Texas Republican Denounces Iraq War Lies

[Spence]

Hundreds of Americans have already been killed, and thousands more wounded and crippled, while thousands of others will experience new and deadly war-related illnesses not yet identified.

We were told we had to support this pre-emptive war against Iraq because Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (and to confront al Qaeda). It was said our national security depended on it. But all these dangers were found not to exist in Iraq. It was implied that lack of support for this Iraqi invasion was un-American and unpatriotic.

Since the original reasons for the war never existed, it is now claimed that we’re there to make Iraq a western-style democracy and to spread western values. And besides, it’s argued, it’s nice that Saddam Hussein has been removed from power. But does the mere existence of evil somewhere in the world justify preemptive war at the expense of the American people? Utopian dreams, fulfilled by autocratic means, hardly qualify as being morally justifiable.

These after-the-fact excuses for invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation direct attention away from the charge that the military industrial complex encouraged this war. It was encouraged by war profiteering, a desire to control natural resources (oil), and a Neo-con agenda of American hegemony with the goal of redrawing the borders of the countries of the Middle East.

The inevitable failure of such a seriously flawed foreign policy cannot be contemplated by those who have put so much energy into this occupation. The current quagmire prompts calls from many for escalation, with more troops being sent to Iraq. Many of our reservists and National Guardsmen cannot wait to get out and have no plans to re-enlist. The odds are that our policy of foreign intervention, which has been with us for many decades, is not likely to soon change. The dilemma of how to win an un-winnable war is the issue begging for an answer.

--Congressman Ron Paul [R-TX]

Source

[NamVet4]

And the Congressman's answer and or solution to the problem is ???????????

All politicians, republican or democrat, excell at defining the ovbvious; they fail to make the hard choices that solve the problem.

[Spence]

Originally posted by NamVet4
And the Congressman's answer and or solution to the problem is ???????????

All politicians, republican or democrat, excell at defining the ovbvious; they fail to make the hard choices that solve the problem.

Well, he is a Texas Republican, NamVet. Just whacking up the courage to disagree with George W Bush must have taken all his energy. Who knows how long it'll be before he gets around to thinking of policy alternatives.

[Skinzaholic]

Originally posted by Spence
Well, he is a Texas Republican, NamVet. Just whacking up the courage to disagree with George W Bush must have taken all his energy. Who knows how long it'll be before he gets around to thinking of policy alternatives.

Yes... he acted in true Liberal style... utilizing all their energy to attack the opposition... then leaving the entire country waiting for some solution to magically appear on the ceiling.

[RedskinsDave]

Exactly Namvet, he did act like a liberal. All they do is point out problems and wait for someone else to fix them. That's what happened with the Medicare bill.

[Spence]

Ron Paul a liberal??? You guys need to have another look at his record.

[Skinzaholic]

No.... I never said that Ron Paul was a Liberal... (seems I have to explain everything)... I simply said that his actions reflected a liberal. I understand that his policies may be conservative... but his actions in this matter stank of liberalism.

[Spence]

Originally posted by Skinzaholic
No.... I never said that Ron Paul was a Liberal... (seems I have to explain everything)... I simply said that his actions reflected a liberal. I understand that his policies may be conservative... but his actions in this matter stank of liberalism.

Ah, I see. I've figured you out, Kevin. Anything you don't like is liberalism. Since that makes so little sense, I think that's why I have so much trouble understanding you sometimes. Now that I've figured this out, the trouble should disappear.

[Skinzaholic]

Originally posted by Spence
Ah, I see. I've figured you out, Kevin. Anything you don't like is liberalism. Since that makes so little sense, I think that's why I have so much trouble understanding you sometimes. Now that I've figured this out, the trouble should disappear.

You make this forum such a fun place to be Tom!

[Spence]

Thanks, pal. That was a pretty strongly-worded post from me. Perhaps too strongly-worded. I hope you took no offense. I meant none. Just poking you a bit, the way the two of us seem to do now and then.

[dukeuch]

Originally posted by Skinzaholic
Yes... he acted in true Liberal style... utilizing all their energy to attack the opposition... then leaving the entire country waiting for some solution to magically appear on the ceiling.

I'll offer a solution: those who have lied to Americans to curry their support, or have proven by their extraordinary miscalculations that they do not posess the knowledge to accurately asess such an important situation, be held accountable and fired. Lying and/or stupidity should not be tolerated when it costs so many American lives and dollars.

[NamVet4]

Originally posted by dukeuch
I'll offer a solution: those who have lied to Americans to curry their support, or have proven by their extraordinary miscalculations that they do not posess the knowledge to accurately asess such an important situation, be held accountable and fired. Lying and/or stupidity should not be tolerated when it costs so many American lives and dollars.

Lying and/or stupidity should not be tolerated when it costs so many American lives and dollars

This scenario has been going on since the days of the war in Vietnam. It is nothing new and the American public appears incappable of putting an end to this.
~sigh ~:

[C-7]

Are american lies all you care about? How about Iraqui lives. Iraqui children lives? Italian lives?

Why does your country think that it is free to expand "democracy" or "wester values" as you put it. Why do you want democracy in this far off country when it was the U.S. government who put Hussein there?

[dukeuch]

Originally posted by Canibal-7
Are american lies all you care about? How about Iraqui lives. Iraqui children lives? Italian lives?

Why does your country think that it is free to expand "democracy" or "wester values" as you put it. Why do you want democracy in this far off country when it was the U.S. government who put Hussein there?

Hope you are not responding to my post here, 'cause I agree that Iraqi lives are important as well, and I while I personally think democracy is the best form of government, I do not think that we should in any way force that form of governemnt on anybody. The US should be ashamed of it's role in propping up Hussein, despite his maniacal ways, when it suited us.

[Spence]

I'm glad Dukeuch brought that up. The Reagan administration and the first Bush administration supported Saddam Hussein and helped to arm him. They were aware of his massacre of Kurdish civilians and said nothing about it. President Reagan even sent current Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to Iraq to strengthen ties between Iraq and the U.S. This was done while the U.S. State Department was reporting gross human rights violations by the Iraqi regime against its own people and Saddam's support for international terrorists. [I guess establishing friendly relations with terrorists was something of a habit for President Reagan. He would later send Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran a Bible with his signature in it, a "friendship" cake in the shape of a key, and a letter begging Khomeini for improved relations. All this while the Iranians were murdering Americans in Lebanon, Europe, and the Arab world.]

Anyway, here is a heartwarming photo of tough guy Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with his good friend Saddam Hussein: