[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2094-E2096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CONGRATULATING LIU XIAOBO ON NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 7, 2010

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this resolution as I 
do not believe it is our place, as Members of the U.S. Congress, to 
dictate internal policy to the Chinese government. Obviously, as an 
advocate of minimal government and personal liberty, I do not support 
imprisoning individuals for their political views and believe that 
anyone held anywhere for merely holding unpopular views--including 
anyone held in the United States--should be released. I do object to 
the meddling in this bill which falsely advertises itself as a non-
controversial expression of congratulations to a winner of the Nobel 
Peace Prize.
  As one who believes strongly in national sovereignty and is opposed 
to the idea of a

[[Page E2095]]

world governmental authority, I particularly object to the sentiment 
expressed in this bill that ``violations of human rights in general . . 
. are matters of legitimate concern to other governments.'' This idea 
is the recipe for abominations such as the ``humanitarian'' bombing of 
Serbia in 1999 and is used by those who wish to maintain the current 
disastrous occupation of Afghanistan. As we can see from interventions 
such as the U.S. attack on Iraq, which was at least partly sold as a 
humanitarian-inspired overthrow of a dictator, sometimes the ``cure'' 
is worse than the disease particularly when one calculates the number 
dead from the intervention and the number actually killed by the regime 
being replaced.
  I find it ironic that, at a time when the U.S. government is 
desperately attempting to censor the publication of sensitive leaked 
information that it considers embarrassing and is demonizing and 
calling for the prosecution or worse of the publisher of that 
information, Julian Assange, this resolution ``calls on the Government 
of China to cease censoring media and Internet reporting of the award 
of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo and to cease its campaign of 
defamation against Liu Xiaobo.''
  In the interest of a non-interventionist U.S. foreign policy I must 
therefore oppose this resolution and will continue to oppose any 
meddling in the domestic affairs of foreign countries.
    

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