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A foreign policy of freedom: peace, commerce, and honest friendship PDF

386 Pages·2007·6.917 MB·English
by  PaulRon
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"PEACE! COMMERCE! AND HONEST FRIENDSHIP WITH ALL NATIONS ENTANGLING ALLIANCES WITH NONE_!! -THOMAS JEFFERSON FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS! 1801 DEDICATION Thisworkisdedicatedtomychildrenandgrandchildrenandto futuregenerationsofAmericansinthehopeandprayerthat wisdomandpeacemayprevailsothatnootherAmericanfather, mother,sonordaughterwilleveragainbeaskedtofightanddie inanotherundeclared,unconstitutionalforeignwar. A FOREIGN POLICY OF FREEDOM 'PEACE, COMMERCE, HONEST FRIENDSHIP' AND RON PAUL Foundation for Rational Economics and Education Inc. Copyright©2007theFoundationforRationalEconomicsandEducation,Inc. Allrightsreserved. Paul,Ron, 1935- Aforeignpolicyoffreedom. ISBN-13: 978-0-912453-00-2 ISBN-IO: 0-912453-00-1 CoverDesign: KathyWhite, TheMises Institute Typesetting: M&M Graphics andAdvertising PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica. FREE P.O. Box 1776 LakeJackson,Texas77566 www.FREE-NEFL.com CONTENTS FOREWORD i INTRODUCTION v CHAPTER1 1976 1 CHAPTER2 1980 3 CHAPTER3 1981 5 CHAPTER4 1982 9 CHAPTER5 1983 21 CHAPTER6 1984 39 CHAPTER7 WhileoutofCongress 57 CHAPTER8 1997 59 CHAPTER9 1998 67 CHAPTER10 1999 83 CHAPTER11 2000 129 CHAPTER12 2001 139 CHAPTER13 2002 185 CHAPTER14 2003 243 CHAPTER15 2004 281 CHAPTER16 2005 301 CHAPTER17 2006 343 S-uMMARY 361 FOREWORD byLlewellynH. Rockwell, fr. RonPaulhasalwaysbelievedthatforeignanddomesticpolicyshould beconductedaccordingtothesameprinciples.Governmentshouldbe restrainedfrominterveningathomeorabroadbecauseitsactionsfailto achievetheirstatedaims,createmoreharmthangood,shrinktheliberty ofthepeople,andviolaterights. Doesthatpropositionseemradical?Outlandishorfarflung?Once youhearitstated,itmakesperfectsensethatthereisnosharpdistinction betweentheprinciplesofdomesticandforeignpolicy.Theyarepartof thesameanalyticalfabric.Whatwouldbeinconsistentwouldbetofavor activistgovernmentathomebutrestraintabroad,orthereverse:restraint athomeandactivismabroad.Governmentunleashedbehavesinitsown interests,andwillnotrestrictitselfinanyareaoflife.Itmustbecurbedin allareasoflifelestfreedomsuffer. Ifyourecognizethelineofthinkinginthissetofbeliefs,itmightbe becauseyouhavereadtheFederalistPapers, thewritings ofThomas JeffersonorGeorgeWashingtonorJamesMadison, orexaminedthe philosophicaloriginsoftheAmericanRevolution. Oryoumighthave followedthedebatesthattookplaceinthepresidentialelectionof1800, inwhichthisviewemergedtriumphant.Orperhapsyoureadthewritings ofthefreetraderspriortotheCivilWar,ortheopponentsoftheWaron Spain,orthosewhowarnedofenteringWorldWarI. Orperhapsyouhavereadthe speeches andbooks againstFDR's NewDeal:thesamegroupwarnedofthedevastatingconsequencesof WorldWarII. Ormaybe, inmorerecenthistory, you understoodthe animatingprinciplesbehindtheRepublicantakeoverofCongressin1994: agenerationhadturnedawayfromallfonnsofforeignanddomestic"nation building." NotonlydoesthisPaulianviewhaveaprecedentinAmericanhistory; it sums up the very core of what is distinctive about the American contributiontopoliticalideas.Thepropositionwasandisthatpeopleare betterabletomanagetheirlivesthangovernmentcanmanagethem.Under conditionsofliberty,theresultisprosperityandorderlycivilization.Under governmentcontrol,theresultisrelativepovertyandunpredictablechaos. Theproofisinthenewseveryday. Howunusual,howincrediblystrange,thatRonPaul,whohasstood fortheseprincipleshisentirepubliclife,iscriticizedbysomeasaradical, outsidethemainstream,andinfluencedbyexperimentalideasthatare marginalatbest.Andwhyishetreatedthisway?Becausehetakesthe ideasofWashingtonandJeffersonseriously,justasseriouslyashetakes