Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Rand Paul and Israel: An Exchange

In a November 9 column at Commentary Magazine, columnist Jonathan Tobin questioned whether Rand was good for a pro-Israel GOP.

Rand has written a response to Commentary that will certainly reassure the neo-conservative wing of the GOP, that Rand is a friend. Rand writes:

Giving twice as much foreign aid to Israel’s enemies simply does not make sense. Our aid to Israel has always been to a country that has been an unequivocal ally. Our aid to its neighbors has purchased their temporary loyalty at best.
These countries are not our true allies and no amount of money will make them so... 
Portraying me as being against Israel in any fashion, as Mr. Tobin’s title implies, is as nonfactual as it is offensive...  
Israel has long been, and will continue to be, one of our greatest allies. I will always fight to maintain the health and strength of this relationship, just as I will always fight for the health, security and best interests of the United States. 
Huh, and I thought that Rand was elected to "always fight for the health, security and best interests of the United States." Who knew it also was to fight for the health and strength of the relationship between the U.S. and Israel? Are there relationships with any other countries, Rand, that you will also "always fight" to maintain? And just what checklist do you use to determine which countries appear on this list?

15 comments:

  1. Nice try.

    Rand Paul, like his father, is opposed to all foreign aid.

    So that checklist features precisely no countries.

    That is all.

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    1. Nice try being an idiot. Read it again.

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    2. Yeah, I'm reading it "cut aid to the A-rabs but not to the Jews", myself.

      Which is a step in the right direction, but only a small step.

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  2. It's just a matter of time before Rand exceeds the number of flip flops as expected being a former Sith apprentice to his master Mitt "The Weathervane" Romney.

    The apprentice is on his way to becoming the Master.

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  3. Well if doesn't close the deal on Rand I don't know what does. This albatross has GOT to go!

    Rand, you want to fight for a foreign country. Great. Then go volunteer for the IDF and leave the US for good. traitor.

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  4. Um, Rand opposes all foreign aid. He reiterated that position in the article. He even refused to say Israel is our greatest ally - like every other politician does. Not shocked by the reaction here of course.

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    1. Try again. In fact, did you even read the quote?

      "Giving twice as much foreign aid to Israel’s enemies simply does not make sense. Our aid to Israel has always been to a country that has been an unequivocal ally. Our aid to its neighbors has purchased their temporary loyalty at best.

      "These countries are not our true allies and no amount of money will make them so..."

      As has been mentioned before and as this quote makes clear, Rand most definitely believes in foreign aid; he "opposes" it if it does not elicit the correct outcome, i.e., good behavior.

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    2. The quote you cited from the article doesn't show that he "definitely believes in foreign aid." He's responding directly to Tobin's accusations and using our current foreign aid policy as it applies to Israel and its neighbors as an example of why foreign aid doesn't work. You seem to be saying that just because he's couching his argument in this instance on how the current policy won't elicit a good outcome he must necessarily be abandoning his previous position of supporting an end to all foreign aid.

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  5. Not shocked, not one bit. To get far in Neocon circles one has to kiss Israel's ass. However it's also quite funny how these cons will always scream that the US is sovereign but then in same breath believe it's the US's duty to steal from the people and give it to Israel. What a fucking joke

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    1. There will always be people who believe Rand is just saying what it takes to get elected, then he'll govern like Ron Paul.

      A sad delusion.

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    2. I agree with you Texas Chris. They don't even consider that if that was actually Rand's MO it means that he's crossed the line of justifying the end via the means(including lying to most of the electorate), which basically makes him capable of anything.

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  6. "Our aid to Israel has always been to a country that has been an unequivocal ally."

    Hmmm. I'm sure that Jonathan Pollard, Steve Rosen, Keith Weissman, Ben-Ami Kadish (and Lani Kass?), and the U.S.S. Liberty victims' family members and survivors would agree with you, Rand.

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  7. The optimist in me says that Rand has a strategy of incrementally moving us towards less government. Ron Paul stood for what is right and was very vocal, but he wasn't able to change much as far as legislation goes.

    Rand, on the other hand, talks about gradual changes, such as selectively cutting aid to certain countries.

    Something is better than nothing, as nothing is usually what we get.

    If he takes a hard-line anti-Israel stance he'll be ostracized from the Republican party. I think you have to make a lot of incremental changes to foreign policy before you could get the government to change positions on Israel aid altogether. Of course, Rand is operating like we won't have a gigantic default (or hyperinflation) soon anyway.

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  8. "Ron Paul stood for what is right and was very vocal, but he wasn't able to change much as far as legislation goes."

    Exactly, what legislation has Rand passed??

    He gave his measure when he endorsed BEFORE the convention.

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  9. Rand Paul has already had several pieces of legislation passed. Among them;

    1) he got the number of post offices in the Washington DC capital complex reduced from 7 to 2.

    2) he got language inserted into the sanctions against Iran and Syria that requires a separate vote by congress before offensive military operations can ensue of sanctions are violated (note that the Iraq war was started by Bush after he declared that sanctions were violated).

    3) he got language inserted into an EPA bill that significantly reduced criminal penalties for minor infractions.

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