Rand Paul: It’s time to end foreign aid, including aid to Israel
posted at 7:42 pm on January 28, 2011 by Allahpundit
Skip ahead to 3:15 for the exchange on foreign aid generally and to 4:15 for the key bit. Paul’s not singling Israel out here; it’s Blitzer who brings it up, and Paul’s careful to offer praise before making his case that we simply can’t afford it anymore. He knows he’s suspect on this point because of his surname and has tried to deal with it behind the scenes. Remember this tidbit from that GQ hit piece on him last year?
Ron Paul, in addition to his extreme views on the federal government, has been a harsh critic of the Republican Party’s “military adventurism,” and in the past Rand has faithfully echoed his father’s views. He opposed the war in Iraq, once characterized the September 11 attacks as “blowback for our foreign policy,” and scoffed at the threat of Iranian nukes. And yet here he was in Washington, seeking out a secret meeting with some of the Ron Paul Revolutionaries’ biggest bogeymen. At a private office in Dupont Circle, he talked foreign policy with Bill Kristol, Dan Senor, and Tom Donnelly, three prominent neocons who’d been part of an effort to defeat him during the primary. “He struck me as genuinely interested in trying to understand why people like us were so apoplectic,” Senor says of their two-hour encounter. “He wanted to get educated about our problem with him. He wasn’t confrontational, and he wasn’t disagreeable. He didn’t seem cemented in his views. He was really in absorption mode.”
The following month, he met with officials from the powerful lobbying group AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), which has frequently clashed with Ron Paul over what the group views as his insufficient support of Israel. Paul, according to one person familiar with the AIPAC meeting, “told them what they wanted to hear: ‘I’m more reasonable than my father on the things you care about.’ He was very solicitous.”
The debate over foreign aid reminds me of the debate over earmarks. Yes, as Paul notes, plenty of it is wasteful, and indeed, when we’re trying to dig our way out of an umpteen-trillion dollar hole, every little bit helps. But compared to the real driver of America’s fiscal catastrophe, it’s small potatoes. That’s what I was getting at in my post about Boehner and Social Security the other day: Every relatively minor spending issue we lay on the table is an opportunity for opponents of entitlement reform to change the subject. Paul, to his great credit, is ready to go after Social Security too, but Democrats are already strategizing on how to short-circuit this debate. The latest: A new “Social Security Caucus” in the Senate aimed at giving Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer an extra megaphone to screech about how Republicans want to collapse a social safety net that’s well on its way to collapsing anyway. The foreign aid debate will go one (or both) of two ways for opponents of entitlement reform: Either (a) they’ll force a showdown on the issue to show how “heartless” the GOP is to the impoverished peoples of the Third World and/or (b) they’ll agree to some token reduction in aid and then tout it as a big concession in order to keep public perceptions of what constitutes a “meaningful” cut nice and low. Let’s deal with entitlements first and then start trimming around the edges with earmarks, foreign aid, etc, no?
The other reason this is a bad foot to start off on is, of course, that it’ll never pass. Financial support for Israel is deeply bipartisan in Congress. Even some pro-Israel tea partiers, like Allen West, would be loath to cancel their aid, I suspect, especially with Hezbollah now in control in Lebanon and the Muslim Brotherhood poised to ascend in Egypt. Until Iran’s regime, at least, is replaced with something less feral, there’s simply no way Congress will leave Israel to fend for itself. But I get that he’s making a principled point here about every last expense having to be on the table, so fair enough.
Blowback
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People wanna cut foreign aid because they don’t see it directly affecting their pocketbook. Cut foreign aid and keep your fingers crossed that we don’t have to cut your favorite government handout seems to be the plan.
Pattosensei on January 29, 2011 at 10:29 AM
Don’t you remember the thread on the Flotilla raid?
nazo311 on January 29, 2011 at 10:22 AM
People CAN criticize Israel without being called anti-Jewish-but if someone constantly expects Israel do things that are demanded of its non-Jewish neighbors…that IS anti-Semitic. If you claim you’re not anti-Jewish(This is only an example) you’re ‘anti-Zionist’….then you’ve crossed that line as well. Ron Paul is a anti-Semite. Rand…?
On HA true_king probably also qualifies.
annoyinglittletwerp on January 29, 2011 at 10:39 AM
Let’s get something straight. I’m a capitalist. I don’t play class warfare. In fact, if someone calls me bourgeois, I take it as a compliment (it pi$$es off the progressives something fierce too.
