror — whether Paleo-Conservatives want to admit it or not, we are in this fight now. It matters not, whether foriegn policy or whatever created it; we are in it now, and if we do not fight it, the right way and not like the Bush fought it, before 9/11 —- more Americans will be in danger, period, end of story. Anyone who say anything different than this; is living in an alternative reality. It pains me greatly to have to even write this, but, I must; America, in this dangerous new 21 century, post 9/11 world we live in — just cannot afford to be lead by Conservative politicians who live inside their own heads and who still believe in a utopian, isolationist, foriegn policy doctrine.
Back when I was younger, there was a saying around and that was, “Time to get real…” and yes, my friends; it is well beyond the time to get real in the world of foriegn policy. This is not December 6, 1941 anymore, this not even 1957; this is 2011 and this stuff is very real — and hardcore Isolationism, is not going to cut it anymore.
As you see above, I am an “America First” type of blogger and yes, I believe that I am a Paleo-Conservative. But I am not disconnected from reality. The reality is that the Republic of the United States of America does need defending from crazy people like Al-Qaeda. I do not believe in unjustified wars. But I do believe we should take great care in protecting the Republic and the people in that Republic. Anyone that says anything other than this; is just being irresponsible — and America just cannot afford to be irresponsible anymore. 2,976 people died because we were irresponsible once; let us not make that mistake again —- for their sakes.
Peace through strength, not Domination of the World by military might —- and certainly not irresponsibility through hardcore isolationism —- that my friends, is what America’s foriegn policy stance should be.
I still stand by that statement above and will continue to for the rest of my life.