SPEECH OF
HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Monday, May 24, 2010
2010 Ron Paul 24:1
Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Speaker I rise in opposition
to this legislation not because I do not wish to
express sympathy to those killed in the recent
sinking of a South Korean naval vessel near
the border with North Korea, but rather because
I object strongly to the threatening and
militaristic language in this resolution. I do not
believe Congressional expressions of sympathy
for those who have lost their lives
should include language that further escalates
an already volatile situation on the Korean peninsula.
At a time when the United States
maintains nearly 30,000 troops in South
Korea, serving as a tripwire for an American
response should hostilities break out between
North and South, this resolution should, if anything,
counsel caution and diplomacy rather
than urge the U.S. government
“to take other
appropriate actions in response to the sinking
of the ROKS Cheonan and other hostile acts
of North Korea.”
Further, in reaffirming the
United StatesÃ
“enduring commitment to the
. . . security of the Republic of Korea,”
this
resolution signals a U.S. willingness to commit
military force should the current escalation in
tensions continue between North and South.
2010 Ron Paul 24:2
It is difficult to imagine a more dangerous or
inappropriate time for such statements. I believe
this unfortunate incident should instead
serve as a wake-up call for the United States
to re-assess its military presence in South
Korea in particular and Asia in general. Maintaining
the U.S. global empire is costing us
one trillion dollars per year and is undermining
rather than contributing to peace and stability.
The North and South Koreans have all the incentive
to reach a peaceful solution to their
long-standing conflict and have made strides
recently in that direction. The U.S. military
presence in South Korea some 50 years after
the Korean War is an impediment to that
progress and should be ended immediately.