If the folks in the foreign countries have an issue with a sweatshop they’ll change their labor laws. But in reality any American company that runs a sweatshop more often than not pay their foreign employees more than they can ever imagine making before that plant or factory came to their village.
I’ve always said that the reason why it’s silly for people to focus on bringing manufacturing back to the US is it will push us backwards. Instead of focusing on factory jobs for Americans we should focus on moving up the business evolutionary chain and leave the sales and corporate goings on to the Americans. And the factory or tech support to the foreign nations. We don’t need to be a nation of factory workers. It cost us too much and the employees don’t make enough.
mizflame98 on January 29, 2011 at 10:40 AM
That strawman won’t fly brother- I want it ALL cut.
50% across the board would suit me just fine and you could close down several depts like education and ag 100% as far as I’m concerned.
I want an axe taken to everything, when the ship of state is on an even keel again then we can talk about what money goes where.
gdonovan on January 29, 2011 at 10:40 AM
Errr.
I meant to say’ that are NOT demanded of its non-Jewish neighbors.’
annoyinglittletwerp on January 29, 2011 at 10:42 AM
You’re right it is really 58%.
nazo311 on January 29, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Dude, that just discretionary spending. The total budget includes mandatory and discretionary spending. We spend more on Social Security alone than we do on defense.
darwin on January 29, 2011 at 10:51 AM
Right again. This is includes non-discretionary spending.
nazo311 on January 29, 2011 at 10:58 AM
Foreign aid is too often a sophisticated form of prostitution -you pay for pleasure and you get STD.
Don L on January 29, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Is AP Jewish?
True_King on January 29, 2011 at 11:08 AM
Is AP Jewish?
True_King on January 29, 2011 at 11:08 AM
He’s Catholic-but why should you care.
I’m Catholic as well but would qualify as a full-blooded Jew under the Nazis.
annoyinglittletwerp on January 29, 2011 at 11:11 AM
It’s smaller than small potatoes.
In 2008, for every $100 the government received, foreign aid was given $1, Israel received 10 cents.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
rukiddingme on January 29, 2011 at 11:14 AM
See, this is one of the problems of calling Rand Paul a “Tea Party leader.” In a grassroots movement, there are hundreds of leaders. And the movement is focused on one thing: Taxed Enough Already!
Now, we do need to look at foreign aid. Let’s start with the UN. Tell them that that building is for sale, and if they want it, they can buy it. Or we’ll turn it into low-rent housing.
Oh, yeah…BTW, cutting funding to our staunchest ally in the Middle East when unrest with the Jihadis is at an all-time high is not merely unwise, it is dangerously foolish.
Tennman on January 29, 2011 at 11:19 AM
18.74% does not equal 58% You screwed the pooch by using qes$663.7 billion (+12.7%) – Department of Defense (including Overseas Contingency Operations)tionable data to further your argument.
mizflame98 on January 29, 2011 at 11:28 AM
are you?
where were you born?
what is your mother’s maiden name?
why did you pose that question?
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 11:28 AM
Finally. Yeah, it sucks, but it has to be said – and done.
abobo on January 29, 2011 at 11:30 AM
Meant to say: By using questionable data to further your argument. I have no idea how that crazy error wound up in the middle of my sentence.
mizflame98 on January 29, 2011 at 11:30 AM
What can be done about Social Security? And who has the cogliones to do it?
Scorp3j on January 29, 2011 at 11:30 AM
I think that anyone under 50 should be S.O.L with regards to Social Security. I don’t expect to see a dime of it when I turn 65.
mizflame98 on January 29, 2011 at 11:35 AM
Hammer the democrats with their own words. It was supposedly intended to help the elderly that had no spouse, or source of income, or immediate family. Bring it back down to that. Families should be responsible for their families.
I have no problem with helping someone who’s old and alone in this world. If we just did that the cost would plummet.
darwin on January 29, 2011 at 11:41 AM
and tribes responsible for members of the tribe.
we need no nation and no government and no organized charities.
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 11:58 AM
How to FIX Social Security in TWO easy steps…
1..Take the Cap off
2..Means test it..
Let people retire at 65 and let the younger generation take over…
Scorp3j on January 29, 2011 at 11:58 AM
^^^ Nut
darwin on January 29, 2011 at 12:01 PM
nearly as nutty as my exaggeration of your comment.
things have changed, darwin. family structure is not what it used to be and unless, by long and slow means, families return to what they were a century ago, you’re idea is unsound.
