1997 Ron Paul 49:1
Mr. PAUL (during the reading).
Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent the amendment be considered as read and printed in the RECORD.
1997 Ron Paul 49:2
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
1997 Ron Paul 49:3
Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment is not complex; it is very simple. If it is passed, we would get out of the United Nations, and there is a lot of people in this country who do not believe the United Nations has served us well and believe we should not be in the United Nations, and I think that we should consider this very seriously today.
1997 Ron Paul 49:4
The American people, many now are concerned that our sovereignty is being attacked in many ways; one by the United Nations membership in the United Nations. Today we have, of course, the IMF and the World Bank that we have been involved in a long time, and just recently we had joined the World Trade Organization, which is another international government agency and government body that usurps our rights and our privileges and interferes with our legislative process, especially in the area of environmentalism and labor law.
1997 Ron Paul 49:5
Our Constitution does not give us the authority to sell our sovereignty to an international government body, and even under the treaty provisions of the Constitution it is not permissible. The treaty provision does not allow us, for instance, to undermine the Bill of Rights. Therefore, giving up our national sovereignty through a treaty, an agreement to serve or participate in the United Nations, is not legitimate.
1997 Ron Paul 49:6
The movement we have seen here in the last several years has been toward
managed trade. It has been managed trade in the name of free trade. But instead of free trade we get more government organizations and more international controls over our lives.
1997 Ron Paul 49:7
We have seen in the last several decades loss of American lives serving under the UN banner. The American people are now sick and tired of seeing U.S. troops serving under foreign commanders under the UN banner. We were humiliated in Somalia as dead American troops were dragged through the street, and it is time we question this, whether this is to our benefit. Our national sovereignty is not served.
1997 Ron Paul 49:8
Just recently the President gave a speech at the graduation ceremony at West Point. He says in the years ahead it means that one could be asked to put their life on the line for a new NATO member just as today one can be called upon to defend the freedom of our allies in Western Europe. That is not part of the American system.
1997 Ron Paul 49:9
Yes, we are obligated to provide a strong national defense, but there is no way that the American taxpayer is obligated to make an attempt to provide freedom throughout the world and defend everybody that has a problem. The whole notion that we can be the peacemaker where there have been wars going on for thousands of years is preposterous. This is one way for us to get very much involved in battles that we do not need to be involved.
1997 Ron Paul 49:10
I see our involvement in the United Nations and placing of troops around the world as a threat to our national security. We are low on funds, and we are spending way too much money. Since 1945, we have spent over a hundred or nearly $100 billion in UN efforts.
1997 Ron Paul 49:11
Some would say is that not wonderful? Look at what we have done. We have the Soviet Union has disintegrated over this type of policy and working through the UN, but that is not the reason the UN disintegrated, or the Soviet Union disintegrated. It is because they had bad economic policy and it was destined that they would disintegrate. We cannot be the peacemaker.
1997 Ron Paul 49:12
And there is another reason why we get so much involved with these UN organizations and UN functions, and that has to do with the many corporations that have influence with policy here. So when we go into Bosnia and we send troops there or send troops into Haiti, sure enough there are some very wealthy American corporations who are bound to get their contracts to go in, and they can very frequently be the strongest lobbyists for our intervention in these countries around the world.
1997 Ron Paul 49:13
Some argue that we are the only superpower left and therefore we must fill the gap. I think that is a very good argument for starting to bring our legions home. How long do we have to police the world? Will we ever come to our senses? Are we going to drive ourselves into a bankruptcy before we
come to our senses and decide that maybe we have extended ourselves too far?
1997 Ron Paul 49:14
We have recently seen that under treaties by international treaties and UN treaties that even our parks are marked by UN functionaries; that is, there is an influence in the management and supervision coming from the United Nations. This is not permissible under our Constitution.
