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alp227

(31,962 posts)
Fri Apr 12, 2013, 07:23 PM Apr 2013

Ron Paul to launch foreign policy institute (Dennis Kucinich joins board)

Source: USA Today

Ron Paul's post-congressional life is about to include a new project devoted to foreign policy.

The former Texas lawmaker, GOP presidential candidate and libertarian hero is launching the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, aimed at advancing a non-interventionist foreign policy and civil liberties.

"The neo-conservative era is dead," reads the media advisory announcing the project on Paul's Facebook page. "The ill-advised policies pushed by the neo-cons have everywhere led to chaos and destruction, and to a hatred of the United States and its people."

Paul, who retired from Congress in January, was criticized by his GOP presidential rivals in 2012 for his views on foreign policy, particularly his hands-off approach when it came to Iran and its nuclear ambitions. He once said tougher sanctions on Iran would amount to "acts of war" and often said the United States should adopt a "golden rule" in its foreign policy.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2013/04/12/ron-paul-foreign-policy-institute-peace/2078717/



Among its board members...DENNIS KUCINICH!!!!
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Ron Paul to launch foreign policy institute (Dennis Kucinich joins board) (Original Post) alp227 Apr 2013 OP
This should be interesting, indeed. Rand, you keeping up wit yo 'daddy'? lol Purveyor Apr 2013 #1
And with Dennis.... 24601 Apr 2013 #2
prospeity ? kardonb Apr 2013 #16
What a profit center! Rakes in the donations... reACTIONary Apr 2013 #32
The isolationist Ron Paul? bluedigger Apr 2013 #3
I'm ready for a good dose of 'isolationship' myself. Our country is broke and past time we clean Purveyor Apr 2013 #18
He's not an isolationist for wide open assault weapons markets; what does THAT tell us??? patrice Apr 2013 #31
There are anti-interventionist impulses on both the right and the left. Comrade Grumpy Apr 2013 #4
So from the adage that you judge a person by the company that he/she keeps, is Paul now 24601 Apr 2013 #5
Neither, they are both just interested in this one area newthinking Apr 2013 #6
However, they are on opposite ends of one of the biggest issues in this area. Kucinich is 24601 Apr 2013 #7
'Iran go nuclear"? They are building nuclear power plants for energy consumption are they are Purveyor Apr 2013 #20
Nice data dump but it wasn't on point - Paul fines nothing wring with Iran having a nuclear 24601 Apr 2013 #38
Cool! I'm glad Kucinich is on board. ZombieHorde Apr 2013 #8
I think Ron Paul would have made an excellent Sec Def. AtheistCrusader Apr 2013 #10
That is one thing I can agree with Paul on - foreign policy Mnpaul Apr 2013 #19
+1000 DeSwiss Apr 2013 #15
Ron and Dennis kardonb Apr 2013 #17
Do write a blog to summarize your career in Congress and as mayor Kolesar Apr 2013 #21
don't forget taking down the mafia in Cleveland. nt awoke_in_2003 Apr 2013 #36
Only congressmen and mayors are allowed to post opinions here? tabasco Apr 2013 #42
Happy boy is back! eom Kolesar Apr 2013 #43
+ 10 (nt) reACTIONary Apr 2013 #33
So how do you feel about his support of wide open assault weapons markets in the world's poor patrice Apr 2013 #28
This is excellent news, and exactly what needs to happen. woo me with science Apr 2013 #44
This is one of the many reasons why I never liked Dennis. iandhr Apr 2013 #9
I know right, Kucinich doesn't like dropping bombs on brown people all day long. AtheistCrusader Apr 2013 #11
What kind of an American iandhr Apr 2013 #24
Why don't you ask Kucinich if he belives Paul believes any of that stuff. AtheistCrusader Apr 2013 #25
No, he's just willing to support freelance killing with the unregulated assault weapons markets patrice Apr 2013 #29
A rich man? Kucinich? Never. MuseRider Apr 2013 #40
This is a complete misrepresentation of American foriegn policy... reACTIONary Apr 2013 #34
Back in the '60s we hippies noticed those amongst us who had what we called, at that patrice Apr 2013 #35
Had to check the date. Robb Apr 2013 #12
Kucinich's career is instructive. crim son Apr 2013 #13
+1 XemaSab Apr 2013 #23
He thinks anarchy is good because he's a rich man. nt patrice Apr 2013 #30
K&R DeSwiss Apr 2013 #14
Also on the board: Andrew Napolitano, Walter 'Freedom Fries' Jones, and Lew Rockwell muriel_volestrangler Apr 2013 #22
yeah, that's an ugly bunch to be associated with... Blue_Tires Apr 2013 #46
This does not surprise me in the least. graham4anything Apr 2013 #26
Kucinich is window-dressing for SLAVING Libertarians in poor countries. It will look just fine patrice Apr 2013 #27
Good. We need all the kooks in one spot. DemocraticProse Apr 2013 #37
Good one davidpdx Apr 2013 #39
The Christian fundamentalism behind Ron Paul's home-schooling curriculum muriel_volestrangler Apr 2013 #41
Good! We need to be able to unite against immoral, predatory policies. woo me with science Apr 2013 #45
 

