The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.
GREEN of Wisconsin). Under a previous
order of the House, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. PAUL) is recognized for 5
minutes.
1999 Ron Paul 54:1 Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Speaker, the Yugoslavian
civil war, now going on for
years, was near ending until NATO
chose to enter on the side of the KLA
seeking independence. Aggressively entering
the fray by invading a foreign
nation, in direct opposition to its charter,
NATO has expanded the war and
multiplied the casualties. The impasse
now reached, although predictable,
prompts only more NATO bombing and
killing of innocent civilians on both
sides. It is difficult to see how any good
can come from this continuous march
of folly, but I am going to try.
1999 Ron Paul 54:2 Number one, the U.N. has suffered a
justified setback in its effort to be the
world’s governing body of the new
world order, and that is good. By NATO
refusing to seek a U.N. resolution of
support for its war effort, it makes the
U.N. look irrelevant. Now NATO is
using the U.N. to seek a peace settlement
by including the Russians, who
agree to play the game as long as additional
American tax dollars flow to
them through the IMF. The U.N. looks
weak, irrelevant, ignored, and used.
The truth is winning out.
1999 Ron Paul 54:3 Number two, NATO is on the verge of
self-destruction. Since the purpose of
NATO to defend against a ruthless Soviet
system no longer exists, that is
good, NATO, in choosing to break its
own rules looks totally ineffective and
has lost credibility. The U.S. can get
out of NATO, come home, save some
money and let Europe tend to its own
affairs, and we can then contribute to
peace, not war.
1999 Ron Paul 54:4 Number three, Tony Blair’s true
character has now become known to
the world. He has not only annoyed
many Americans, but many Germans,
French, Italians and Greeks as well. By
Blair demanding more American
bombs, money and the introduction of
ground troops, many have become
skeptical of his judgment. It is much
easier now to challenge his influence
over Bill Clinton and NATO, and that
is not only good, but necessary.
1999 Ron Paul 54:5 Number four, more Americans every
day are discovering that military
spending is not equivalent to defense
spending. This is a good start. It is
clearly evident that when useless immoral
wars are pursued, money is wasted,
weapons are consumed, and national
security is endangered, opposite
to everything that is supposed to be
achieved through defense spending. A
foolish policy of foreign interventionism,
no matter how much money is
spent on the military, can never substitute
for a sensible, pro-American
policy of friendship and trade with all
those countries willing to engage.
1999 Ron Paul 54:6 Number five, the ill-gotten war has
shown once again that air power alone,
and especially when pursued without a
declaration of war and a determination
to win, serves no useful purpose. Although
most military experts have
stated this for years, it is now readily
apparent to anyone willing to study
the issue. Many more Americans now
agree that war not fought for the defense
of one’s country and for the preservation
of liberty is immoral and rarely
brings about victory. If we remember
that in the future, that would be
good.
1999 Ron Paul 54:7 Number six, NATO’s war against
Yugoslovia has made it clearly apparent
that world leaders place relative
value on human life. This is valuable
information that should be helped to
restore U.S. national sovereignty. According
to NATO’s policy, the lives of
the Kosovars are of greater value than
the Serbs, Rwandans, Kurds, Tibetans,
or East Timorans. Likewise, oil and
European markets command more
bloodshed in support of powerful financial
interests than the suffering of millions
in Asia and Africa. This knowledge
of NATO’s hypocrisy should some
day lead to a fair and more peaceful
world.
1999 Ron Paul 54:8 Number seven, the issue of whether
or not a President can initiate and
wage an unconstitutional war without
declaration and in violation of the War
Powers Resolution has prompted a
positive and beneficial debate in the
Congress and throughout the Nation.
This is a necessary first step to get
Congress to regain its prerogatives
over the issue of war.
1999 Ron Paul 54:9 Number eight, interventionism in the
affairs of other nations when our national
security is not threatened serves
no benefit and causes great harm. Our
involvement with NATO and
Yugoslovia has once again forcefully
shown this. Although our Founders
knew this and advised against it, and
American Presidents for over 100 years
acted accordingly, this rediscovery of a
vital truth can serve us well in future
years.
1999 Ron Paul 54:10 Number nine, NATO’s arrogance has
once again restated another truth
worth remembering: Might does not
make right.
1999 Ron Paul 54:11 Number ten, the 19 nations’ military
actions against a tiny state shows that
alliances to promote aggression do not
work. The moral high ground is not
achieved because despite the pronouncements
of concerns for the suffering
of the innocent, when survival is
not at stake and when the defense
against an aggressor is not an issue,
war by committee is doomed to fail.
This is a lesson that needs restating.
1999 Ron Paul 54:12 Number 11: NATO’s blundering policy
ironically will leave a legacy that will
allow rebuilding after the new world
order disintegrates.
1999 Ron Paul 54:13 To the bewilderment of their own leaders
NATO has forcefully supported the notion of
autonomy and independence for ethnic states.
Instead of huge governments demanding ethnic
diversity, the goal of establishing Kosovo’s
independence provides the moral foundation
for an independent Kashmir Kurdistan, Palestine,
Tibet, East Timor, Quebec, and North
Ireland and anyone else that believes their
rights as citizens would be better protected by
small local government. This is in contrast to
huge nation states and international governments
that care only about controlling wealth,
while forgetting about the needs and desires
of average citizens.
1999 Ron Paul 54:14 12. Another lesson that will be learned from
this misadventure, but unfortunately not soon
enough, is that empires self-destruct out of
their own weighty arrogance and blindness to
the truth. Inevitably powerful empires — and it
is said we are the only super power left and
have great world-wide responsibilities — pursue
a march of folly, a course upon which we inextricably
find ourselves.
1999 Ron Paul 54:15 If these lessons are remembered, we will
have a much better chance of achieving
peace and prosperity throughout the world.
Notes:
1999 Ron Paul 54:2
the new world order probably should be capitalized: the New World Order.
1999 Ron Paul 54:3
Since the purpose of NATO to defend against a ruthless
Soviet system no longer exists, that is good, NATO, in
choosing to break its own rules looks totally ineffective and
has lost credibility.
probably should have a period and not a comma after good:
Since the purpose of NATO to defend against a ruthless
Soviet system no longer exists, that is good. NATO, in
choosing to break its own rules looks totally ineffective and
has lost credibility.
1999 Ron Paul 54:7
This is valuable information that should behelped to restore U.S. national sovereignty.
probably should be either
This is valuable information that should beahelp to restore U.S. national sovereignty.
or perhaps
This is valuable information that should help to restore U.S. national sovereignty.
1999 Ron Paul 54:12
the new world order probably should be capitalized:
the New World Order.
1999 Ron Paul 54:13
an independent Kashmir Kurdistan... probably should have a comma after Kashmir:
an independent Kashmir, Kurdistan....
