Ron Paul Says it's Time to End the Empire

From the "Rally for the Republic" in Minneapolis Republican Congressman Ron Paul met with The Real News Senior Editor Paul Jay to talk about his views on the energy crisis, foreign policy, and the positions of his fellow presidential candidates.

Paul, the only Rep to vote against the Iraq war in 2002, states that McCain's foreign policy is "very NeoCon, very militaristic" compared to his own. "He believes we should have more troops overseas, not less, so his foreign policy is 100% different from mine," Paul says.

He also criticized Barack Obama, stating that on the issue of the foreign wars, there was almost no difference between Obama and McCain. "I don't see much difference at all. Obama wants to send more troops to Iraq than McCain, but even though he wants to seem that he wants to get troops home on a timeline, but he's not talking about closing down the bases in Iraq or the embassy. He's never talked about sending troops home from Europe, Japan, or Korea. There is a big concern about our deficit, and we spent millions on maintaining this empire. The American people have no choice."

Paul's own foreign policy involves closing military bases around the world and bringing troops home to alleviate the massive budget spent on maintaining the US empire and to reinforce security on the domestic level. "The last 50 or 60 years have given us nothing but grief, when you think about Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian gulf wars, and Afghanistan and Iraq and on and on. It has literally contributed to our bankruptcy. I mean, we're spending a trillion dollars a year maintaining this empire and it will come to an end, just like the economic system of the old Soviet system," Paul says.

Paul defends his own views on foreign intervention and domestic issues as merely a consistent stance. "It's my rejection of the use of force to rule the world, and my rejection of a government to run someone's personal life. I believe I am just making a consistent defense of civil liberty," Paul says.

Referring to McCain's nomination of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his VP running mate, Paul states that, "I think in some ways it was very shrewd politically. It appeals to social conservatives but I don't think it has any real impact, she's not going to a VP as strong as a Cheney to drive foreign policy. I doubt very much if she could slow McCain down. So her appointment is a tool and technique to help him win the election, so in a way, a pretty smart trick."

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Comments

[Pdubya]

I'm glad to see your efforts landed here. Sometimes huffpo makes it difficult to see the real news.

did you catch the national press club's coverage of dr. paul, chuck baldwin, cynthia mckinney, and ralph nader coming together on a united platform of issues for change in process and in core american principles?

here is a link to get started.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4SYfaNWvAU&feature=related

perhaps you could write a piece here and cover it? that would be great. we americans have more in common than not, despite the horse race politics showing otherwise. thanks, keep up the fight.