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Texas Gov. Rick Perry offered the broad outlines of his foreign policy philosophy at an annual gathering of veterans Monday, telling attendees that he opposes "military adventurism" while also advocating for "taking the fight to the enemy" and decrying indecision by "multi-lateral debating societies" at times of international crisis.
"We must renew our commitment to taking the fight to the enemy wherever they are, before they strike at home. I do not believe that America should fall subject to a foreign policy of military adventurism," he said at the annual convention of Veterans of Foreign Wars in San Antonio. "We should only risk shedding American blood and spending American treasure when our vital interests are threatened."
But Perry -- who did not specifically critique American involvement in the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria, or Libya -- added that while American military leaders should honor and coordinate with allies around the world, too much collaboration with other nations could put U.S. soldiers at risk.
"We must be willing to act when it is time to act," he said to a crescendo of applause during his remarks. "We cannot concede the moral authority of our nation to multi-lateral debating societies. And when our interests are threatened, American soldiers should be led by American commanders."
"I say this because we owe to them and to their loved ones the commitment that any war is led by the country with the most advanced technology and the best training," he added.
The Texas governor, who served in the Air Force and whose father is a World War II veteran, made a special point to laud veterans of the Vietnam War, saying that soliders at that time faced the uncertainty of "not knowing at times when the enemy lurked among them in the civilian population" as well as the dithering of leaders in Washington were "not prepared to win" the conflict.
Perry was invited to speak at the convention in his role as the governor of the state of its host city, San Antonio. He is scheduled to campaign in Oklahoma this afternoon.
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Haven't we had enough of half-witted former Texas Governors in the White House? All a charismatic ego maniac has to be able to do is speak well, and say what the people want to hear - oh yea, and get as much money as can be funneled into your campaign.
I totally agree. All you need to say is I'll cut the deficit in half in four years or I'll bring the troops home in 18 months, and you will get elected.
let's go left and right he can't go wrong like that
"Take the fight to the enemy"
Strong words from a man who was frightened by a 35lb coyote because it was staring. I don't trust this guy with his handgun, let alone with my Army.
Amen.
One word come to mind when looking at the vitriol being posted by the right wingers; arrogance. They all assume that Americans who voted to elect the President are stupid, or just expecting him to take care of us so we don't have to work. This, despite the fact that Obama received more votes than any candidate in history, that the majority of the college educated population voted for him and that such non-welfare types as Warren Buffett are supporting him. Are you guys really that much smarter? Aren't you the same folks who voted for Bush twice? Aren't you the same folks who had Donald Trump as the leading candidate based only on his birther garbage? Given the fact that your judgment has proven to be so bad, why should anyone listen to you?
perry is as dangerous as bush was.He will not enforce regulations of the banks,oil,wall street,
defense contractors,or other multi natn'l corporations.These people lined their pockets with our money
while putting us trillions in debt!!!We will be a long time getting back to normal.If perry is elected,FORGET IT.
And by golly, looks to have been exactly the right policy in Libya. No wonder Perry has nothing to say.
It seems a little insulting to the military that they aren't taking the fight to the enemy. He doesn't support military adventurism but supports taking the fight to the enemy - he sounds a bit indecisive!
Blah...blah....blah.....heard it ALL before...over and over and over again....from the likes of Dick Cheney and that All-American Braintrust, otherwise known as George W. Bush. Rick Perry has nothing new to add to the already stupid and reckless foreign policy ideas of the lame GOP. His obvious approach is that 19th century perspective that "might makes right" and "America has the right to do whatever it wants, and the hell with everyone else". Well, that didn't work very well back then and it definately won't work now, in a world the gets smaller and smaller and smaller. America can't stand alone anymore, cowboys. Time to hang up your holsters and think with your brains instead of your guns. Ugh.
We've HAD ENOUGH war-mongering by stupid Texas governors! And BTW, anyone who thinks Rick Perry either (a) actually wrote his book; (b) is writing his own campaign speeches, or (c) is writing his own political position papers---should have their head examined. Rick Perry could not write a cohorent complex sentence if his life depended on it! Everything about him (including the too-dark hair and too-perfect clothes) is fake. Including, but not limited to...his adoring wife, who caught him in bed with his (male) Secretary of State a few years ago. Check it out...Google, archives of the Austin TX newspapers, the defunct website of Kay Bailey Hutchison's campaign for Texas governor last year.
What a man!
Just a really loving guy's guy
Texas - please secede so he can just run for President of Texas!
KING of Texas, please!! or if not king, then EMPEROR
Say what you will, the guy is slick and a first class liar. The average person on the street just loves him. He embodies all their values. Racism, bigotry, homophobic, gets his instructions from God just like Bachmann. He will be nominated.
sorry, honey, Gov. Rick Perry is not homophobic, racist, a liar or a bigot. Just because you don't agree with his politics doesn't make him or anyone else any of those things.
When you run with homophones, liars, racists and bigots...you get up with their fleas. Every single one of the "great pastors" who helped Ricky organize his big ole day of prayer lead churches that are racist, homophobic and bigoted. And they lie about it. Sorry, cooltmt02.....you've hitched your wagon to a very ugly star.
