Three Questions We Need to Ask About War

I never even thought to question the three "established truths" that the Afghanistan and Iraq "Wars" are based upon. I use quotations around "established truths" because the mainstream media and powers at be feed us these lines so often that it becomes unpatriotic and politically incorrect to question them. I use quotations around "wars" because Congress never declared war on these two countries as the Constitution requires.

1. Do the terrorists attack us and hate us because we are free and prosperous?
2. Is it okay or effective for America to promote democracy around the world through the barrel of a gun?
3. Would it be shameful, unsupportive of our troops, anti-Republican, and anti-American to leave the Middle East immediately?

Probably my favorite Ron Paul video:

I showed this video to my dad some time ago, and he said he disagreed that the biggest moral issue in America is the acceptance of pre-emptive war. I probably agree with my dad on that one, but I think that Ron Paul was speaking of acts of government as a whole rather than acts of individual Americans. When I think of it this way, and really think about what war means, I think I agree with Dr. Paul. What is the most serious sin you can commit? Murder - taking someone's life. I strongly believe that war is called for in a few cases, and I get my belief from examples in the Book of Mormon, Alma in particular. He went to war to defend his family, his religion, his liberty. I think that is necessary. He did not start wars. When the enemy was not upon him, he fortified the land. There was not a happier time among his people (see Alma 50). Starting wars for no good reason leads to needless loss of life, including American soldiers and innocent civilians often referred to as "collateral damage." These are real people! Your family, friends, and neighbors being sent to war for no good reason! More to come on Ron Paul's foreign policy and how important it really is to end the wars.

There are many more good videos and essays explaining Ron Paul's foreign policy. Ron Paul voted to authorize President Bush to go after those who attacked us on 9/11. He wasn't against fighting and bringing to justice those who killed many of our fellow Americans on that awful day. However, he proposed using a small special ops force to hunt down those responsible. He was not for a full out war against Afghanistan (most of the attackers were from Saudi Arabia anyway) because he knew it would cost us many more lives, billions more dollars, and it would never end.