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by RON PAUL
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Unfortunately, President Donald Trump listened to the neocons and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu instead of his MAGA base and other voices of caution as he launched a surprise attack on Iran over the weekend. For the second time in nine months, the U.S. administration used negotiations with Iran as a cover to launch a pre-planned attack.
Last week’s talks produced “progress” according to all sides, with technical teams set to meet this week to work out the details. President Trump, however, suddenly announced that he was not happy with the talks because the Iranian side refused to say “the magic words” that they would not pursue nuclear weapons.
But Iran has been insisting for decades that they have no interest in producing a nuclear weapon and our own intelligence has confirmed that they are not doing so.
Shortly after President Trump’s announcement, the U.S. and Israel launched their attack, killing Iran’s religious leader along with some 40 other political and military leaders in a “decapitation” strike.
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RELATED | WAR WITH IRAN
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It was supposed to be like the Venezuela operation. Quick and painless for the U.S. Kill the leadership and the long-suffering people would take to the streets and reclaim their country. It may make a good plot for a Hollywood movie, but in real life these regime change operations have never worked. Millions did take to the streets in Iran, but it was to mourn the slain Ayatollah and to reaffirm support for their government.
Just like we “rallied around the flag” after the attacks on 9/11.
Quickly, Iranian retaliation for the attacks began to take their toll on U.S. assets and Israel. U.S. soldiers have been killed and U.S. fighter jets have been shot down. U.S. bases in the region are either damaged or destroyed. Likewise, U.S. embassies and consulates have come under attack, including by Iraqis likely still furious over the US destruction of their country 20 years ago.
And, with the Pentagon warning that the operation may go weeks instead of days, we are quickly running out of missiles.
Billions of dollars have already been spent on this unprovoked attack, and when the smoke clears – if it does – we may see hundreds of billions or maybe much more having been wasted on yet another Middle East war. Just what President Trump promised he would not do.
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The neocon “cakewalk” crowd, including Lindsey Graham and others, have been proven wrong again. Tragically, more American servicemembers may die while the neocons blame someone else for the fiasco they helped launch.
Netanyahu said of the U.S./Israeli attack that “this combination of forces enables us to do what I have longed to do for 40 years…”
But the purpose of the U.S. military is not to fulfill the decades-old wishes of foreign leaders. There is a good reason we have a Constitution that says only Congress can declare war.
Launching a military strike during negotiations will have lasting negative effects for the United States. Who would ever trust U.S. diplomacy again if talks are used as a distraction for pre-planned attacks?
The administration is doing its best to spin this unfolding disaster as all going according to plan, but what is the plan? No one knows. Do they know?
Here’s a plan: End this today. Return the destroyed U.S. bases to the countries where they are located. And just come home. That is what a real “America first” movement looks like.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Ron Paul is a former U.S. Congressman from Texas and the leader of the pro-liberty, pro-free market movement in the United States. His weekly column – reprinted with permission – can be found here.
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7 comments
Trumpstein was never “America First”. He is Israel First. Always has been. Always will be. Let the lame excuses from the Trumptards flow.
Your bad head is noted.
Paul is boring, too
Retard alert
I wish Ron Paul was president
I do, too! I really believe he was our last chance to right this country. Sadly, it was not to be.
Ronnie and Rando are part of the party that keeps perpetrating it. Are we going to bust out the trusty, never dusty “Republicans” to pretend like the Wonder Paul Twins aren’t the actual RINOs? Because most of the GOP are chickenhawks with war boners at all of this.
It is funny though, when it comes to the Republican party, Ron is the one thing he never wanted to be – a minority! Hahaha!
Once again, it is time to remind the people of the Trump Family history. The Trumps came to America in 1875. Don’s Grandfather was a draft dodger and fled his native Bavaria to avoid military service. When he arrived in America, he made a small fortune from sex trafficking women in Seattle. He then moved to the Yukon Territory, where he continued his sex trafficking operation. (A worst of the worst immigrant, if you will) When he returned to the US, he and his wife decided they wanted to return to Bavaria, but Bavaria would not take him back because he was a draft dodger.
Since Frederick Drumph k/k/a Frederick Trump came to this country, not one of his descendants has ever served in the armed forces of this nation. Not one.
Given their history, is there any reason to doubt that the Trumps feel no obligation to serve their country? They are not patriots, and they never had any problem with Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. As Don said, “Palm Beach in the 80s was a different time.” This war is about covering up Don’s involvement with Epstein.