Rand's Statement on Situation in Ukraine

[Brett85]

And I'm someone who's been critical of some of Rand's foreign policy positions, such as his votes for sanctions on Iran.

 

[phyrefly]

It is about language, and is not a pretext.

 

[fr33]

I guess the WTO comment is the bad part but I just don't see how this press release was really that bad.

 

[Cabal]

Ditto. You're a delusional psychopath if you think we don't need a military. We certainly do, and we, as a people, are better served if it is the strongest military on earth.

Any suggestion that liberty will ever be possible or realized so long as the State maintains it's monopoly on the use of violence--including police, military, and law--is pure fantasy.

So long as the State has a military at its disposal, the military will continue to be used to support the special interests of those in power at the expense of everyone else.

 

[Crashland]

We certainly do, and we, as a people, are better served if it is the strongest military on earth.

I would agree, but we could cut the US military in half and still be spending significantly more on our military than the next highest military spender (China), while saving ourselves $340 billion per year.

 

[kcchiefs6465]

I would agree, but we could cut the US military in half and still be spending significantly more on our military than the next highest military spender (China), while saving ourselves $340 billion per year.

Much more than that, even.

I guess it comes down to, one, is it a voluntary interaction. That is, the taxes paying for the military, as well as the Federal Reserve wrecking any sense of economic normalcy (obviously people have not consented to that. Most are unaware, even), and two, what are they doing with the money? They literally cannot tell Congress where the money that was given to them went. That is a very damning point. They are given so much money that it is unmanageable, or so they claim, with bureaucracy and outright theft plaguing the institution.

I just ordered "The Pentagon Catalog" compiled by Christopher Cerf and Henry Beard. It is quite literally a catalog of items offered at the rates the Pentagon paid for them. On the cover it proclaims, "Inside: A $435 hammer, a $640 toilet seat, a $7,622 coffee maker. We will not be oversold." With prices like these, I am unsympathetic to the corporate welfare induced, knee jerk, reactions and claims many tout.

Also on the cover is, "Buy this Catalog for only $4.95 and get this $2,043 nut for free." That is, of course, what the Pentagon allegedly paid for a single bolt's nut. I of course am aware that they are given such a large amount of money, that in attempt to make it all add up (what they were given compared to their alleged expenses) some numbers get fudged. It is why they admit they cannot be audited. They're missing a couple billion dollars? Well, toilet seat cost them this, and nuts cost them that. Of course, the money was swindled.

I applaud your proposal to cut the budget in half.

 

[KingNothing]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Interesting and noteworthy.

 

[kcchiefs6465]

^ ^

School of the Americas.

Death squads.

Squandered money.

 

[pcosmar]

He is condemning military intervention by a superpower, there's nothing warmongering in what he said.

Securing their bases and assets is not military intervention.

And the country just had a Coup,, the Duly Elected President is on the Run from those that seized power.
They have an interest in securing their assets.

As well as demanding immediate payment for Debts.

 

[fr33]

Securing their bases and assets is not military intervention.

And the country just had a Coup,, the Duly Elected President is on the Run from those that seized power.
They have an interest in securing their assets.

As well as demanding immediate payment for Debts.

Foreign military bases in a sovereign nation are a form of intervention.

 

[kcchiefs6465]

Securing their bases and assets is not military intervention.

And the country just had a Coup,, the Duly Elected President is on the Run from those that seized power.
They have an interest in securing their assets. [?... KC]

As well as demanding immediate payment for Debts.

From who?

 

[silverhandorder]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Interesting and noteworthy.

Six years later. Russia is on the rise and NATO is diminishing. Obama is a reflection of how far NATO has fallen. Where Bush could scare Russians in 2008. In 2014 Obama is isolated, NATO countries are in economic decline and losing ground in ME where they feel their national security is affected.

As far as Ukraine goes. They took a risk. Miscalculated and now trying to save face.

 

[Todd]

Well in case YOU haven't figured it out, non intervention really means Support ANY other governments military action except the US. All the fucking excuses that it is ok for Russia to invade any other country because it suits their national interest is pure foreign neoconservatism. And yes I have figured out how phony a great deal of the movement really is and if you haven't had time to post maybe you haven't had time to read that many posts either.

I personally condemn the invasion. I have not changed my stance and think that it is just more meddling that both the West and the US should stay out of. But I understand some people see this as a kick in the face to the US hegemony and something we are powerless to stop.