theideaoffreedomitself,andhedoessointimeswhenfaithinLeviathan remainsthedominantpoliticalideology. Ideology is such a powerful force that it has propped up policy inconsistencyformorethanacentury.Thelefthasamassiveagendafor thestateathome,andyetcomplainsbitterly,withshockanddismay,that thesametoolsareusedtostartwarsandbuildimperialstructuresabroad. Therightclaimstowanttorestraingovernmentathome(atleastinsome ways)whilewhoopingitupforwarandglobalreconstructionabroad. Itdoesn'ttakeagame-theorygeniustopredicthowthisconflictworks itselfoutinthelongrun.Theleftandtherightagreetodisagreeonintellectual groundsbutotherwiseengageinadangerousquidproquo.Theytuma blind eye to the government they don't like so long as they get the governmenttheydolike. It'sonethingforthelefttogrudginglysupportinternationalintervention. Itmakessomesenseforagroupthatbelievesthatgovernmentisomniscient enoughtobringaboutfairness,justice,andequalityathometodothe same for people abroad. In fact, I've neverbeen able to make much senseoutofleft-wingantiwaractivism,simplybecauseitcutssomuch againsttheideaofsocialism,whichitselfcanbesummedupasperpetual waronthelibertyandpropertyofthepeople. Whatstrikesmeasridiculousistheright-wingviewthatgovernment isincompetentanddangerousdomestically-atleastineconomicand socialaffairs-buthassomesortofMidasTouchinternationallysuchthat itcanbringfreedom,democracy,andjusticetoanylanditstroopsdeign ii toinvade.Notthattherightwingisprincipledenoughtopursueitsdomestic views,butI'mspeakinghereofitscampaignrhetoricandhigher-level critiqueofgovernmentthatyoufindintheirperiodicalsandbooks.The precisecritiqueofgovernmentthattheyofferforthewelfarestateand regulatorymeasures-theyareexpensive,counterproductive,hobble humanenergies-appliesmanytimesovertointernationalinterventions. Buttherightalwaysseemstohaveanexcuseforitsinconsistency.In the early fifties, many on the right said that the usual principle of noninterventionhadtogivewaytothefightagainstcommunismbecause thiswasauniquelyevilthreatfacingtheworld.Wehavetoputupwitha "totalitarianbureaucracy"withinourshores(wordsusedbyW.F.Buckley) for the durationinorderto beatbackthe greatthreat abroad. And so Leviathan grew and grew, and never more than under Republican presidents.Thenoneday,communismwentaway,theregimeshaving collapsedfromself-imposeddeprivationandideologicalchange. Afewyearswentbyafter1990whentherightwasinchingtowarda Paulian consistency. Then 9/11 happened, and the great excuse for Leviathanagainenteredthepicture.Nevermindthat,asCongressman Paulpointedout,thecrimeof9/11 wasmotivatedbyretributionagainst tenyearsofkillerU.S.sanctionsagainstIraq,U.S.troopsonMuslimholy lands,andU.S. subsidiesforPalestinianoccupation.No,theAmerican rightboughtintothesamefarcethatledthemtosupporttheColdWar: Islamicfanaticismisauniqueevilunlikeanythingwe'veeverseen,sowe havetoputupwithLeviathan(again!)fortheduration. Well,RonPauldidn'tbuyintoit.Heisuniqueinthisrespect,andthis isespeciallynotablesincehehasbeenunderpressurefromhisownparty andatatimewhenhispartyhasruledtheexecutive,judicial,andlegislative branches.Hestuckbyhisprinciples,andnotmerelyasapiousgesture. Hiscritiqueofthepost9/11warfarestatehas-beenspotoninspeechafter speech.HeforesawthefailureoftheU.S.invasionofAfghanistan. He neverbelievedthenonsenseabouthowU.S. bombswouldtransform Iraqintoamodemdemocracy.Heneverwentalongwiththepropaganda lies about weapons of mass destruction. Nowadays, we often hear politicianssaythattheyhavechangedtheirmindsontheIraqWarandthat iftheyhadknownthenwhattheyknownow,theyneverwouldhavegone along.Well,hindsightischild'splayinpolitics.Whattakesgutsandinsight istheabilitytospotahoaxevenasitisbeingperpetrated.Inanycase, theyhavenoexcusefornotknowing:RonPaultoldthem! Thefreedomtotradeinternationallyisanessentialprinciple.Itmeans iii

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