As you approach July Fourth, stop and consider the presidential race in the Republican Party.
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Recognize him?
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All of the 2012 contenders talk big about wars and our continued role in the world except for the only one who has actually served in uniform and is a veteran of our armed forces.
Apparently a little experience goes a long way.
Mitt Romney:
“A second defense mission is to be prepared to fight and win land wars and counter-insurgencies, including the wars we are now fighting . . . Those who shout ‘no more Iraqs’ should remember that we are still in a counter-insurgency war in Afghanistan.”
“It is not hard to imagine future scenarios that would require America to put boots on the ground, particularly given the developments in Pakistan, or even Russia’s apparent designs on its former satellites.” (6/1/2009 — Heritage Foundation)
Michele Bachmann:
“Iran is at a point right now where America has to be very aggressive in our response. We can’t remove any option off the table and we should not remove the nuclear response.” (5/3/2006 Interview on Minnesota Public Radio)
Rick Santorum:
“We’re going to need more of a presence because we’ve created such a vacuum . . . We need basing around the world.” (6/13/2011 — New Hampshire Debate)
Newt Gingrich:
On Libya: “Exercise a no-fly zone this evening . . . All we have to say is that we think that slaughtering your own citizens is unacceptable and that we’re intervening.” (3/23/2011 — “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren”)
Tim Pawlenty:
“In his speech Tuesday, Pawlenty struck an aggressive tone about the U.S. role in the international community. He suggested that the United States should push for regime change in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Libya and Syria.” (6/29/2011 — Washington Post)
Herman Cain:
“We’re going to be in this war forever.” (1/8/2011 — Slate)
But the only candidate who is actually a veteran and who served in uniform for five years in the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard (did you guess it was him in the photo?) says this about American foreign policy:
And since we are approaching July 4, 2011, maybe these words, from another president long ago, are appropriate today.
Doug Wead is a New York Times best-selling author and presidential historian. He has served as an adviser to two American presidents and now serves as a senior adviser on the Ron Paul presidential campaign.
Doug Wead 
Hi, Doug,
Thanks for letting us know where you stand on your support for our next President. I am sure you will do all the best for Ron Paul’s campaign as senior advisor. He could not have gotten a better, more informed person to fill that roll.
I do look forward to seeing blogs, while obvious in support of Ron Paul, presenting opponents view with equal validity, respect and unbiased. Stating the facts and allowing readers to make their own decisions without being funneled will garner a more lively, informed and respectful debate and election vote.
Tim McVeigh and Nidal Malik Hasan wore the uniform too. Reagan did not, yet he destroyed the USSR without firing a single bullet.
Sorry, the USSR collapsed under their own weight. People became tired of the government control and the country eventually went bankrupt. We all want to worship Reagan, but keep the facts straight.
WRONG. We outspent them on military technology and capabilities. They were paranoid and couldn’t keep up. I don’t worship Reagan, but he was one of our finest presidents. Keep the facts straight.
Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it. Very nice message for July 4, Doug…Thanks.
Nice message? Ron Paul’s position would allow these terrorists to organize, plan, and attack in such a way that would make 9/11 look like a weenie roast bonfire.
TexTex. Most people’s views are predicated 100% on what they see on TV or hear on the radio. But the media doesn’t bring us the news, they tell us how to think.
We should try to figure out what they are trying to make us afraid of, then why. Anyone who follows politics can see that the media are bigger enemies of America than a few dozen misguided zealots squatting in the desert.
Dave,
Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it.
My guess is that TEX has no idea that we have close to 1000 military bases in over 135 countries. Who is invading who? Of course some people hate our GOVERNMENT. If China put a military base in your backyard I’m certain you would protest too. We can’t afford to be the world police, financially or morally. Our troops need to be here to defend our country rather than offend others. Besides, who do you think armed the entire planet? Our government did.
My guess is you have no idea I was in the military and know more than you, not that that is a noteworthy achievement. Do we “invade” a country with our military presence, or allow them to self-govern? Some people hate any government on the planet, what’s your point? Do you think there is zero difference between the U.S. and China? Are you HIGH? Or better yet, which substance are you high on? LOL We also can’t afford to close down every single military base and let others with far less noble goals in mind take over, financially or morally. If we brought all of our troops home, how would you prevent an attack similar to 9/11? Were you in first grade in 2001? Our government did NOT arm the entire planet, we have had a lot of help from Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, etc. Get a clue and a grip Dave.
