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May 16, 2007
Embracing the Crazy - Updated
Ron Paul: 9/11 was our fault.
I think this should be Paul's last debate. It's one thing to honestly believe that America's foreign policy is too interventionist, but it's another to suggest that we deserved or invited the attacks of September 11.
Time to cut Paul loose. Let him spread his nonsense on public access television.
The video shows Paul's statement and Rudy Giuliani's outstanding response.
UPDATE - Paul supporters, like Dar below, are attempting to clarify their candidate's statement. Here's what Paul said:
It all started when Paul was asked how September 11 changed American foreign policy. “Have you ever read the reasons they attacked us?” Paul answered. “They attack us because we’ve been over there; we’ve been bombing Iraq for ten years…”Action, reaction. Paul tried to cover by talking about "blowback," which is basically a nice way of saying we deserve what we get for meddling. In using that term, Paul is in essence giving the terrorists a pass for murdering 3,000 Americans.Questioner Wendell Goler, of Fox News, asked, “Are you suggesting we invited the 9/11 attack, sir?”
“I’m suggesting that we listen to the people who attacked us and the reason they did it,” Paul said. “They don’t come here to attack us because we’re rich and we’re free. They come and they attack us because we’re over there.”
According to Ron Paul, all we have to do to stop terrorism is pull back all of our troops, retreat into Fortress America and talk to the terrorists about their motivations.
Sounds like a plan to me!
Post Political is encouraging people to sign a petition to keep Paul out of future debates.
Posted by slublog at May 16, 2007 12:35 PM
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Comments
Ron Paul did not say that we deserved the attacks of 9/11.
The attackers are fully guilty.
However, Ron Paul is correct in saying that foreign policy led up to the events. Blowback is well-documented.
It is shameful that Giuliani would claim he had never heard of blowback. He might not agree with the magnitude of effect, but to claim he is an expert on 9/11 and say he is not aware of analyses of what lead up to it is wrong.
Posted by: Dar at May 16, 2007 01:36 AM
Hm . . . actually, that's an interesting question. Is there a difference in saying that we caused it versus saying we deserved it? I'm thinking yes, though don't take that as any sort of statement on what Paul actually said. I'm just being philosophical.
Posted by: Hal at May 16, 2007 12:50 PM
TRUTHER!!!
Heh.
What bothers me the most about Paul's statement is that blowback is simply an excuse for isolationism. The next logical step to 'we caused it' or 'we deserved it' is 'we should avoid doing that again.'
I'm not defending all of the foreign policy decisions made by the United States in history, but if we act based on how other countries might react to us in some undetermined future, we would never do anything to further American self-interests.
Posted by: Slublog at May 16, 2007 12:57 PM
I'll put it in words you can understand.
Imagine an aggressive driver, going 120 in a 60mph zone, cutting people off, zig-zagging in heavy traffic and he's the cop. Now imagine the other drivers are getting really p*ssed off about this tactic, he's causing accidents, kids are forced to stay inside and he's run down a few people. And there's no talking to him. An appropriate response would be to tap the breaks when he's behind you. Get a couple of buddies and try to slow him down or maybe even to slash his tires. An inappropriate response would be to invade his home and kill his children.
And that is what 9/11 attacks were, an inappropriate response to our foreign policy.
Europe has had to deal with Middle Eastern Terrorism spilling over into their borders for 40 years, and it's shaped their foreign policy. Up until 9/11 Middle Eastern terrorism was something that pretty much happened over there. (yes, I'm glossing over the 1993 bombing).
The Republicans except for Paul are acting like spoiled children, expecting to do anything they want, to piss off whoever they want and not have to suffer any consequences of their actions.
Posted by: Dervin at May 18, 2007 10:50 AM
"I'll put it in words you can understand?"
Hello, Dervin.
Goodbye, Dervin.
Posted by: Slublog at May 18, 2007 10:55 AM