"It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."
Sen. Rand Paul: President Putin, America Is Exceptional
A recent op-ed by Russian President Vladimir Putin has prompted me to respond. While his position that the Syrian conflict can and should be settled through a political and diplomatic solution is correct, virtually everything else in his writing should be taken to task. So I shall.
I begin with Mr. Putin’s disagreement regarding the exceptionalism of the United States of America. I could not more strongly disagree with him. While he is correct that God created every human being as an equal in His eyes, clearly the results of each of our efforts on this earth, individually and collectively, are not equal.
America’s exceptionalism is rooted in our founding documents and values. From the rights granted by our creator, but guaranteed by our Constitution. We should not shy away from saying so, especially when our actions are in keeping with this exceptional founding, as they were this week in our debate over going to war in Syria. Our constitutional checks and balances were on full display, largely resulting in the at least temporary halting of a rush to war.
Mr. Putin’s second mistake is to focus on the speck in the eye of the United States, while ignoring the plank in his own. He accuses the United States of alarming interventions in foreign countries. While I certainly have my bone to pick with our foreign policy over the last 15 years, the Russian President is the least qualified person I can think of to make this argument with a straight face.
We went to war in Afghanistan because they were harboring those who attacked us on 9/11. Mr. Putin’s cohorts went to war there three decades earlier for no legitimate reason.
The United States until now has resisted arming one side of the Syrian civil war – all the while the other side has been armed by Russia.
The United States has used diplomatic pressure to attempt to resolve the ongoing situation with Iran – Russia has just announced a large arms sale that will escalate tensions in the region.
Being lectured to on foreign intervention by Mr. Putin would be comical if it weren’t such a serious example of a lack of self-awareness.
Nevertheless here we are. Sometimes the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or at least my temporary ally. As Mr. Putin correctly pointed out, the United States and Russia banded together to defeat the menace of the Nazis a generation ago. And both countries certainly face real and present threats from Islamic extremists, both at home and in areas of strategic importance.
American should not act militarily in Syria because it cannot and should not join the same side as Al Qaeda. Russia cannot and should not continue to support militarily the brutal Assad regime.
CAIRO — The head of the opposition Free Syrian Army says that a Russian-brokered plan to rid Syria of its chemical weapons will not solve the two-and-a-half-year-old conflict in his country. The rebel commander spoke to journalists Saturday in Istanbul, as heavy fighting continued in the Damascus suburbs.
Syrian government troops pounded the rebel-held Damascus suburbs of Barzeh, Madhamiya and Joubar with field artillery and from the air. The ongoing government offensive coincided with U.S.-Russian negotiations in Geneva that produced a framework Saturday for dismantling Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons.
In Istanbul, rebel military commander General Selim Idriss condemned the plan, arguing that Russia was not a neutral party.
He says the opposition categorically rejects the proposal, because it has no faith in the Assad regime or in Russia, which helps the regime to kill Syrians. He said the initiative is an attempt to gain time and find an exit for the [Assad] regime. He adds that the initiative has nothing in it for the opposition, which will continue to fight.
It'd be nice if they'd check with guys like Rand Paul before embarassing us on the world stage. His statement is exactly what John Kerry should have said.
It'd be nice if they'd check with guys like Rand Paul before embarassing us on the world stage. His statement is exactly what John Kerry should have said.
When you've got to think on your feet without the capability to do so, you end up with John Kerry. I am not shocked he stepped on everyone's dick.
It'd be nice if they'd check with guys like Rand Paul before embarassing us on the world stage. His statement is exactly what John Kerry should have said.
When you've got to think on your feet without the capability to do so, you end up with John Kerry. I am not shocked he stepped on everyone's dick.
What's really funny/sad about this is that Paul took Kerry's seat on the senate foreign relations committee. I'd love to sit in on some of those meetings, watching Rand Paul debate Barbara Boxer.
What's really funny/sad about this is that Paul took Kerry's seat on the senate foreign relations committee. I'd love to sit in on some of those meetings, watching Rand Paul debate Barbara Boxer.
I don't think I'd want to see that. It would drive me insane and I would pull Dogma at the toy factory HQ.
Post #66 is what Kerry should have said, instead he had a meeting with Russia's foreign minister and now instead of a week deadline Syria has until some time mid 2014 to give up their chemical weapons. Kerry was silent about Putin's op ed piece and Obama was submissive.
I'm not supporting an invasion but if you threaten to kick someone's ass you shouldn't back up and threaten to poke them in the chest and then agree to not do anything for several months and even then only if certain conditions aren't met. As a country we shouldn't make threats if we aren't going to follow through with them.
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