I would hope we would ask ourselves this, “If someone moved onto my property without my permission and forced me to do as they wanted because they claimed it was for the greater good; what would my reaction be?” Do we have the right or responsibility to limit another nation’s independence while celebrating our own?
How do we limit another nation’s independence with our presence? Most of them WANT us there. Get a clue and a grip, Duane.
By the way, your thinking, as well as Dave’s and Ron’s, is at the level of those in your picture, School House Rock and the cartoon of Captain America. LOL
TexTex,
Join your other Neocon friends and come back to the RIGHT side and not the WRONG side that you are on.
Do you really think we are afraid of “terrorists”? We are more afraid of what our own government will do and is doing to us than “terrorists”. We create “terrorists” my killing civilians since they had families as well.
If the Chinese invaded our country and killed our civilians how many of us would turn into “terrorists”? We believe that the label we would then use would be Freedom Fighters!!
A Neo-Con Converts to Ron Paul
http://rp12.us/aIUjT
Ron Paul 2012
“RESTORE AMERICA NOW”
I’ve never been a neocon, I’m a Reagan Republican.
I’m not afraid of terrorists, they are simply scum that needs to be flushed. Is our government also a problem? Definitely. But that doesn’t mean you ignore the terrorists and allow them to reorganize and make 9/11 look like a walk in the park. The terrorists killed people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on 9/11/01 before we attacked Afghanistan for harboring the terrorists.
Civilian deaths are a part of most wars, and the U.S. is FAR more careful than any other nation on the planet to minimize civilian deaths.
We didn’t invade Afghanistan with the intent to take over, we invaded to tamp down the terrorists and get out. You really need to learn some facts online and crack a history book open before sticking your foot in your mouth.
Ron Paul is clueless.
No Sir, “blowback,” is very real and affirmed by the CIA. The US has been involved in the middle east for the last 4 decades. THAT IS WHY 9/11 HAPPENED.
We’ve been “involved” in Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America as well. There is a minority in all of those places who don’t like us, either. Does that mean there is “blowback” from all those places? You’re as clueless as Ron Paul. LOL
Thanks for your post. Great work as always.
Mr. Ron Paul, if he won in 2012, could immediately and without having to go through Congress or get votes, start getting our Troops home! This would save thousands of American Soldiers lives and save hundreds of billions and eventually trillions of dollars almost immediately. Repair our infrastructures in the USA. Maintain and even shore up some of the entitlement programs that exist like Social Security, medicare, medicaid, etc.
And within a few years there would be attacks that would make 9/11 look like a walk in the park. Then we could rebuild with all the “saved” money. We need to REDUCE entitlement programs, not increase them, and even Ron agrees with this, check out the 5 minute mark here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b8-DEMeIUg
Get your facts straight, under your Static Analysis of military cost, you fail to mention the fact that South Korea for example pays the United States over $700 Million annually to house our base there.
So in la la land were we close up shop and bring them home, where is the money within the United States going to come to house the troops bases inside Fortress America?
Oh Right, he’s real la la land ideal is to eliminate our military in ways that are to the extreme Left of George McGovern.
BINGO!
Its truly idiotic and an outright LIE to reference Jefferson hear, who went for all out war against Modern Day Lybia against the Jihadist of his day, dreamed of taking Canada and Cuba into the United States via the military and expanded the United States terriritory by Executive decree more than any other President in the history of the United States.
a Paultard, Jefferson was not by a long shot. Nor were any of the Founders outside of maybe…the Quakers. This is afterall the loon who thinks the US is a Conspiratorial “Evil Empire’ while the rest of the world is as innocent as can be and in the tradition of his Anarchist idol wants to get rid of almost all of our military while praising, literally as he did at a debate in 2007, the Genocide of mllions in Cambodia as a good thing.
Ron Paul is to the LEFT of George McGovern and in Utopian la la land.
Double BINGO!