Congratulating The People Of Taiwan For Successful Conclusion Of Presidential Elections And Reaffirming United States Policy Toward Taiwan And People’s Republic Of China
2000 Ron Paul 18:1
Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Speaker, today with H. Con.
Res. 292 Congress bestows well-deserved
congratulations upon the people of Taiwan for
the successful conclusion of presidential elections
on March 18, 2000, and for their continuing
efforts to develop and sustain a free
republic that respects individual rights and embraces
free markets. President Lee Teng-hui
of Taiwan should also be praised for his significant
contributions to freedom in Taiwan.
2000 Ron Paul 18:2
Unfortunately, because the bill pronounces
the Taiwan Relations Act (P.L. 968) as the
legal standard by which U.S. policy toward
Taiwan is governed, I cannot support the
measure. This Taiwan Relations Act, effectuated
a United States policy which recognized
an attack against Taiwan as inimical to
an attack on the United States.
2000 Ron Paul 18:3
Just as it is wrong to force our preferences
on other countries and cultures, it is wrong to
dictate politics. The United States has absolutely
no moral or constitutional right to do so.
In fact, action of that sort could rightfully be
considered an act of aggression on our part,
and our founding fathers made it very, very
clear that war should be contemplated only
when national security is immediately threatened.
to play the part of policemen of the
world degrades all who seek to follow the
Constitution. The Constitution does not allow
our government to participate in actions
against a foreign country when there is no immediate
threat to the United States.
2000 Ron Paul 18:4
Sadly, the U.S. has in recent years played
the role of world interventionist and global policeman.
Thomas Jefferson stated in his first
inaugural address: “Peace, commerce and
honest friendship with all nations — entangling
alliances with none, I deem [one of] the essential
principles of our government, and consequently
[one of] those which ought to shape
its administration.” Instead, the U.S. government
has become the government force that
unconstitutionally subsidizes one country and
then pledges taxpayer dollars and lives to fight
on behalf of that subsidized country’ enemies.
It’s the same sort of wisdom that would subsidize
tobacco farmers and pay the health
care costs of those who then choose to
smoke.
2000 Ron Paul 18:5
Each year the people of the United States
write a check to subsidize China, one of the
most brutal, anti-American regimes in the
world. It has been in vogue of late for everyone
in Washington, it seems, to eagerly denounce
the egregious abuses of the Chinese
people at the hands of the communist dictators.
Yet no one in our federal government
has been willing to take China on in any
meaningful way. Very few people realize that
China is one of the biggest beneficiaries of
American subsidization. Thanks to the largesse
of this Congress, China enjoys the flow
of U.S. taxpayers cash into Beijing’s coffers.
Yet, today we are asked to pledge support for
Taiwan when we could best demonstrate support
for Taiwan by terminating subsidies to
that country’s enemies.
2000 Ron Paul 18:6
Again, my congratulations to the Taiwanese
on their continuing efforts to develop and sustain
a free republic that respects individual
rights and embraces free markets and to
President Lee Teng-hui for his contributions to
that end.
Note:
2000 Ron Paul 18:3
to play the part of policemen of the world is at the
beginning of a sentence and probably should be capitalized:
To play the part of policemen of the world.