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 12:07 PM
iculous, why are family structures not what they used to be? And why can’t they be what they were a century ago?
BowHuntingTexas on January 29, 2011 at 12:11 PM
Not to repeat myself, but I think two key points aren’t being considered by some people on this thread:
1.) This nation needs to cut as much as possible as quickly as possible to stave off fiscal disaster. Israel won’t thank us if we keep borrowing to give them and other nations foreign aid, if in the long run we’re broke, the dollar has collapsed, and literally can’t help them (or ourselves!) in a crisis.
2.) If we cut off all foreign aid as Rand proposes, since right now we give as much foreign aid to Israel’s Arab enemies as to Israel itself, we will save billions of dollars and do no harm to Israel’s security because their enemies will lose out on our subsidies as well. And frankly, it would probably be an advantage to Israel if we cut off all foreign aid, since Israel has a much stronger economy than it’s neighbors, and thus is better able to raise funds for themselves without relying on international welfare.
Inkblots on January 29, 2011 at 12:12 PM
That’s one enlightening graph! Why don’t we start with that giant green wedge labeled “welfare/unemployment” and then see if cutting foreign aid is still necessary?
stefanite on January 29, 2011 at 12:13 PM
Family structure has changed because the responsibility for taking care of family has been taken over by government. Reverse the process and family responsibilities revert to the family.
If things get worse economically it may happen anyway.
darwin on January 29, 2011 at 12:14 PM
Because we literally can’t afford that strategy. Unless you want to change the game on those already receiving social security and Medicare payments – which literally no one does – entitlement reform will take the form of raising the retirement age and instituting means testing for future retirees, say starting net year and graduating increasing over a decade. Rand’s going to be proposing a plan of that sort shortly, as AP notes.
But that will have the effect of capping the growth of entitlement spending so that our economic growth catches up to it, and will take time to come into effect. In the meantime, we need to bridge the gap with absolute spending cuts, which will have to come from domestic and foreign programs. Cutting every non-core function of government almost immediately, including foreign welfare programs, is absolutely necessary if we want to avoid a crisis.
Inkblots on January 29, 2011 at 12:19 PM
not really. family structure stared changing long before the government got involved with large social welfare programs.
you and I may agree that close and extended families are way better than government-run programs, but wishing things back to the way they were isn’t always an option.
maybe a third way.
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Broad claims stated as fact don’t necessarily make them so.
Looking at family structures: a good place to start would be before socialist security was enacted and after.
And a very good place to take a look at would be the black family from the Civil War up through Johnson’s Great Society and after it – all the way up through today.
BowHuntingTexas on January 29, 2011 at 12:42 PM
THIS is ALL that really needs to be said about this issue.
Folks, whether you like it or not BRIBES in the form of AID AKA ‘Insurance’ works.
Think about living on the Dakota plains as a white settler during a time when the Indians outnumbered you.
They let you live there bcs you gave them ‘gifts’ of a horse, or tobacco, maybe some alcohol, a beef, etc.
It was an insurance payment that allowed you to live.
This is how life works with a lot of people in the rest of the world.
I don’t like it, either.
I would prefer we could remain neutral.
But in a world with biological & nuclear weapons, you cannot hide your head in the sand & become isolationist.
It didn’t work for WWII.
The world will always draw us into their problems.
If we can avoid war & American deaths by some foreign aid, I’m all for it.
But we should not be giving foreign aid to hostile countries.
Badger40 on January 29, 2011 at 12:47 PM
social security is a good starting point, tex.
lot of families got uprooted by the depression and the increased mobility brought by the automobile, by income availability moving from farming to industry and from the move away from the country where housing for large families was more easily obtainable, to life in the cities where there were jobs but different housing conditions.
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 12:50 PM
Yup, iculous. Aid to Israel is a good starting point as to why we should or should not stop welfare for illegals.
BowHuntingTexas on January 29, 2011 at 12:55 PM
I am Jewish and I think that nothing is better for Israel than cutting US aid to both Israel and her enemies as Rand Paul suggests. Israel gives the USA back tenfold for this aid in intelligence, improving hardware that it gets (US gets those improvements for free), etc., but is still considered fully dependent in the USA. Israel was forbidden to develop its own jets, because of this aid, withdrawal of this aid is constant blackmail, etc., though taking into account the size of Israel’s economy and the size of this aid, it is pittance. Israel’s enemies on the other hand are also the enemies of the USA, but are getting more aid and nobody usually talks about it.
