"Policing the world, spreading democracy by force, nation building,....

[understandinglife]

.....and frequent bombing of countries that pose no threat to us - while leaving the homeland and our borders unprotected - result from a foreign policy that is contradictory and not in our self interest."

These are not the words of Senator Kerry or Kennedy; Congressman McDermott or Senator Boxer.

These are the words of a Republican Congressman from Texas -- Ron Paul.

Why do I post them here?

Because this particular "community" within DU recognizes that major election reform must happen if we are ever to do anything substantive about what Congressman Paul eloquently describes.

Because, if we do not have an election system that prevents the neocon, theocratic cabal from hacking it, AGAIN; we will have no chance of altering the massively failed, and, now criminal, foreign policy of the USA.

We need as many Republicans, as well as Democrats, and Greens and ..... to help us reform our election system. I just thought some of you might want to begin a dialogue with Congressman Paul along the lines of -- a truly fair election system in the USA might well be the necessary first step to reforming our failed foreign policy.

In case you doubt that he thinks it is failed, let me share three more quotes with you:

"Why do I believe these are such important questions? Because the #1 function of the federal government - to provide for national security - has been severely undermined. On 9/11 we had a grand total of 14 aircraft in place to protect the entire U.S. mainland, all of which proved useless that day. We have an annual DOD budget of over $400 billion, most of which is spent overseas in over 100 different countries. On 9/11 our Air Force was better positioned to protect Seoul, Tokyo, Berlin, and London than it was to protect Washington D.C. and New York City."

"Moreover, our ill-advised presence in the Middle East and our decade-long bombing of Iraq served only to incite the suicidal attacks of 9/11."

"Before 9/11 our CIA ineptly pursued bin Laden, whom the Taliban was protecting. At the same time, the Taliban was receiving significant support from Pakistan - our "trusted ally" that received millions of dollars from the United States. We allied ourselves with both bin Laden and Hussein in the 1980s, only to regret it in the 1990s. And it's safe to say we have used billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars in the last 50 years pursuing this contradictory, irrational, foolish, costly, and very dangerous foreign policy."

Here is the link to the speech, delivered this Wed., 26 January 2005, to the House of Representatives:

http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2005/cr012605.htm

Peace.



BE THE BUSH OPPOSITION;24/7 -- and realize some of our allies may well be Republicans in 'red states'