He's certainly NOT homophobic, but the rest? Not so sure!
and just who does he consider enemies?? anyone who doesn't agree with him?? I swear republicans love to start wars to draw attention away from all the shady things they like to do to drain our capital from us. And just how do they think they are gonna be able to pay for these ways if they want their deficits reduced?? or are we all suppose to starve to pay for it?
Ah yes, just what we need, another cowboy who wants to start a few more wars with that fictional slogan of, "I'm protecting you!" Let's go back to the days of manufactured evidence, Terror Threat Levels, torture and the body bags of our soldiers who will be killed in action needlessly. Let's bring Rumsfeld back, and hey, he could put Cheney in charge of the CIA...I'm sure they would both love a piece of Syria and Iran.
Ron Indiana .. Because NO-bama knew a lot about the world and foreign policy during his 18 months in the Senate and years of organizing Chicago communities.
You conveniently forgot his two terms as state Senator before that. And the fact that he sat on the US Senate Committee of Foreign Relations while serving as a US Senator.
Sorry. I'd trust Harvard magna cum laude graduated (president of the Harvard Law review) Obama over Billy Bob fake gunslinger from Texas any day of the week.
And so will a majority of Americans in 2012.
Not another Dodge City cowboy.....
Ron Indiana .. Because NO-bama knew so much about foreign policy and other nations during his 18 months in the Senate and years of organizing Chicago communities.
Nice cut n paste spam only 2 comments below the first time. Marked as advertising.
Reading these post I have to wonder how many of you people realize that it was Democratic Intervention in almost every war and conflict we have been involved in...........Viet Nam JFK.......check out who was President during the majority of all of them. Maybe you will get a major jolt.
We need to strengthen our home bases not close them like Clinton did 14 of.........then he lied and said he'd never done that.......Green Cove Springs, FL was one of them. That hurt those communities economies and many of those bases are still standing empty.
We should not cut our military strength.........we should cut foreign aid big time. There is so much of that money being used for self gain in the uppper government that never reachs the people who need it. Plus once they get on the list for foreign aid they never get taken off. Time to take care of that situation.
read a history book not written in texas and perhaps you will learn something. it was ike who sent the first (advisers) to viet nam
Oh yeah right. And Perry or one of the Teabaggers will sure represent the little guy here in America. You should do stand up.
Rick Perry - bringing jingoism and demagogery to new heights. Unfortunately it seems to have resonated with many fearful and confused Americans. Fear and anger trump intelligence again. Research has shown that those two emotions actually cause someones IQ to decrease. This happened in 2009 and 2010 with the Tea Party and is happening again with the Republican Presidential candidates. Just look at the people they put up - Bachman, Santorum, Perry. Is this for real??? Americans! Why do you let this happen???
We need some sanity here!
Don't worry Rick Perry will get us into some more conflicts, oops wars, in the middle east if elected.
How nice more lives lost and more expense too. I give up, except to ask, why is it most of time it's a republican president who starts a fight for the slightest reason?
Still tax breaks for the rich, Ricky Perry, is just another mouth peace for the wealthiest 2 to 5 percent. When is someone going to ask the richest of the rich to account for actual jobs created through profits made within their corporation....don't tax who....does this don't tax mean, do not tax the corporate executives take home pay, or does it mean the taxation of corporation profits- hey I have an idea, if these corporations can show job creation within their company, then, give them some sort of tax break for adding a certain percentage of jobs! If these top companies are not creating jobs, then it is all about, do not tax my take home pay. Corporate America always says they are going to wait and watch how the economy is doing before they are willing to invest in job creation, well you ass for brains clowns, the economy for the vast majority of Americans is terrible!
That's part of Obama's job creation plan is to give tax breaks to companies that can show they've created jobs. Of course, a certain party will still say 'No' even to that. And then later say Obama did nothing.
The Republicans want to let the payroll tax break expire (on the backs of the working class) but no way in hell will they let the trillion dollar tax breaks for billionaires expire.
Such a unifying figure is Perry. Like Marshal Dillon in Gunsmoke, cleaning up the town, no, maybe more like Wyatt Earp, gonna shoot up the town.
Coming out of chute #9 riding Obamanation is Rick Perry' ride'm cowboy. Ding, ding, ding . Perry scores a perfect 10.
Lucky for the rest of us that the rodeo doesn't determine our leaders.
This traitor and demi-gog commits sedition every time he opens his mouth. He should be arrested, not supported.
bob-1805084 WTF was that all about???? Boy whatever you are smoking, send me some because based upon how you went on for days with that rant, it must be some good stuff. !!!!
Our soldiers have to have a Commander and Chief they can trust and respect, we owe them that at the very least!
obama does not fill the bill. When he rejected the advice of his generals, he blew it with the military and veterans.
The military does not run the country, which is what they would be doing if a President did everything they said. That would end democracy.
The pesident asked for their advice, the same as he did with his economic advisers he ignored them all.
The only laser focus obama has is turning U.S. into a third world nation.