The West meddles in the Russian theatre. The Russian's respond. The US is pissed because they can't stop it.

Can you not see how some are going to get their jollies in seeing someone doing the same thing the US has been doing for 13 years? And the Obama administration acting like outright hypocrites condemning it?

At least that's my understanding. I'm sure their are some hypocrites here as well who have some contradictions to attend to.

 

[klamath]

I personally condemn the invasion. I have not changed my stance and think that it is just more meddling that both the West and the US should stay out of. But I understand some people see this as a kick in the face to the US hegemony and something we are powerless to stop.

The West meddles in the Russian theatre. The Russian's respond. The US is pissed because they can't stop it.

Can you not see how some are going to get their jollies in seeing someone doing the same thing the US has been doing for 13 years? And the Obama administration acting like outright hypocrites condemning it?

At least that's my understanding. I'm sure their are some hypocrites here as well who have some contradictions to attend to.

Well you see I don't align with any country or group and I will call out bullshit whenever I see it and if that includes people making up exactly the same excuses for the Russian invasion as the neoconservatives did for Iraq and Afghanistan I will. And yes I will respond with utter revulsion to people "getting their jollies" at seeing others die in more warfare.

 

[jbauer]

RT has been reporting that their government says every action taken by Russia is in accordance with existing agreements with Ukraine, and that due to the Russian citizen population in Crimea, they reserve the same right as any other country to send in forces to protect their citizens abroad. While as libertarians we question whether any government should have such obligations, it is a reasonable posture to take as a rebuttal to Western claims that Russia is straight up 'invading.'

The proposed referendum on independence in Crimea is being moved up to March (it had been scheduled for May). It's likely the troops were installed to protect the region from vote tampering, or violence from anti-Russian factions bent on intimidating Crimeans from voting the "wrong" way. Once Crimea votes for independence, the fiction that there is a 'unified Ukraine' to maintain will be objectively repudiated, and things will get even more interesting.

Rand's statement cleverly uses a tough verbal stance against Russia to indirectly articulate the non-interventionist message. So the neo-cons can't attack him as being "weak on Russia," and Rand can use his position to then shift the framework from "what are we going to 'do' about Russia intervening" to "nobody should 'do' anything, non-intervention is the best course all around."

Can we do that here? North and South United States? PLEASE!!!

 

[idiom]

Much more than that, even.

I guess it comes down to, one, is it a voluntary interaction. That is, the taxes paying for the military, as well as the Federal Reserve wrecking any sense of economic normalcy (obviously people have not consented to that. Most are unaware, even), and two, what are they doing with the money? They literally cannot tell Congress where the money that was given to them went. That is a very damning point. They are given so much money that it is unmanageable, or so they claim, with bureaucracy and outright theft plaguing the institution.

I just ordered "The Pentagon Catalog" compiled by Christopher Cerf and Henry Beard. It is quite literally a catalog of items offered at the rates the Pentagon paid for them. On the cover it proclaims, "Inside: A $435 hammer, a $640 toilet seat, a $7,622 coffee maker. We will not be oversold." With prices like these, I am unsympathetic to the corporate welfare induced, knee jerk, reactions and claims many tout.

Also on the cover is, "Buy this Catalog for only $4.95 and get this $2,043 nut for free." That is, of course, what the Pentagon allegedly paid for a single bolt's nut. I of course am aware that they are given such a large amount of money, that in attempt to make it all add up (what they were given compared to their alleged expenses) some numbers get fudged. It is why they admit they cannot be audited. They're missing a couple billion dollars? Well, toilet seat cost them this, and nuts cost them that. Of course, the money was swindled.

I applaud your proposal to cut the budget in half.

A lot of black programs get accounted for in inflated costs of other projects. Sometimes it is not done well or thoughtfully.

A $2043 Nut is $0.05 worth of nut and $2042.95 worth of next generation stealth bomber. Well, something blacker than next gen stealth bombers.

 

[sylcfh]

We don't even need a standing army. No country on earth has enough oil reserves to launch any kind of invasion. Even we need to invade countries that have oil.

Aside from the fact that 80 million households are armed...

 

[Mini-Me]

A lot of black programs get accounted for in inflated costs of other projects. Sometimes it is not done well or thoughtfully.

A $2043 Nut is $0.05 worth of nut and $2042.95 worth of next generation stealth bomber. Well, something blacker than next gen stealth bombers.

Like next generation Department of Homeland Security child prostitution rings?