Ron Paul - Your Money In Iraq

House Web Site ^ | 9-29-2003 | Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)

[PigRigger]

"In 2003, both are reasonable points of view only one is conservative and the other is liberal."

Hmmm, the "L" word. Hmmm....

Only time will tell whose right. I only hope our elected officals keep party politics secondary to the security of the people of this nation. Unfortunately, I really don't have much faith in that. It will probalby take another 9-11 for that to occur.

[Sparta]

1) Some of this crap that's being requested is ridiculous.

2) To pay for it, the amount LOANED to Iraq should be deducted from the final domestic Federal budget.

3) Iraq should pay this loan back ASAP using oil revenue and the booming economy that should result from free market reforms.

[PigRigger]

"refuse to be involved in their religious and ethnic conflicts the better"

Respect your point of view, but I have to ask one question before I get back to work.

What if we, as a nation and culture, are the targets of"their religious and ethnic conflicts"?

[JohnGalt]

Right? You just said that you will yell 'I told you so' with the next '9/11.' Talk about anti-patriotism.

A conservative must deal with the world as it is, friend.

[biffalobull]

The sooner we get our ground troops out of the Middle East and refuse to be involved in their religious and ethnic conflicts the better.

You, Sir, are right on the money

[zacyak]

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t agree that all expenditures should be granted without review.

Then why support the re-building expeditures in Iraq, most, if not all, which have been no bid contracts with political favoritism involved?

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

With all due respect to Ron Paul, this list seems like perfectly legitimate items to be part of the rebuilding process. I mean, we either help or we don't.

[jmc813]

A big part of his point is that we are using our money to accomplish these things rather than making the Iraqis pay for it themselves.

[JohnGalt]

Robert 'KKK' Byrd had these comments last week in the Senate:

"Last Wednesday, I along with Representatives David Obey and Martin Sabo offered an amendment to the homeland security appropriations conference report that would have provided $125 million to hire 1,300 customs inspectors on America's borders. That amendment was rejected as too expensive. Yet, on the exact same day, the President sent Congress this emergency request for $150 million for 5,350 border inspections personnel including 2,500 customs inspectors – in Iraq."

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/8965

[PigRigger]

"Right? You just said that you will yell 'I told you so' with the next '9/11.' Talk about anti-patriotism.

Please, this comment is so beneath this discussion.

You can label me a "liberal", feel free to label me with any idiology that suits your agenda. However, out of respect, stop there.

Honestly, I find it difficult to imagine that one would even suppose this on another.

[JohnGalt]

Only time will tell whose right.
Implies there is a right or wrong, but based on what criteria?

I only hope our elected officals keep party politics secondary to the security of the people of this nation. Unfortunately, I really don't have much faith in that.
In other words "I doubt the political system will be able to 'finish' the war it started." Did you discover this after the war commenced? Or did you suspect this was the case but supported the war anyway? Admitting that you have no faith in the system, you still support a nation building project?

It will probalby take another 9-11 for that to occur.

You are saying that it will take another 9/11 for our political parties to sign onto, your term, World War III and nation building projects.
That is the context for my charge, which I do not make lightly.

[bc2]

Rebuilding the airline industry was a prime example of corporate welfare; if the airlines (or auto industry, or any other industry for that matter) can't support themselves, let them fall and someone with a better business plan will step forward if it's profitable.

To have American taxpayers pay for this garbage is beyond comprehension. It is far beyond the bounds of our Constitution, and antithetical to everything that is American, let alone "conservative".

You certainly are a liberal.

[jmc813]

The Bush administration has noted that this is not necessary.

It's not necessary to cut unconstitutional programs?

[PigRigger]

You are right, rebuilding our cities after being attacked is a liberal thought. Guilty as charged. God help us.

[bc2]

There is a difference between rebuilding NYC and rebuilding some idiot's stock portfolio, or some country where they will only go to build more weapons and terror camps in 15 years. I was replying directly to your comment about paying to bail out the airline industry.

Your positions are so weak you have to change the argument?

[caltrop]

We've made ourselves their targets through our involvement in the Middle East, a region which, absent their oil, isn't worth an American sprained ankle. That we've put ourselves in this position isn't all that hard to demonstrate or figure out. After all, the 9-11 attack wasn't carried out in Rome, Stockholm or Brussels. The reason why is clear - we've insinuated ourselves into their religious and ethnic disputes. Why anyone's surprised they've chosen to extend their war to the US mainland is a mystery to me.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Obviously, sooner or later the Iraqis are going to have to be self-sufficient. How much help do we owe them in addition to money and blood already spent? Well, Bush has decided on $87 billion. And most of that is actually going towards our forces, not Iraq infrastructure.