kardonb

(777 posts)
16. prospeity ?
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 01:51 AM
Apr 2013

mostly his own I suspect . He will get a healthy salary as head of a useless outfit . What experience has he in Foreign Policy ? ZERO !

reACTIONary

(5,749 posts)
32. What a profit center! Rakes in the donations...
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 12:07 PM
Apr 2013

... and his "foreign policy" is already developed and established - NO foreign policy - Zero policy, Zero cost! Pure profit!

 

Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
18. I'm ready for a good dose of 'isolationship' myself. Our country is broke and past time we clean
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 02:02 AM
Apr 2013

up and repair our own backyard before peaking over the fence to see what 'others' need.

 

Comrade Grumpy

(13,184 posts)
4. There are anti-interventionist impulses on both the right and the left.
Fri Apr 12, 2013, 09:32 PM
Apr 2013

Though you would think the broader contradictions between the two ideological projects would blow this up real quick.

24601

(3,940 posts)
5. So from the adage that you judge a person by the company that he/she keeps, is Paul now
Fri Apr 12, 2013, 09:54 PM
Apr 2013

good because he's associating with Kucinich? Conversely, is Kucinich now bad because he's choosing to associate with Paul?

newthinking

(3,982 posts)
6. Neither, they are both just interested in this one area
Fri Apr 12, 2013, 09:58 PM
Apr 2013

Kucinich was an advocate for a "Department of Peace". This looks like they are involved in an institute working around making peace. I see no inconsistancy here.

What this says to me is that both of them are not so heavily partisan that they can't work on common ground.

24601

(3,940 posts)
7. However, they are on opposite ends of one of the biggest issues in this area. Kucinich is
Fri Apr 12, 2013, 10:08 PM
Apr 2013

strongly opposed to nuclear proliferation while Paul has said it's even OK for Iran to go nuclear. How do these positions, if sincere, have any true middle ground?

 

Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
20. 'Iran go nuclear"? They are building nuclear power plants for energy consumption are they are
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 02:13 AM
Apr 2013

allowed to do under the NPT.

Israeli media/lobby propaganda is quite efficient in convincing many the intent is to build a nuclear bomb. Reminds one of the Iraq WMD effort, eh?

Even so, who the hell wouldn't blame Iran if the did want to build 'the bomb' after they witnessed what happened to Iraq? Seriously...

Lest we not forget one of the biggest 'cheerleaders' of our bastard invasion of Iraq:

Israel To U.S.: Don't Delay Iraq Attack

Israel is urging U.S. officials not to delay a military strike against Iraq's Saddam Hussein, an aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Friday.

Israeli intelligence officials have gathered evidence that Iraq is speeding up efforts to produce biological and chemical weapons, said Sharon aide Ranaan Gissin.

"Any postponement of an attack on Iraq at this stage will serve no purpose," Gissin said. "It will only give him (Saddam) more of an opportunity to accelerate his program of weapons of mass destruction."