So for Israel this is a win-win situation. I am not that sure about the USA.
finallyhere on January 29, 2011 at 12:57 PM
you get a lot of illegal Israelis getting that famous Texas-sized gen’rous welfare round your way?
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Do I have to really answer that? Puuhhhlllleasseee…
right2bright on January 29, 2011 at 1:02 PM
Nope iculous. But we have a lot of illegal Mexicans receiving welfare. And that should be looked at before looking at foreign aid to Israel.
BowHuntingTexas on January 29, 2011 at 1:05 PM
I would appreciate it. I can’t think of any countries still allies with Russia near to Israel.
Closest I can conjure is Syria and they’re more allied elsewhere.
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 1:06 PM
thx, I really wasn’t sure what you were saying back there.
any idea how much welfare money is going to the Mexican illegals and how many of them are on welfare?
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 1:08 PM
You actually think that Russia would stay out of any conflict, if that country was at war with Israel?
Allies are formed when a common goal is necessary, and dissolved often when that goal is achieved.
If any country, any, attacked Israel, Russia, and mnny others have three choices.
A. Stay out of the conflict
B. Assist Israel
C. Assist the attacker
Now you answer the question…would it be A, B, or C.
right2bright on January 29, 2011 at 1:11 PM
Priorities, and I think you have this priority correct…
right2bright on January 29, 2011 at 1:12 PM
Ask CA. They recently figured it out.
It’s one reason why they’re broke.
And as a former resident of TX (Tyler & San Antonio) & SoCal, as well as WA State (lots of illegals there: Mexicans + Europeans) I can personally attest to personally knowing of illegals getting welfare benefits like food stamps, welfare payments, Medicaid, College grants, etc. in all of those aforementioned states.
Badger40 on January 29, 2011 at 1:14 PM
I’m gonna pick C right2bright.
Badger40 on January 29, 2011 at 1:15 PM
way back when the countries that did attack Israel were client states of the Russkies, they pretty much left it at A.
now, when the Russians haven’t any clients in the area, why would they much care to help attack a million former Soviet citizens living in Israel?
and who is it that you think they’re allied with?
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 1:17 PM
iculous, you can start by googling “parkland hospital illegal births”.
Then, if you get really enthusiastic, look up the number of illegal aliens attending local schools – and the property taxes to support that education. And then look up the number of illegal Mexicans who are in the Dallas county or Denton county jails.
And then, since your already energized, look at WIC for all those illegal Mexican mothers who’ve given birth to an American citizen.
That might be a pretty good place to start looking at the amount of welfare illegals are receiving.
And that’s just in North Texas. Expand that nation wide and you might find, iculous, that we’re paying a lot more for illegals in welfare than we are paying in foreign aid.
BowHuntingTexas on January 29, 2011 at 1:19 PM
Whoever will give them an advantage.
They have no scruples.
The Russians have forgotten the murderous past of their communist history. Probably bcs the old folks never would talk about it.
Since Democracy is hard, many of them don’t seem to mind a return to the dictatorish past.
I do not trust Russia one bit.
Badger40 on January 29, 2011 at 1:21 PM
Badger40 on January 29, 2011 at 1:29 PM
I would love to see Col. West debate Rand Paul on the wisdom of making this statement at this moment in history, as well as the broader merits (or lack thereof) of the U.S. cutting all foreign aid.
I believe a large mop would be required… and it wouldn’t be for Col. West.
Y-not on January 29, 2011 at 1:32 PM
Tex, are you talking about the kids getting stuff or the people coming here illegally getting welfare?
that all one and the same thing?
aren’t the kids gonna go to school and get jobs on the books and not only work as part of the economy, but even pay their share of tax money and everything?
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 1:32 PM
their history was murderous long before the commies came to power and they’re every bit as unscrupulous as they can be, but what advantage is there waiting for them in the part of the ME that’s doesn’t produce anything worthwhile (outside of Israel)?
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 1:36 PM
Ic, you and I might have different definitions of welfare.
Someone here illegally giving birth on the taxpayer dime and then receiving WIC because they gave birth to an American citizen is receiving welfare in my book.
An illegal receiving an education paid for through property taxes paid by American citizens is receiving welfare.
An illegal being jailed, which is paid for by an American citizen, is receiving a form of welfare.
