2002 Ron Paul 25:1
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, our government
intervention in the economy and
in the private affairs of citizens and
the internal affairs of foreign countries
leads to uncertainty and many unintended
consequences. Here are some of
the consequences about which we
should be concerned.
2002 Ron Paul 25:2
I predict U.S. taxpayers will pay to
rebuild Palestine, both the West Bank
and the Gaza, as well as Afghanistan.
U.S. taxpayers paid to bomb these
areas, so we will be expected to rebuild
them.
2002 Ron Paul 25:3
Peace, of sorts, will come to the Middle
East, but will be short-lived. There
will be big promises of more U.S.
money and weapons flowing to Israel
and to Arab countries allied with the
United States.
2002 Ron Paul 25:4
U.S. troops and others will be used to
monitor the “peace.”
In time, an oil boycott will be imposed,
with oil prices soaring to historic
highs.
2002 Ron Paul 25:5
Current Israeli-United States policies
will solidify Arab Muslim nations in
their efforts to avenge the humiliation
of the Palestinians. That will include
those Muslim nations that in the past
have fought against each other.
2002 Ron Paul 25:6
Some of our moderate Arab allies
will be overthrown by Islamic fundamentalists.
2002 Ron Paul 25:7
The U.N. will continue to condemn,
through resolutions, Israeli-U.S. policies
in the Middle East, and they will
be ignored.
2002 Ron Paul 25:8
Some European countries will clandestinely
support the Muslim countries
and their anti-Israel pursuits.
2002 Ron Paul 25:9
China, ironically assisted by American
aid, much more openly will sell to
militant Muslims the weapons they
want, and will align herself with the
Arab nations.
2002 Ron Paul 25:10
The United States, with Tony Blair
as head cheerleader, will attack Iraq
without proper authority, and a major
war, the largest since World War II,
will result.
2002 Ron Paul 25:11
Major moves will be made by China,
India, Russia, and Pakistan in Central
Asia to take advantage of the chaos for
the purpose of grabbing land, resources,
and strategic advantages
sought after for years.
2002 Ron Paul 25:12
The Karzai government will fail, and
U.S. military presence will end in Afghanistan.
2002 Ron Paul 25:13
An international dollar crisis will
dramatically boost interest rates in
the United States.
2002 Ron Paul 25:14
Price inflation, with a major economic
downturn, will decimate U.S.
Federal Government finances, with exploding
deficits and uncontrolled
spending.
2002 Ron Paul 25:15
Federal Reserve policy will continue
at an expanding rate, with massive
credit expansion, which will make the
dollar crisis worse. Gold will be seen as
an alternative to paper money as it returns
to its historic role as money.
2002 Ron Paul 25:16
Erosion of civil liberties here at
home will continue as our government
responds to political fear in dealing
with the terrorist threat by making
generous use of the powers obtained
with the Patriot Act.
2002 Ron Paul 25:17
The draft will be reinstated, causing
domestic turmoil and resentment.
2002 Ron Paul 25:18
Many American military personnel
and civilians will be killed in the coming
conflict.
2002 Ron Paul 25:19
The leaders of whichever side loses
the war will be hauled into and tried
before the International Criminal
Court for war crimes. The United
States will not officially lose the war,
but neither will we win. Our military
and political leaders will not be tried
by the International Criminal Court.
2002 Ron Paul 25:20
The Congress and the President will
shift radically toward expanding the
size and scope of the Federal Government.
This will satisfy both the liberals
and the conservatives.
2002 Ron Paul 25:21
Military and police powers will grow,
satisfying the conservatives. The welfare
state, both domestic and international,
will expand, satisfying the
liberals. Both sides will endorse military
adventurism overseas.
2002 Ron Paul 25:22
This is the most important of my
predictions: Policy changes could
prevent
all of the previous predictions
from occurring. Unfortunately, that
will not occur. In due course, the Constitution
will continue to be steadily
undermined and the American Republic
further weakened.
2002 Ron Paul 25:23
During the next decade, the American
people will become poorer and less
free, while they become more dependent
on the government for economic security.
2002 Ron Paul 25:24
The war will prove to be divisive,
with emotions and hatred growing between
the various factions and special
interests that drive our policies in the
Middle East.
2002 Ron Paul 25:25
Agitation from more class warfare
will succeed in dividing us domestically,
and believe it or not, I expect
lobbyists will thrive more than ever
during the dangerous period of chaos.
2002 Ron Paul 25:26
I have no timetable for these predictions,
but just in case, keep them
around and look at them in 5 to 10
years. Let us hope and pray that I am
wrong on all accounts. If so, I will be
very pleased.
