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

386 Pages·2007·6.917 MB·English

by  Paul, Ron

"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
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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
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