Ron Paul speaks out on the hidden agenda...

[Osborn F Enready]

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12599.htm

......We seem to never learn from our past mistakes. Today’s neo-cons are as idealistically misled and aggressive in remaking the Middle East as the Wilsonian do-gooders. Even given the horrendous costs of the Iraq War and the unintended consequences that plague us today, the neo-cons are eager to expand their regime-change policy to Iran by force. The obvious shortcomings of our regime change and occupation of Afghanistan are now readily apparent. The Taliban was ousted from power, but they have regrouped and threaten the delicate stability that now exists in that country. Opium drug production is once again a major operation, with drugs lords controlling a huge area of the country outside Kabul. And now the real nature of the government we created has been revealed in the case of Abdul Rahman, the Muslim who faced a possible death sentence from the Karzai administration for converting to Christianity. Even now that Mr. Rahman is free due to western pressure, his life remains in danger. Our bombs and guns haven’t changed the fact that the new puppet Afghan government still follows Sharia law. The same loyalty to Sharia exists in Iraq, where we’re trying so hard to stabilize things. And all this is done in the name of spreading democracy. The sad fact is that even under the despicable rule of Saddam Hussein, Christians were safer in Iraq than they are today. Saddam Hussein’s foreign minister was a practicing Christian. Today thousands of Christians have fled Iraq following our occupation, to countries like Jordan and Syria. Those Christians who have remained in Iraq fear for their lives every day. That should tell us something about the shortcomings of a policy that presumes to make the world safe for democracy. The Muslim world is not fooled by our talk about spreading democracy and values. The evidence is too overwhelming that we do not hesitate to support dictators and install puppet governments when it serves our interests. When democratic elections result in the elevation of a leader or party not to our liking, we do not hesitate for a minute to undermine that government. This hypocrisy is rarely recognized by the American people. It’s much more comfortable to believe in slogans, to believe that we’re defending our goodness and spreading true liberty. We accept this and believe strongly in the cause, strongly enough to sacrifice many of our sons and daughters, and stupendous amounts of money, to spread our ideals through force. Pointing out the lack of success is taboo. It seems of little concern to many members of Congress that we lack both the moral right and constitutional authority to impose our will on other nations.......

A great piece by Mr. Paul.

I commend him.

How about you?

[RVonse]

Its too bad the rest of the republicans don't think like him.

[Boetie]

I like your avatar Osborn. It's a constant reminder that the terrorist alert is right up there with rolling up the sleeve to make one look like they're busy.

I posted this on another thread but it is very similar to the message your thread is trying to convey.

Our imperialistic friends seem to have forgotten the use of the vocabulary of liberty. They talk about giving good government. "We shall give them such a government as we think they are fitted for." "We shall give them a better government than they had before." Why, Mr. President, that one phrase conveys to a free man and a free people the most stinging of insults. In that little phrase, as in a seed, is contained the germ of all despotism and of all tyranny. Government is not a gift. Free government is not to be given by all the blended powers of earth and heaven. It is a birthright. It belongs, as our fathers said and as their children said, as Jefferson said and as President McKinley said, to human nature itself. There can be no good government but self government

[bishop]

i feel i've heard this speech many times already, but many different people.

not that i've ever disagreed with the multiple variations of this speech.

[Osborn F Enready]

I hear that Bishop.

How many are hearing the speech though? That is what I wonder.

[bishop]

heh... i think almost everyone's heard that speech (including any of the other versions that people've givin in recent years).. the thing is that nobody in government is doing a damn thing.

they had the cindy sheehan movement of sorts, and what did it accomplish besides help move bush's poll numbers lower? and the jellyfish in congress don't even have the balls to support feingold's censure measure..

the people definitely need to vote these bums out of office pronto. my only hope is that the would-be, and unknown, replacements can competently run the government.

[Osborn F Enready]

Bishop said: my only hope is that the would-be, and unknown, replacements can competently run the government.

I say:
Right now, I would be willing to put a high schools student body in the seats of power with complete confidence that they could do NO worse.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: Boetie I like your avatar Osborn. It's a constant reminder that the terrorist alert is right up there with rolling up the sleeve to make one look like they're busy. I posted this on another thread but it is very similar to the message your thread is trying to convey. Our imperialistic friends seem to have forgotten the use of the vocabulary of liberty. They talk about giving good government. "We shall give them such a government as we think they are fitted for." "We shall give them a better government than they had before." Why, Mr. President, that one phrase conveys to a free man and a free people the most stinging of insults. In that little phrase, as in a seed, is contained the germ of all despotism and of all tyranny. Government is not a gift. Free government is not to be given by all the blended powers of earth and heaven. It is a birthright. It belongs, as our fathers said and as their children said, as Jefferson said and as President McKinley said, to human nature itself. There can be no good government but self government

That is a profound quote Boetie. It's also a timely truth injection into this conversation.