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2005 Ron Paul Chapter 38
Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional website.
Congressional Record [.PDF]
Humanitarian Food And Medicine Export Act
6 April 2005
HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
2005 Ron Paul 38:1
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation that will remove current, and prohibit
future, embargoes on the export of food,
medicine, or medical devices. Embargoes on
these items, as we have seen time and time
again, do not have the desired policy effect on
the targeted country. In fact, they only punish
the innocent and most vulnerable people in
these countries. Does anyone believe that denying
the people of a foreign country food or
medicine because of our quarrel with their
leader will make them more sympathetic toward
the United States? We are fond of talking
about “humanitarian” treatment in foreign
countries. But it is our policy of embargoing
the export of food and medicine to certain
countries that is most un-humanitarian. We
need to practice what we preach.
2005 Ron Paul 38:2
Also, it is very important to remember the harm we do to our own citizens when we deny
them the right to sell their products to whoever
they like. It is not very humanitarian to deny
our own citizens the right to their livelihood because
our political leadership does not get
along with the political leadership of another
country.
2005 Ron Paul 38:3
Mr. Speaker, we do ourselves no favors in denying our citizens the right to export the essentials
for life to citizens abroad. And we do
no real harm to leaders abroad, who actually
benefit by our sanction policies, as they provide
a convenient scapegoat for their own
economic failures. The fact is that trade promotes
peace. Forcibly cutting off trade relations
with another country promotes militarism
and conflict.
2005 Ron Paul 38:4
I hope my colleagues will join me by co- sponsoring this legislation.
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