[THS] Ron Paul: Who Wants War?

[Peter Webster]

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24133.htm

Who Wants War?

By Ron Paul

December 08, 2009 "Information Clearing House " -- If anyone still doubted that this
administration's foreign policy would bring any kind of change, this week's debate on
Afghanistan should remove all doubt. The President's stated justifications for sending
more troops to Afghanistan and escalating war amount to little more than recycling
all the false reasons we began the conflict. It is so discouraging to see this coming
from our new leadership, when the people were hoping for peace. New polls show
that 49% of the people favor minding our own business on the world stage, up from
30% in 2002. Perpetual war is not solving anything. Indeed continually seeking out
monsters to destroy abroad only threatens our security here at home as international
resentment against us builds. The people understand this and are becoming
increasingly frustrated at not being heard by the decision-makers. The leaders say
some things the people want to hear, but change never comes.

One has to ask, if the people who elected these leaders so obviously do not want
these wars, who does? Eisenhower warned of the increasing power and influence of
the military industrial complex and it seems his worst fears have come true. He
believed in a strong national defense, as do I, but warned that the building up of
permanent military and weapons industries could prove dangerous if their influence
got out of hand. After all, if you make your money on war, peace does you no good.
With trillions of dollars at stake, there is tremendous incentive to keep the decision
makers fearful of every threat in the world, real or imagined, present or future, no
matter how ridiculous and far-fetched. The Bush Doctrine demonstrates how very
successful the war lobby was philosophically with the last administration. And they
are succeeding just as well with this one, in spite of having the so-called "peace
candidate" in office.

We now find ourselves in another foreign policy quagmire with little hope of victory,
and not even a definition of victory. Eisenhower said that only an alert and informed
electorate could keep these war racketeering pressures at bay. He was right, and the
key is for the people to ensure that their elected leaders follow the Constitution. The
Constitution requires a declaration of war by Congress in order to legitimately go to
war. Bypassing this critical step makes it far too easy to waste resources on nebulous
and never-ending conflicts. Without clear goals, the conflicts last forever and drain
the country of blood and treasure. The drafters of the Constitution gave Congress the
power to declare war precisely because they feared allowing the executive unfettered
discretion in military affairs. They understood that making it easy for leaders to wage
foreign wars would threaten domestic liberties.

Responses to attacks on our soil should be swift and brief. Wars we fight should
always be defensive, clearly defined and Constitutional. The Bush Doctrine of
targeting potential enemies before they do anything to us is dangerously vague and
easily abused. There is nothing left to win in Afghanistan and everything to lose.
Today's military actions are yet another futile exercise in nation building and have
nothing to do with our nation's security, or with 9/11. Most experts agree that Bin
Laden and anyone remotely connected to 9/11 left Afghanistan long ago, but our
troops remain. The pressures of the war racketeers need to be put in check before
we are brought to our knees by them. Unfortunately, it will require a mighty effort by
the people to get the leadership to finally listen.

Ron Paul is a Republican congressman from Texas.