An illegal who goes to the emergency room because they have the sniffles is receiving a form of welfare.
BowHuntingTexas on January 29, 2011 at 1:43 PM
I personally have no opinion on who they favor.
But considering they have no problem doing whatever they can to weaken the US, who knows?
And I know all about their unscrupulousness from before the Bolshevieks. You can’t make anything from $hit, other than $hit.
They’re mostly low skilled laborers.
Their kids also mostly end up being low skilled laborers who continue the welfare family tradition.
I saw it while living amongst them.
And since an illegal alien is breaking the law, they’re not welcome here.
This idea that they contribute to our society eventually in a + way holds no water bcs they end up costing us far more than they could ever give back.
We have a right to pick & choose whom we want to come here.
If you keep letting people into America who are ignorant, superstitious, dependent, etc. you are going to end up degrading the society you had. And that has happened.
Illegals of any kind should not be welcome here.
Badger40 on January 29, 2011 at 1:44 PM
I just don’t see why this is soooo bad… especially given how we currently play both (or more) sides.
MeatHeadinCA on January 29, 2011 at 1:48 PM
really?
I don’t like people sneaking into the country, but I don’t see that saying that there kids and grandkids are gonna live here and still be inferior humans makes a damned bit of sense.
and we’ve made some damned poor choices. Our immigration policies favored people coming here from the Soviet Union and now we’ve got masses of welfare-cheats, insurance fraud rings, and all other sorts of violent organized crime rings that are dominating and displacing our very own traditional Italian-American families, contributing even further to the breakup of traditional family structure.
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 1:54 PM
Please look at the chart I linked to. I wasn’t even talking about Social Security. Here the biggest wedges on the pie chart:
Social Security: 19.63%
DOD: 18.74%
Unemployment/Welfare: 16.3%
Medicare: 12.79%
Medicaid: 8.19%
Why do we need both SS and welfare? It just seems obvious where to start.
stefanite on January 29, 2011 at 1:56 PM
We do not cut off any foreign aid to Israel.
Mirimichi on January 29, 2011 at 2:02 PM
OK.
That is enough of that $hit.
Of course I never said they were inferior.
You sound like right4life.
And you are both worthless trolls.
You have nothing of value to add here IMHO when that is what comes out of your mouth in response to my comments.
I have NEVER SAID any ethnic group or illegal aliens in particular are ‘inferior’ humans.
You are nothing but a liberal shill.
The race card is never off of the table, is it?
I am through speaking with you on this matter.
You clearly cannot argue a point without putting words into someone’s mouth.
I am going to can some sausage.
Blow.
Badger40 on January 29, 2011 at 2:03 PM
Ic, for all your good intentions and everything regarding welfare to illegals vs. foreign aid to Israel, I believe you’re the only one calling someone an “inferior human”.
We’re bankrupt. We have no money. We can’t provide welfare to our own citizens.
All I’m saying is we should look at how much we’re paying in welfare for illegals here before we start cutting aid to Israel.
BowHuntingTexas on January 29, 2011 at 2:08 PM
Apparently he’s more his father’s son than I thought.
katiejane on January 29, 2011 at 2:16 PM
BTW, that’s 16.3% of $3.5 trillion. That comes to $580 billion that we spent on Welfare/Unemployment in 2010.
stefanite on January 29, 2011 at 2:16 PM
Read my blog and you’ll find some useful charts on why your statistic is false.
Conservative Samizdat on January 29, 2011 at 2:26 PM
Let’s Cut everything!!!
nazo311 on January 29, 2011 at 2:36 PM
Please tell me that you weren’t whining because violent organized crime rings of Russians are displacing the historic violent organized crime rings run by people of Italian ancestry. Are you saying that Italians had a lock on nob activities and to allow some other crooks to invade their territories causes a breaddown in family values?
katiejane on January 29, 2011 at 2:36 PM
The idea that their children aren’t going to be able to contribute to our society is implicit.
Go enjoy your sausage and consider that
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 2:56 PM
It’s smaller than small potatoes and one dime.
In 2008, for every $10 the government received, foreign aid was given one dime, Israel was given one penny.
