Interview with Dr. Paul Kengor, author, "The Crusader: Ronald Reagan.."

BloggerNews.net ^ | October 29, 2006 | Warren Throckmorton, PhD

[gusopol3]

From Kengor,p.205

During his first three years in office and particularly since the spring of 1983, Ronald Reagan had pushed a plan to deploy intermediate-range nuclear forces (INFs), also known as Pershing II's , in Western Europe. His goal was to prompt the Soviets to remove their medium-range nuclear missiles from Eastern Europe. He told Yuri Andropov that if the Kremlin removed its missiles, there would be no need for the United States to deploy INFs. Reagan called this the zero-zero option: he wanted both sides to slash INFs to zero levels. If Andropov would not agree to do this, Reagan would ask NATO to deploy INFs.

Opposition to this policy was ferocious, with the Soviet propaganda machine dubbing Reagan a nuclear warmonger and labeling him a belligerent who wanted to plant missiles on the soil of Western nations that had never hosted such weapons. In addition, the Western nuclear freeze movement gave the Kremlin a vocal ally extending from London to Bonn to New York. The nuclear freezers led mass protests and assailed Reagan in the harshest terms. The International left was convinced Ronald Reagan was dragging the world to nuclear Armageddon. Freezers like Dr. Helen Caldicott of Physicians for Social Responsibility and certain Catholic bishops feared Reagan might blow up the world.

[gusopol3]

"We insist that Western Europe take our Pershing missiles. We get the bill, and the hostility of the people of Western Europe, and then act surprised that the Soviets pull out of arms negotiations and send more modern nuclear submarines to our coastline." Ron Paul, Congressional Record, 9/19/84

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Hmm.

[doug from upland]

And there are people on this forum who think this man should be the commander in chief?

[wagglebee]

"We insist that Western Europe take our Pershing missiles. We get the bill, and the hostility of the people of Western Europe, and then act surprised that the Soviets pull out of arms negotiations and send more modern nuclear submarines to our coastline." Ron Paul, Congressional Record, 9/19/84

Well, that sure puts a hole in the "Reagan would support Paul" theory.

[wagglebee]

And there are people on this forum who think this man should be the commander in chief?

And they are actually surprised that the rest of us don't.

[nwrep]

Wow, so let me get this straight. This fruitcake opposed the corner-stone of the Reagan foreign policy, and now says Reagan would have supported him? Why, I think Obama should claim the same!!

Ron Paul - what a nut.

[Bahbah]

I have always been with the “mess with the US and we can and will, if necessary, kill you” school. I do believe this works and I don’t much care if it makes some people angry.

[Diogenesis]

President Ronald Reagan:

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.
It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same,
or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children
and our children's children what it was once like in the United States
where men were free."

[darkwing104]

Didn't you know that disagreeing with Ron Paul and his paultards is unconstitutional, un-american and unpatriotic?

[Gay State Conservative]

Ron Paul,I'll wager,knew that the huge demonstrations in Europe were organized and funded by an organization called the CND which,after the Berlin Wall fell,was revealed to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the East German government....but didn't care.

The more I hear about Ron Paul the more I despise him.

[wagglebee]

Yeah, well they can complain to their comrades over at Stormfront.

[RedRover]

Ron Paul thinks the Cold War was a mistake. It’s no different from his position on the War on Terror.

[gusopol3]

the cleverness of Reagan was to face them down without having to fire a shot. The domestic opposition was of no help then, as it hasn’t been in Iraq either.

[reasonisfaith]

And now Ron Paul is one of George Soros’ favorite people. What kind of pattern am I seeing here?

Ron Paul has some explaining to do, and I don’t want to hear any more of this “Ron Paul is a patriotic American” BS.

[svcw]

Didn’t you just love what he said after the Pakistani assassination?
If you did not hear it: both political parties made strong statements of condemnation and out rage, RP said “well we better not start nation building in Pakistan”.
Really does the guy have no grasp of reality? The statement did not make sense in regards to the question.

[God luvs America]

how soon before the Paulistinians start strapping bombs to themselves??

[wagglebee]

how soon before the Paulistinians start strapping bombs to themselves??

It depends on when the weed runs out.

[canuck_conservative]

"Paul was also one of only four Republican Congressmen to endorse Ronald Reagan for president against Gerald Ford in 1976,[33] when Paul led the Texas Reagan delegation at the national Republican convention.[36]"



Ron Paul led the Texas Delegation to nominate Ronald Reagan for president; Shown here left to right: Paul, Jack Fields, and Ronald Reagan aboard Air Force One

(> Wikipedia)

(***this has NOT been a recommendation to vote for Ron Paul, just an attempt to clarify facts***)

[palmer]

When you copy text from another freeper (which he transcribed from a printed record), you should acknowledge where you got it. Second, you should get the date right. Paul did not stand against Reagan in 1984 as you claim, but in 1989 as part of a retrospective. The whole thing is worth reading not just your cherry-picked phrase.

[doug from upland]

Okay, call me confused. Was the quote from Paul in the Congressional Record not 1984?