While his father Rep. Ron Paul (R – TX) has made a career of loudly condemning foreign aid on general principle (along with a myriad of other types of government largesse), Sen. Rand Paul’s (R – KY) recent criticism of US foreign aid policies has taken on a very different tone, at least beneath the veneer.
Its not that the US government is spending tens of billions of dollars it doesn’t have that the younger Paul objects to, you see. Rather, he’s annoyed that the money isn’t buying the pretense of gratitude he seems to think it should, and wants to slap conditions on it.
“If you want to cash an American check than act like an ally,” Paul insisted, saying he believes it is unacceptable to be sending aid to nations like Egypt and Pakistan while anti-US protests are continuing in the streets.
Interestingly, Sen. Paul doesn’t seem to believe that recipients of US aid will actually become proper allies, and openly mocks that suggestion in his comments. But instead of taking his comments to their logical conclusion he ultimately decides that the pretense of alliance is good enough for him, and for America.
That’s libertyism for ya. It’s not libertarianism.
Sen. Rand Paul… the name sort of rolls off the tongue. You know, like quisling.
He is upset money spent is not buying them power. He is upset he does not have more power over recipients of US aid. He wants aid to continue so he may wield more power.
So Senator Rand Paul wants to make conditions that would be unconstitutional in the United States, like stopping the right of free speach. I thought that he was interested in letting citizens have free speach or is that only the citizens that speak what he wants to hear!
It was a good speech considering that even questioning foreign aid has been completely taboo for my whole lifetime. You gotta start somewhere. I'm sure the honorable senators were shocked…shocked! to discover that we prop up dictators with our foreign aid.
Rand Paul is all veneer; you could say he's veneer off the old block.
He’s a politician and conservative, not a libertarian.
Of course, get rid of ALL foreign aid not actually going to humanitarian relief. But that is not what the good Senator is asking for, is it? Strange that he didn't mention the sh—y little racist, land-stealing country that gets a lion's share of our foreign aid largesse, isn't it?
An interventionist-like the rest of Congress.
a really stupid article, no wonder "antiwar" is always begging for money. Rand Paul is the real deal, he was just outvoted 90-1 on Iran war sanctions. Really smart to keep kicking down your one ally in the Senate.
The people of those counties never see a dime of the aid. The corrupt political leaders keep ALL the money. So………our corrupt political leaders put the "tax gun" to our head, take our money and send it to other corrupt political leaders. All while we stand around and watch and listen to the talking heads on TV rant the talking points of the two political parties that have sold out the American idea. Go back to your roots and read how we became a country and what it took to free ourselves from the tyranny of taxation without representation. It was only around 200 years ago. Vote out all incumbents, put in term limits and get rid of all subsidies, bail outs and tax loop holes. Throw out the tax code and have one lower flat tax on every dollar earned so no favors can be lobbied for.
This article is disingenuous. He is against foreign aid, has said it many times. He is just trying to get as much abolished as possible. I guess Antiwar.com is for all or nothing.
California, Obama / Mitt, November contest would likely give the California winner prize to Obama but how would a 3 way Obama, Mitt & Ron write in vote count end up? RP votes in 2008 were counted.
The Goldman Sacs / Fed reserve / GMO food-fuel twins might create a fun contest with the Texas Dr. Ron Paul
Audit the Federal Reserve, Support HR 459 Paul & S 202 Paul
Is this game about D R or other? maybe it is about saving the republic. Maybe Obama and Mitt are the underdogs.