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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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So his foreign policy is a list of stitched together comic book slogans.
His mouth must hurt...from talking out of both sides of it at once!
Dear Governor Perry please keep in mind that the last Republican President and Vice-President do have warrants out for their arrest in more than a few countries. LMAO George W wanted to take his book tour out of the country and was told he may well be taken into custody if he set foot in certain countries. In words you will understand sir STFU.
I see another "mission accomplished" in America's future. Except no mission was accomplished and we just ended up losing more soldiers, more time and more money.
What a freaking idiot blowhard this guy is!
What dope. This guy's just as stupid as W. God help us if any of these dopes get into office.
Now that Perry has commented on fighting enemies abroad, would someone in the press please ask Perry about his position on establishing a plutocracy in America. Plutocracy, which to me is epitomized by Perry, is also a threat to our country, but from within. I'm not joking.
Oligarchy comes to mind when I consider our three branches of government and the concentration of wealth in the US.
Rick is freak of nature as is all the other hopefuls , fu*k I can't wait to die
So Ricky, if you don't know who your enemy is are you saying that we should have been willing to commit genocide to win the war? They prosecute leaders for that ya know...
I wonder if he learned that word, ya know, "dithering" from the former vice prez who used it in his book?
I was paying 99 cents a gallon for gas just before the last Texas Governor came to office. after a year or two in office I was paying almost 4 bucks a gallon and the price has not really dropped since
Good for Texas, bad for America as a whole.
Yep, another "shoot first and ask questions later" kinda guy. Snake oil salesman comes to mind everytime I see him. I can't believe people actually buy what this guy says. Very disturbing.
Get used to it. Obama's latest 38% job approval rating and 26% for handling of the economy opens the door for a right-winger. Obama's victory in 2008 was exactly what we needed to hand power back to conservatives for another decade.
In light of whom our President has called “the enemy”, let’s be clear that Perry is not referring to Americans.
U sew funny!! Your right. He's only referring to Texans at this point.
Perry's concept of who the "enemy" is probably encompasses the other 49 states. You know, since a very short while ago he was advocating secession from the union for Texas.
A real American patriot.
Good Lord.....I think if I hear one more person claim that Al-Qaeda would have attacked America if we had not gone into Iraq, I'll end up banging my head into the wall. Not for the first time. (See Bob with lots of numbers above)
First, Saddam and Al-Qaeda were mortal enemies. Saddam was very secular, and very much the enemy of radical Islam. He saw Al-Qaeda as a threat, and certainly didn't want to go the same way as Iran.
Second, attacking Iraq eliminated an enemy of Al-Qaeda, and strengthened Iran as a regional power. Not good.
Third, attacking Iraq took our eye off the ball, the ball being Al-Qaeda, so it took another 7 years or so before their leader was brought to justice.
In conclusion, attacking Iraq did not make America safe. It wasted American lives and money, strengthened our enemy Iran, and didn't do a hoot as far as hurting Al-Qaeda.
Why...please tell me why, right wing conservatives believe their opinions, formed from off-the-cuff observations, are equal to careful consideration of facts? In the words of Blackbeard...arrrrrgggggg!
Now that Perry has weighed in on his foreign policy ideas and ways to address threats from abroad, let's switch to his domestic policy. I would really like to see a member of the U.S. press ask Perry outright about what his stand is on plutocracy in America. In my view, Perry embodies the very essence of the internal threat of plutocracy to our country. If a plutocrat like Perry can run for U.S. president and be considered a serious candidate for that office, we getting ready to seal the deal for all plutocratic wannabees. Lord knows they already have a majority on the SCOTUS.
Good grief, I cannot stand this crop of clueless ideologues. I guess it just takes a bunch of idiotic rhetoric, guns n bibles to get you noticed in the Republican party. As long as he doesn't use big words he'll win the nomination of his party.
Perry must be reading the definitive Republican politician manual entitled, "Learn Doublespeak in 5 Easy Lessons: Speak Out of BOTH Sides of Your Mouth At One Time!"
Isn't that what we've been doing? Is he somehow going to take the fight more to them? Or is he implying that we haven't been taking the fight to them. Was killing Osama Bin Laden not taking the fight to them?
Everybody knows Obama had nothing to do with that. It just magically happened all on it's own. So please, stop giving him credit for it. I mean, there's no way a Democrat succeeded where George Bush failed right? Right?
???
Dear God please lets not elect another Texas as president. The last two Texans got us in the two biggest foreign policy blunders in this countries history. Vietnam and Iraq. We don't need a third.
Peace-lover, eh?? Texass heat burns braincells
No way, Jose', would I trade Barry for a Perry...or a Michelle...or a Mitt...or a Newt...or a Ron...or a Sarah or any of those certified nut jobs that have "storm-troupered" the teapublican party.
And I'm sure I have nothing to worry about.
...And this message brought to you by the Texas State Military Industrial Complex.
Who was in office when we Bin Laden went down, and this Libya situation. Obama by the way. Be careful of Christian Bible carriers taking over our political arena. Maybe send the Texans to fight in Middle East and rich and see what they think then. Always amazes me many talk big but want my kid or poor to do the fighting. Seems yes our soldiers had a tough time in Vietnam but now great we get to buy products from Vietnam and China using the cheap labor while Americans loose their jobs. Who won? We need a third party not this money influence and religious white conservatives like Islamic extremists trying to tell me how to live. I do not say they are wacho's but at the same time grow up and do not tell me how to live and make my decisions and life choices.
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My reason for not worrying is that as I look over the teapublican candidates I look over the teapublican candidates.
i say if you are not with us, you are against us
Pres Bush 2001
The question is would Rick Perry pre-empt attacks on the Chinese market especially the technology sector of China to break their spy networks associated with corporations in America who sue such spy technology to monitor American Citizen'sto then create programs to force and coerce the American citizen to vote for a political candidate that would best suite the goal of the Chinese?
Would Rick Perry take the necessary steps to inspire the Chinese citizen to break free of the state mandated philopshy systems so that each Chinese citizen would then be inspired to make a free choice, a choice that is Liberal and hated by most Conservatives would allow for more freedom in the market where each Chinese citizen would be able to make purchases from around the world like all of the other free countries on Earth are able to?
President Obama is leading the way in taking care of the terrorist's in the Middle East, Osama bin Laden is dead and gone, Ghadaffi is out of Libya and will soon be gone. Next will be Assad's turn either at the hands of his own people or NATO.
If America wants to be on top again then the Chinese citizen must be freed and their government turned into a nationally elected body. Because basically what is happening in America, the Chinese leadership is forcing Americans to put into office who the Chinese want in office so that choice is gone and only state mandates of religion are handed down to each citizen.
We are in a fight America with the Chinese and their slow and steady advancement into America through the greed of our leaders politics.
"taking the fight to the enemy"
The "enemy" by the way, is GOP-speak for working people.