[Video] Rand Paul speech @ Heritage on restoring the Founders' vision of foreign policy

[itshappening]

The Washington Post just posted a more balanced article from Robert Kagan, an official "Opinion Writer"

'People who care about U.S. foreign policy should be grateful for Rand Paul.'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...378b44-7159-11e2-ac36-3d8d9dcaa2e2_story.html

 

[SpreadOfLiberty]

The Washington Post just posted a more balanced article from Robert Kagan, an official "Opinion Writer"

'People who care about U.S. foreign policy should be grateful for Rand Paul.'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...378b44-7159-11e2-ac36-3d8d9dcaa2e2_story.html

Frederick Kagan at National Review wasn't so nice.

 

[itshappening]

Frederick Kagan at National Review wasn't so nice.

From memory that guy is an "everything everywhere" type so no surprise really. He always finds a justification to be somewhere or confront an alleged threat, like McCain.

 

[Brett85]

Robert Kagan makes a good point. Rand is extremely vague in what he says when talking about foreign policy issues.

 

[itshappening]

Robert Kagan makes a good point. Rand is extremely vague in what he says when talking about foreign policy issues.

And in the speech he said he didn't want to telegraph his specific foreign policy to the enemy.

 

[fr33]

Robert Kagan makes a good point. Rand is extremely vague in what he says when talking about foreign policy issues.

Maybe I'm setting the bar too low but I don't agree. I've heard too much from people like GWB and McCain. They sound like neanderthals referencing the "bad guys" and that "they hate us for our freedom". Those types never deliver a speech with so many historical references as Rand gave at Heritage. Neocon leaning voters desperately need a history lesson in foreign policy. I wish rand would quote Samuel Clemens and his opinions on the the war in the Philippines and the atrocities our nation committed. Republican voters desperately need a history lesson. They wave the flag and chant USA every time the subject of war comes up and never question anything.

 

[July]

Has anyone been covering the plethora of Beltway knuckleheads who've lined up to speak out against Rand Paul's speech? Is there a thread about that? Let me know, if so.

I am incredibly annoyed by the Washington Post and National Review's articles slamming Rand. This seems to be a concerted, organized effort. Perhaps the military-industrial complex is mobilizing?

Well, I read through a bunch of articles last night, and I'd say it's still progress over how Ron was typically treated by his critics, where they would flat out call him an isolationist and end it there. I don't think it will be easy to do that with Rand. Looking through comments, there's at least some healthy debate going on about what kind of foreign policy Reagan actually had, or whether or not radical Islam is like the communist threat. That's a start.

I was bothered by the vagueness also. I suppose that's the trade off, the speech raises more questions than it answers...but on second thought, as a platform to provoke debate, that was probably a good thing.

 

[itshappening]

Another balanced article from an official gatekeeping source:

EDITORIAL: Rand Paul’s foreign-policy vision
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/8/rand-pauls-foreign-policy-vision/

'Republicans will have to be at the top of their game in 2016. The renewed focus on the proper role of government in foreign affairs is a good start.'

 

[itshappening]

BTW, Fred Kagan declared in 2008 that 'the Iraq civil war is over':

'The first thing I want to say is that: The Civil War in Iraq is over. And until the American domestic political debate catches up with that fact, we are going to have a very hard time discussing Iraq on the basis of reality. '

There are still daily attacks in Iraq. Fast forward to today:

KIRKUK, Iraq — A suicide car bombing and an assault by grenade-throwing gunmen on a police headquarters in a disputed ethnically mixed city of northern Iraq killed 30 people on Sunday, security officials said.

The vehicle that was detonated in central Kirkuk had been painted to look like a police car, and the militants who sought to seize the compound were dressed as policemen, witnesses said.

The attack shattered a relative calm in Iraq, which has been grappling with a political crisis pitting Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki against his erstwhile government partners amid weeks of protests calling for him to resign

http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...ocId=CNG.52a10bc4a7b227861db7e4932846caf6.5b1

That was last week. Today there are reports of more attacks:

At least 29 people have been killed and more than 80 injured in a spate of car bombings in mainly Shia areas of Iraq, local officials say.

They say 16 people died in twin explosions at a market in a northern district of the capital Baghdad.

An hour later, 13 people were killed in two near-simultaneous blasts in Hilla, 100km (60 miles) south of Baghdad.

Sunni insurgents linked to al-Qaeda have been blamed for much of the recent violence across Iraq.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21378967

 

[Wolfgang Bohringer]

Another balanced article from an official gatekeeping source:

EDITORIAL: Rand Paul’s foreign-policy vision
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/8/rand-pauls-foreign-policy-vision/

'Republicans will have to be at the top of their game in 2016. The renewed focus on the proper role of government in foreign affairs is a good start.'

According to John Glaser:

with almost every prescription of restraint Paul declared, he negated it in the following sentence

http://news.antiwar.com/2013/02/06/rand-paul-gives-foreign-policy-speech-at-heritage/

Hey this is exactly what Obama does in every one of his speeches. I don't think society was ready for such raw doublespeak until Obama proved it. So, I give "them" a little credit for using this new bullshit tactic in "their" 50+ year project of pulling the peace-loving libertarian movement to the center.

 

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Exactly correct. Every single American on the USS Liberty deserved to die for waging war against Israel. As an Israeli, I am proud of what my country did to the USS Liberty. I am sure Rand Paul shares my sentiments and he will always have my vote.

Laying on the trolling a little thick there, don't you think? Kind of loses any verisimilitude it may have had if written better.

 

[Anti Federalist]

I am stating my heart felt beliefs. There is nothing wrong with that. I am proud of what I did in the IDF. One time we went into this house and I saw a cross with the dead Jesus on it and I took it down and hit the woman of the house with it saying, haha you worship a Jew! There is nothing wrong in doing that to anti-Semites

Why do I always miss out on the fun?

I'd almost say Fire11 but it's not...incoherent enough.

 

[kcchiefs6465]

Why do I always miss out on the fun?

I'd almost say Fire11 but it's not...incoherent enough.

Hell, I thought it was eduardo for a moment wrt his other post but after reading that I'd think we have a full blown troll in the midst.