HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, February 25, 1998
1998 Ron Paul 21:1
Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recommend
to my colleagues the following article
by a young writher, R.C. Sproul, Jr., the son
of the remarkable theologian and author. While this article is indeed instructive and important
in regards to the recent situation with
Iraq, I believe that the author does a fine job
addressing the much broader topic of following
the Constitution in all matters, including those
of inciting war and promoting peace. His article
was written for CovSyn, which is a publication
of the Kuyper Institute, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
1998 Ron Paul 21:2
Our founding fathers formed our government
to ensure that no single person could
have complete power or authority over any aspect
of government; to give anyone that kind
of power is to invite tyranny.
1998 Ron Paul 21:3
I urge my colleagues to read and consider
Mr. Sproul’s article. We all took an oath to uphold
the Constitution: an oath which we must
take seriously if we are to promote liberty,
peace and civil society.
When was the last time the United States
went to war? That’s not exactly an easy
question to answer. If, however, the Constitution
is in fact the law of the land, the
answer is December 8, 1941. You see, the Constitution
says that only the Congress has the
power to declare war on another nation. That would seem to mean that without such
a declaration, there is no war. Some kept
this pretense the first time the United
States went to war after World War II. Some
called the Korean War a “police action.”
Vietnam, though there was again no declaration
of war, was known as a war.
1998 Ron Paul 21:5
Since Vietnam U.S. soldiers have shot at
soldiers from other countries, and been shot
at, in Libya, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, the
former Yugoslavia, and Iraq. And it appears
we’re going to non-war again in Iraq sometime
soon. Where, to quote Mr. Dole, is the
outrage? How is it that the Constitution can
be so brazenly ignored?
1998 Ron Paul 21:6
Some argue that in an age of intercontinental
ballistic missiles, that the requirement
for a Congressional declaration is outdated. In none of the above “non-wars” however,
have such missiles constituted a treat
to American safety. And even if such were
the case, why not change the Constitution to
reflect the current situation?
1998 Ron Paul 21:7
Others suggest that we have no need for
this old rule since we now have the “War
Powers Act” which gives congressional approval
for the President to use the military
freely within a certain time frame. But
that’s not at all the same thing. The Constitution
no where gives the Congress the
right to shirk their role as declarers of war.
1998 Ron Paul 21:8
Still others try to argue that the United
Nations security council now serves that
role. Again though, the Constitution says
nothing about giving them this role. Neither
does it say that a sufficient number of handshakes
with Madelaine Albright shall be a
substitute for Congressional action.
1998 Ron Paul 21:9
And still some go on insisting that these
conflicts aren’t wars. With the U.S.S. Nimitz
in the Suez Canal, with 3,000 ground troops
being sent to join the 1,500 already in Kuwait,
with Stealth bombers lined up and
ready to go, this is nonsense. When soldiers
shoot at each other, whether they’re in a
foxhole, or in a room full of computers, or
35,000 feet in the air, that’s war.
1998 Ron Paul 21:10
The only explanation I can think of is that
no one really knows what the Constitution
says. And while I’m not surprised that government
school products would be ignorant
(how can they know the Constitution when
they can’t read it?), what frightens me is
that each and every soldier, from the buck
private loading the cargo planes, to the lieutenants
fresh out of ROTC, to the
Commander-in-Chief, all of them have take a solemn
oath to uphold and protect the Constitution.
1998 Ron Paul 21:11
These United States are no longer operating
under the Constitution. We, like those
great nations which have come and gone before
us, have sunk to the level of empire.
1998 Ron Paul 21:12
And you, friend, are no free man or woman,
but just another subject. Remember that as
you wave that flag in honor of the bombing
heroes.
Notes:
1998 Ron Paul Chapter 21
The text of this chapter was inserted in the section of CongressionalRecord entitled “Extensions of Remarks” and was not spoken on the House floor.
1998 Ron Paul 21:1 a young writher probably should have been a young writer.
1998 Ron Paul 21:6 a treat to American safety appears thus in CongressionalRecord and perhaps