Brother, can you spare one penny?
rukiddingme on January 29, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Please explain how their children are able to contribute to our society.
ladyingray on January 29, 2011 at 3:26 PM
What can be done to Social Security? How about reversing that addition Johnson put on S & S letting someone come here at 65 and draw S & S without contributing a dime in the making. The dems gutted the system. There is no fund. S & S is paid out almost as fast as its paid in.
mixplix on January 29, 2011 at 3:41 PM
probably pretty much the same as the children of uneducated immigrants from Romania, Poland, Italy, West Africa, and the Philippines.
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 3:44 PM
You don’t understand how that aid furthers US strategic objectives and buys influence. If you abandon foreign aid, you’re also giving up on very broad and deep US foreign policy objectives. And once you’ve crossed that rubicon, you suddenly don’t need as large a military. So you bring up a point in that cutting off foreign aid would mean that the US has abandoned many of its strategic objectives and can also enact deep cuts in military spending.
Of course, one thing that US foreign aid buys in the Middle East is open shipping lanes and safe passage for oil to the US. Before you can turn your back on that part of the world, you need to see gas replaced as the primary fuel for transportation in the US (natural gas, green energy, etc.)
bayam on January 29, 2011 at 4:14 PM
we get much more of our imported oil from Canada and Mexico and Venezuela than from the ME
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 4:17 PM
Back on topic, Rand Paul’s pronouncement is on economic target.
Congress hasn’t even produced last year’s budget.
Until the US economy is strong again, end US government tax funded subsidies that are “foreign aid”. Charities are private interests that perform foreign humanitarian aid very well. Those interested, support the charity of choice.
maverick muse on January 29, 2011 at 4:18 PM
What a darned shame. I had such hopes for Rand. Any fool should be able to see that the tiny democratic nation of Israel is totally surrounded by tyrant nations that have sworn to destroy her. It also remains clear that a strong, stable Israel stabilizes the entire mid-east. Very short sighted of both Rand and his Dad. No wonder so many holocaust denier / white supremacists, and anti-semite groups from around the nation, support these 2 financially. DD
Darvin Dowdy on January 29, 2011 at 4:23 PM
All the foreign aid money that could be printed wouldn’t buy an ally or secure influence or strategic objective when the Dollar is without value.
We must produce our own goods and energy in order to strengthen the dollar now. We need our tax funds spent on dire US government constitutional obligations, not buying Christmas presents for the world, or donating US government tax funded programs like NASA to Muslim nations, or forfeiting US Military technology to Russia and Red China, or sponsoring UN rape in the name of humanitarianism.
Foreigners expect the US government to play sugar daddy. We can’t afford it, and shouldn’t even if we could as we did, not through tax funds. We are not obligated as a nation to fund the governments of other nations. Nor is the US Federal Government authorized to bail-out any state in our union.
Charities, yes. Laissez faire.
maverick muse on January 29, 2011 at 4:27 PM
Darvin Dowdy on January 29, 2011 at 4:23 PM
Talk about bigotry. Sling those smears.
Where is the logic in funding Israel so that Israel can “afford” to purchase US military craft and arsenal. As if Israel hasn’t its own Treasury.
maverick muse on January 29, 2011 at 4:31 PM
what smears? is there anything false or distorted in what DD said about the financial support given to the Rands ?
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 4:41 PM
Criticism of a government does not equate to antisemitism, audiculous, as if you needed that said to go figure.
maverick muse on January 29, 2011 at 4:43 PM
read what it was that DD wrote, mavrick.
he didn’t call the Rands anti-Semites. he said that they attracted them.
audiculous on January 29, 2011 at 4:49 PM
Notice I was not indicating that all illegal immigrant’s kids do not contribute.
But the NET EFFECT that illegals & their children is negative to our economy & society.
Getting rid of the anchor baby would go a long way toward cleaning things up for us.
I welcome productive immigrants.
Not those who would come here to work illegally, often for less than minimum wage, therefore helping to create a black market workforce.
Whatever payroll, SS, & Medicare taxes they do pay are certainly not enough to cover all of the services they consume.
They need to go home & work toward bettering their own country.
Badger40 on January 29, 2011 at 4:59 PM
We have a lovely thread here.
Audiculous the douche taking every opportunity to bash America as usual, and tons of delusional Ron Paul r*tards.
Hard Right on January 29, 2011 at 5:10 PM
You sing two different tunes at once, songbird.
Apparently my argument still stands. None have been able to either refute my first 4 reasons to keep spending foreign aid.
Miz, don’t trust Rand and Ron to lead you to world peace.
Pattosensei on January 29, 2011 at 5:16 PM
It’s smaller than small potatoes, one dollar, one dime, and one penny.
