Cruz defends dictators, NSA limits in security speech

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Cruz defends dictators, NSA limits in security speech

Steve Peoples, Associated Press

Updated 1:57 pm, Thursday, December 10, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) — Taking on critics in his own party, Republican presidential contender Ted Cruz on Thursday defended Middle East dictators as useful allies against Islamic extremists during a Washington address decrying political correctness and stricter gun laws as an impediment to national security.

The first-term Texas senator described "America under attack" in remarks at a conservative think tank that spanned nearly an hour. He broke no new ground, but reinforced his view that global security depends upon an aggressive and engaged America — with distinct limits. The tea party firebrand did not call for additional U.S. ground troops to confront the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, preferring instead to intensify the U.S.-led air campaign and arm regional allies.

And repeating policy prescriptions outlined during an Associated Press interview last week, he lashed out at foreign policy hawks in both parties who helped ouster dictators in Egypt, Libya and Iraq and now have the same policy for Syria.

"We've seen the catastrophic results of these myopic policies," he charged. "We will not win by replacing dictators, as unpleasant as they may be, with terrorists who want to kill us and destroy America."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Cruz-on-national-security-Dictators-OK-gun-6689270.php

[kairos12]

1. Carnival Cruise is the most dangerous Reich Wing Repug running.

[jalan48]

2. The Republican's have solidified a 'Fascist' base of for their party.

Cruz and Trump have served to legitimize this base as we move forward. How many more adherents will the base have in 2020 and beyond? I don't think this is a one-time thing, over and done with after the 2016 election. It allows people like Walker and Rubio to appear to be 'moderates', when they are not. The march of the political spectrum to the right continues unchecked. Where do the Democrats fit in? Do they become the Republican's of Bob Dole?

[DissidentVoice]

7. The Democratic Party has been dragged to the right all along

At least since Dukakis, and probably since Mondale, when both those gentlemen got squelched by the Reagan machine and the Lee Atwater Book Of Dirty Tricks, the Democratic Party has been in a tizzy about appearing "too liberal."

How do you think we got the DLC?

Barack Obama is much more like a Jerry Ford Republican than an FDR Democrat.

The far right has had an extremely powerful media machine where truth doesn't have to be a requirement - Limbaugh (I lay the vast majority of this country's divisions squarely at his feet), Hannity, Coulter, Savage, etc. - just as long as you wave the Flag and chant "USA! USA! USA!"

[Dont call me Shirley]

3. Cruz is stating out loud the unofficial official position the US warmakers have had all along. Gee,

who's your sugar daddy, teddy?

[DissidentVoice]

4. We've always had dictators as "allies"...when it suited us.

Francisco Franco.
Alberto Fujimori.
Fulgencio Bautista.
Saddam Hussein.
Augusto Pinochet.

[Broward]

5. Is Cruz on record supporting the Iraq War? If not, in a Hillary-Cruz general election matchup

he'll clearly use that vote against her.

[Reter]

10. He wasn't a politician back then, so I couldn't find anything from 2003

He says it was a mistake though.

[yuiyoshida]

6. ""We will not win by replacing dictators, as unpleasant as they may be,"

So was he for or against saddam hussein ?

[Reter]

11. I can't find anything from 2003, since he was an unknown back then

But he is on record saying the Iraqi war was a mistake.

[Ezlivin]

8. I'll gladly cheer the children of Ted Cruz as they fight on the front lines

Surely he'll have skin in the game, right?

I'm sure that his desire for endless war for endless peace will begin with close family members enlisting to take part in Operation Jesus Freedom Reagan Liberty For All.

[Reter]

9. He's wrong 99% of the time, but he's right here

I'll take Saddam, Assad, and Gaddafi any day over ISIS. It's not our business to replace dictators. It only creates terrorists. I support isolationism.

[pampango]

13. A conservative fundamentalist defending dictators. Wow! That's a surprise. Law-and-order, right?

That old liberal mantra that in the long run repressive governments create the conditions in which terrorism thrives is not 'realpolitik'? Right, Ted?

We need dictators to control the terrorism that repression of previous dictators caused? Using that 'logic' repressive dictators will be around forever saving us from 'terrorism'. Sometimes it is hard to follow right wing logic.