The United States has been considering a military campaign against Iraq to remove Saddam from power, listing him as one of the world's main terrorist regimes. However, there is considerable world opposition to a U.S. strike.

As evidence of Iraq's weapons building activities, Israel points to an order Saddam gave to Iraq's Atomic Energy Commission last week to speed up its work, Gissin said.

"Saddam's going to be able to reach a point where these weapons will be operational," he said.

Meanwhile, Iraq told the United Nations on Friday that it will continue to discuss the return of U.N. weapons inspectors, but it insisted on conditions that Secretary-General Kofi Annan has already rejected.

In a 10-page letter to Annan, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri reaffirmed an Iraqi offer to hold a round of technical negotiations but he insisted they focus on outstanding issues related to Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction as well as "practical arrangements for the return of the inspection system in the future."

Sabri was replying to a letter from Annan that rejected Iraq's proposal to have chief weapons inspector Hans Blix and Iraqi experts determine outstanding disarmament issues of mass destruction and figure out how to resolve them before inspectors return to the country.

Also on Friday, President Bush said he knows there are "very intelligent people" who doubt the wisdom of attacking Iraq.

But he says Saddam Hussein is "thumbing his nose at the world" -- and must be ousted.

Speaking to reporters near his Texas ranch, the president vowed to make his own decision -- based on the best intelligence available.

Gissin also said Israel was not seeking to dictate the timing of a U.S. military campaign but said that, faced with the threat of one, Saddam was fast developing weapons.

While the Israeli government backs U.S. action against Iraq, there is also concern in Israel that in response, Iraq would launch missile attacks against Tel Aviv and other cities in Israel.

During the 1991 Gulf War, in which U.S.-led forces pushed back an Iraqi invasion of neighboring Kuwait, Iraq hit Israel with 39 Scud missiles — none of them with chemical or biological warheads — causing few casualties but extensive damage.

In an interview published Friday, Ben-Eliezer told the daily Yediot Ahronot that Israel would surely become a target during such a conflict and would consider retaliation in coordination with U.S. forces.

"We will be one of the main targets," he told the newspaper. "What I told the Americans, and I repeat it: 'Don't expect us to continue to live with the process of restraint. If they hit us, we reserve the right of response.'"

Iraq has few chemical and biological weapons, Ben-Eliezer said. "We are taking this into account and we are prepared. But we are so far away from this right now that all this hysteria is simply unnecessary," he said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/18/world/main519037.shtml

24601

(3,940 posts)
38. Nice data dump but it wasn't on point - Paul fines nothing wring with Iran having a nuclear
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 01:54 PM
Apr 2013

weapon and Kucinich does not. From your words, inference is you stand with Paul - not a crime to have your beliefs - I just disagree with you and Paul, as does the President.

ZombieHorde

(29,047 posts)
8. Cool! I'm glad Kucinich is on board.
Fri Apr 12, 2013, 10:19 PM
Apr 2013

I strongly disagree with most of Paul's policies, but I generally agree with him on the issue of war.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
10. I think Ron Paul would have made an excellent Sec Def.
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 12:01 AM
Apr 2013

Not kidding.

Bring them home.

(I wouldn't trust him anywhere else in the Government. Maybe outside the government as the chairman of the Federal Reserve. )

Mnpaul

(3,655 posts)
19. That is one thing I can agree with Paul on - foreign policy
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 02:13 AM
Apr 2013

His rant on the Iraq war was great. Paper tiger Reagan - lol.

 

kardonb

(777 posts)
17. Ron and Dennis
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 01:53 AM
Apr 2013

nothing but a couple of cheap publicity hounds . Something to leap them " relevant " .

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)
21. Do write a blog to summarize your career in Congress and as mayor
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 06:05 AM
Apr 2013

I would like to read how it's supposed to be done

patrice

(47,992 posts)
28. So how do you feel about his support of wide open assault weapons markets in the world's poor
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 11:27 AM
Apr 2013

countries? http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022193033

Really, I am asking, because I don't understand something. How does this work for you? To me, it looks like you're saying killing is okay as long as it is freelance. I'm wrong about that, right? You couldn't support such a position, could you? Please tell me what I have wrong here.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
44. This is excellent news, and exactly what needs to happen.
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 01:25 PM
Apr 2013

We need to stop playing the one percent's "circle the wagons around party" game and start uniting based on issues.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
11. I know right, Kucinich doesn't like dropping bombs on brown people all day long.
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 12:02 AM
Apr 2013

What kind of American is he anyway?



