Ron Paul-The Appeasement Candidate

Ron Paul's view of what American foreign policy should be is so simple it could be explained in a picture, a man whose head is firmly planted in the sand.

It's one thing to believe that American troops are deployed in too many places across the world, even to believe that we have been engaged in too many conflicts. But its something all together different to believe that there should be no U.S. Military personnel overseas and to close your eyes to what is happening in the world around you.

Today the Texas congressman was on CBS's Face The Nation where he claimed US interventionist foreign policy helped to cause 9/11. 

Paul, said US intervention abroad was triggering the ire of violent extremists motivated to act because "we don?t like American bombs to be falling on our country."

"I think there's an influence," Paul told CBS television's "Face the Nation."

"That's exactly what the 9/11 Commission said. That's what the DoD (Department of Defense) has said. That's also what the CIA has said. That's what a lot of researchers have said."

And Paul said that if he became president, he would pull US troops out of bases overseas, claiming that defenses like submarines would be powerful enough as deterrents.

I would argue the opposite, years of world-wide appeasement of terrorists led to 9/11.  When the western world, for example, began to treat Yassir Arafat as a statesman, they were also turning extremists into terrorists by showing that terrorism was a legitimate means of getting what you want from the international community.  It wasn't that America was too involved overseas that helped to cause 9/11 it was the fact that we were too quick to appease.

But if it was up to Ron Paul there would be even more appeasement coming out of Washington DC

Paul has often sparred with his party rivals on US foreign policy, parting with them by criticizing waterboarding and advocating outreach to Iran despite its nuclear ambitions.

"I think the greatest danger now is for us to overreact," Paul said after a report by the UN nuclear watchdog strongly suggested Iran was researching nuclear weapons under cover of civilian activities.

"Iran doesn't have a bomb. There's no proof, regardless of this recent report. And for us to overreact and to talk about bombing Iran, that's much more dangerous."

Paul ignores the fact that Obama tried the outreach thing when he got into office, but his outstretched hand was smacked away by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And while he may not think so, the latest  UN report was significant it proves what many of us already knew, Iran was developing nuclear weapons.

There are many reasons Ron Paul should not be president, his vile bigotry against Blacks, Gays and Jews is certainly one reason, but so is the fact that as president his foreign policy would involve sticking America's head in the sand. Everyone knows when you stick your head in the sand, you make it much easier for your arse to be kicked.