In 2008, for every $1 the government received, foreign aid was given one penny, Israel was given one-tenth of one penny.
Brother, can you spare one-tenth of one penny?
rukiddingme on January 29, 2011 at 5:59 PM
No one is saying we should stop selling weapons to Israel.
If we cut all aid, including to Israel, how will the Israelis afford to pay their subsidies to Religious students who just pray and never work a real job?
We can’t allow Israeli socialism to collapse!
V-rod on January 29, 2011 at 7:01 PM
Hmm, we can’t drop Israel… but sounds like they need an audit.
scotash on January 29, 2011 at 7:13 PM
Cancel aid to Israel? Yep, isolationists! Paranoid, short-sighted, and wrong!
R. Waher on January 30, 2011 at 4:48 AM
The problem with Paulnauts is that they don’t seem to have any appreciation for the fact that most of our productivity is based on world trade, and that trade, in turn, is made possible only by the peace our military (or the treat of it) imposes on the world.
If you want to see what a real economic crash looks like, pull our military back to our boarders.
Count to 10 on January 30, 2011 at 8:45 AM
I think the discussion got sidetracked, because foreign aid is really the small part. The important part is Dr Rand’s proposal to cut $500 billion from the budget. Wolf Blitzer tried to pin down Dr Paul on how many federal employees would lose their jobs, and the senator kind of ducks the question, by redirection. He should have told the truth: we should not care how many people would lose their jobs in this, because if we try to base our policies on that, we’ll never cut the size of the government, and eventually, it will collapse financially.
If we are just plain [insert plural slang term for the sphincter here] when it comes to government spending, we might be able to fix our problems; if we are nice guys, we never will.
Dana on January 30, 2011 at 8:55 AM
Israel is too valuable an ally & friend to end aid to, especially in these times when our deadly enemies, the militant Islamists, are trying to take over the entire mid-East and more. But ending aid to Egypt and hopeless & corrupt Africa and cutting our overgrown bureaucracies (esp. our failed and costly Education Dept.) when we can’t pay our bills makes sense.
Personally, I suspect our Marxist globalist Obama wants to destroy the USA economically (without being too obvious about it) for a total socialist reconstruction from the ruins. At least Rand Paul is making an effort to stop this plan.
Chessplayer on January 30, 2011 at 9:03 AM
Actually, those children do contribute to our society as they become a part of it. The learn English and they want to chase the American Dream.
The children of illegal Mexican immigrants seem to want to bear the Mexican flag, refuse to learn English and speak it, and pretty much regain Texas.
ladyingray on January 30, 2011 at 10:25 AM
they do?
they all report to you and tell you the plan?
in Spanish or in English?
audiculous on January 30, 2011 at 10:36 AM
I agree with you.
ladyingray on January 30, 2011 at 10:37 AM
Yo no hablo Inglés
ladyingray on January 30, 2011 at 10:39 AM
I for one don’t give a good G*ddamned about world peace.
Let the world figure out peace for itself. The US government exists to protect citizens of the US, not of Israel, not of Egypt, and not of the world.
JohnGalt23 on January 30, 2011 at 10:53 AM
This child of illegal Mexican immigrants wanted to bear the American flag, learned English, spoke it, and pretty much died for you and I.
rukiddingme on January 30, 2011 at 11:15 AM
Stop it. I didn’t say all children of illegal Mexican immigrants were like that and you know it.
And don’t use military crap on me again.
ladyingray on January 30, 2011 at 11:27 AM
what you meant by that comment about children of Mexican immigrants isn’t all that clear, lady. it looks like a very broad statement that they’re enemies of America.
perhaps you could clarify.
audiculous on January 30, 2011 at 12:08 PM
No thanks.
ladyingray on January 30, 2011 at 1:46 PM
I care about world peace.
Our military, foreign aid and economic might all work to protect US citizens at home and abroad.
Conservative Samizdat on January 30, 2011 at 2:00 PM
End the Israeli bailout. Oh, whoops, that’s a right-wing cause…
Frankly I expect this whole issue to resolve itself soon enough, when the USA runs out of money and literally CANNOT pay a dime.
Dark-Star on January 30, 2011 at 2:14 PM
Please point out the Article, Section and Clause in the Constitution that entitles foreign countries to the dollars I have earned, because I’m having a REALLY difficult time finding it…
dominigan on January 30, 2011 at 9:26 PM
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