( )

iandhr

(6,852 posts)
24. What kind of an American
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 09:35 AM
Apr 2013

who calls himself a progressive associate himself with a big time racist.

Some of Ron Paul's work,

", ‘Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5 percent of blacks have sensible political opinions.’

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/12/27/395391/fact-check-ron-paul-personally-defended-racist-newsletters/

On the LA riots.
“Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to pick up their welfare checks three days after rioting began. ... What if the checks had never arrived? No doubt the blacks would have fully privatized the welfare state through continued looting. But they were paid off and the violence subsided.”

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/98883/ron-paul-incendiary-newsletters-exclusive

Or gay bashing is more your thing.

"The June 1990 issue of the Political Report says: “I miss the closet. Homosexuals, not to speak of the rest of society, were far better off when social pressure forced them to hide their activities.”


http://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/98883/ron-paul-incendiary-newsletters-exclusive

Why is Dennis associating himself with a bigot?

patrice

(47,992 posts)
29. No, he's just willing to support freelance killing with the unregulated assault weapons markets
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 11:31 AM
Apr 2013

that Ron and Rand Paul are protecting for the NRA http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022193033

All of that to avoid engaging the U.N. so we could push for reform there and, thus, acquire pressure to change the IMF, the source of Disaster Capitalism around the world that is creating all of the assault weapons' profits for war profiteers which leads then, eventually, to drone programs.

Dennis K. thinks anarchy is good because he's a rich man.

MuseRider

(34,060 posts)
40. A rich man? Kucinich? Never.
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 10:15 PM
Apr 2013

From Answers :

What is Dennis Kucinich net worth?

Answer:
The simple answer as listed by Source Watch.com is between $2,000.00 and $32,000.00.

Kucinich is one of Congress's least wealthy members.

Now for the more complex answer.

In personal finance, net worth (or weath) refers to an individual's net economic position; similarly, it uses the value of all assets (long term assets) minus the value of all liabilities.

The FEC report showed assets between $196,000 and $352,000.

But after you remove the liabilities it is around $32k... on the high end.


Now if you are talking about his life I think he would consider himself a rich man indeed.

reACTIONary

(5,749 posts)
34. This is a complete misrepresentation of American foriegn policy...
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 12:17 PM
Apr 2013

... we are perfectly willing and capable of bombing any of the peoples of this world, regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion.

patrice

(47,992 posts)
35. Back in the '60s we hippies noticed those amongst us who had what we called, at that
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 12:18 PM
Apr 2013

time, a bad case of "guru-eyes".

They were the kind of people who used "enlightenment" as a status symbol. They'd walk into a party and it wouldn't be five minutes before everyone had to hear their more-enlightened-than-thou ponitifications, delivered with this sanctimonious expression especially if they were challenged in any way, and/or their stories about their trip to this or that ultimate ashram, where it turned out that they just happened to be THE agent of everyone else's progression.

THAT's Dennis Kucinich. There's this bloodless thing that some seekers get into, reinforced & rewarded by some aspects of Zen Buddhism that appear to justify and even make holy an attitude that some of recognize as "Shit happens and that's okay as long as it isn't in my own nice tidy holy world."

crim son

(27,462 posts)
13. Kucinich's career is instructive.
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 12:27 AM
Apr 2013

Unfortunately it teaches us that there is no f***ing way to guess who is and is not genuine in the political world. Wow.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,154 posts)
22. Also on the board: Andrew Napolitano, Walter 'Freedom Fries' Jones, and Lew Rockwell
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 06:59 AM
Apr 2013
Founder, Chairman, and CEO Dr. Paul has invited the Institute’s board of advisors to speak at the conference, including Rep. Walter Jones, Jr. (NC), Rep. John Duncan, Jr. (TN), former Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH), Judge Andrew Napolitano, Ambassador Faith Whittlesey, and Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/135498.html


(apologies for the source - but that's what we're dealing with here)

That's the Andrew Napolitano who called himself "the Ayn Rand of Fox News"; Walter Jones Jr. who was such an enthusiastic supporter of invading Iraq he co-sponsored the 'Freedom Fries' idiocy - but then had second thoughts when he saw what a clusterfuck it was; Faith "Iran Contra" Whittlesey; And Lew Rockwell, ground zero for libertarianism and the Austrian economics that it demanding austerity and a quick return to the policies that screwed the world economy up in the first place.John Duncan, as far as I can tell, has been a consistent non-interventionist Republican, so you probably know what you're getting with him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Napolitano
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_B._Jones,_Jr.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_Whittlesey#Iran-Contra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Rockwell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Duncan_%28U.S._politician%29

There is no way Kucinich is going to achieve anything with this bunch of opportunists and nutters.

Blue_Tires

(55,445 posts)
46. yeah, that's an ugly bunch to be associated with...
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 03:45 PM
Apr 2013

sadly Dennis has been persona non grata in the 'mainstream' democratic party, so I guess he's trying to get in wherever he fits in...

 

graham4anything

(11,464 posts)
26. This does not surprise me in the least.
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 11:14 AM
Apr 2013

I forecast things like this the other day and well it is Sunny in Philadelphia today.
As predicted last week.

patrice

(47,992 posts)
27. Kucinich is window-dressing for SLAVING Libertarians in poor countries. It will look just fine
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 11:22 AM
Apr 2013

means of the art of Plausible Deniability.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
39. Good one
Sat Apr 13, 2013, 10:00 PM
Apr 2013

But we are still missing at least a couple dozen easily. The sad fact is there are so many of these types most of them on the other side: Palin, Brewer, Scott, Walker, McDonnell, Perry, and the list goes on...

Edit: Welcome to DU

muriel_volestrangler

(101,154 posts)
41. The Christian fundamentalism behind Ron Paul's home-schooling curriculum
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 12:34 PM
Apr 2013
Do supporters of the small-government libertarian realise how wedded Paul is to a rigidly dogmatic religious conservatism?

Former Representative Ron Paul's announcement this week of the upcoming launch of his eponymous home-schooling curriculum makes clear that the end of his career as a gadfly Republican presidential candidate does not spell the end of his role at the helm of a movement aimed at transforming the way Americans think about government – and God.
...
Paul's advocacy of home-schooling is not just about getting kids out of what home-schoolers disparagingly call "government schools". It's not just about teaching them that government should be small and largely inconsequential. It's based on the idea that the government is largely illegitimate, and that one must create a society in which the populace will follow "moral" (that is, biblical) laws, rather than the laws created by an overzealous, tyrannical government.
...
Paul's new director of curriculum development is Gary North, the son-in-law of Christian Reconstructionism founder RJ Rushdoony. Reconstructionism is a movement based on the claim that God granted only limited "jurisdiction" to government, and that biblical law should supplant civil law in all but a handful of circumstances.
...
North has described his late father-in-law's 1963 book, The Messianic Character of American Education, as "a highly condensed, thoroughly documented, and theologically astute critique of the educational philosophies of over two dozen of the major founders and philosophers of American progressive education, from Horace Mann to John Dewey. Nothing like it had ever been published before, and nothing equal to it has been published since." A leading architect of a Reconstructionist view of economics – and a former congressional staffer to Paul – North says in an introductory video on the Ron Paul curriculum website that it will "teach the biblical principle of self-government and personal responsibility".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/12/christian-fundamentalism-ron-paul-homeschooling


No good can come of cooperating with Ron Paul.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
45. Good! We need to be able to unite against immoral, predatory policies.
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 01:33 PM
Apr 2013

Note how the one percent stokes and uses rabid partisanship to ensure that we circle the wagons around policies that are destroying all of us.

They want us so revolted by the thought of ever agreeing with a Republican or libertarian on anything, that we will defend the indefensible status quo and pass up opportunities to unite against the unconscionable.

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