[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11593-11594]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                              {time}  1915

                     A POSITIVE SPIN ON AN UGLY WAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Green of Wisconsin). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Paul) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, the Yugoslavian civil war, now going on for 
years, was near ending until NATO chose to enter on the side of the KLA 
seeking independence. Aggressively entering the fray by invading a 
foreign nation, in direct opposition to its charter, NATO has expanded 
the war and multiplied the casualties. The impasse now reached, 
although predictable, prompts only more NATO bombing and killing of 
innocent civilians on both sides. It is difficult to see how any good 
can come from this continuous march of folly, but I am going to try.
  Number one, the U.N. has suffered a justified setback in its effort 
to be the world's governing body of the new world order, and that is 
good. By NATO refusing to seek a U.N. resolution of support for its war 
effort, it makes the U.N. look irrelevant. Now NATO is using the U.N. 
to seek a peace settlement by including the Russians, who agree to play 
the game as long as additional American tax dollars flow to them 
through the IMF. The U.N. looks weak, irrelevant, ignored, and used. 
The truth is winning out.
  Number two, NATO is on the verge of self-destruction. Since the 
purpose of NATO to defend against a ruthless Soviet system no longer 
exists, that is good, NATO, in choosing to break its own rules looks 
totally ineffective and has lost credibility. The U.S. can get out of 
NATO, come home, save some money and let Europe tend to its own 
affairs, and we can then contribute to peace, not war.
  Number three, Tony Blair's true character has now become known to the 
world. He has not only annoyed many Americans, but many Germans, 
French, Italians and Greeks as well. By Blair demanding more American 
bombs, money and the introduction of ground troops, many have become 
skeptical of his judgment. It is much easier now to challenge his 
influence over Bill Clinton and NATO, and that is not only good, but 
necessary.
  Number four, more Americans every day are discovering that military 
spending is not equivalent to defense spending. This is a good start. 
It is clearly evident that when useless immoral wars are pursued, money 
is wasted, weapons are consumed, and national security is endangered, 
opposite to everything that is supposed to be achieved through defense 
spending. A foolish policy of foreign interventionism, no matter how 
much money is spent on the military, can never substitute for a 
sensible, pro-American policy of friendship and trade with all those 
countries willing to engage.
  Number five, the ill-gotten war has shown once again that air power 
alone, and especially when pursued without a declaration of war and a 
determination

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to win, serves no useful purpose. Although most military experts have 
stated this for years, it is now readily apparent to anyone willing to 
study the issue. Many more Americans now agree that war not fought for 
the defense of one's country and for the preservation of liberty is 
immoral and rarely brings about victory. If we remember that in the 
future, that would be good.
  Number six, NATO's war against Yugoslovia has made it clearly 
apparent that world leaders place relative value on human life. This is 
valuable information that should be helped to restore U.S. national 
sovereignty. According to NATO's policy, the lives of the Kosovars are 
of greater value than the Serbs, Rwandans, Kurds, Tibetans, or East 
Timorans. Likewise, oil and European markets command more bloodshed in 
support of powerful financial interests than the suffering of millions 
in Asia and Africa. This knowledge of NATO's hypocrisy should some day 
lead to a fair and more peaceful world.
  Number seven, the issue of whether or not a President can initiate 
and wage an unconstitutional war without declaration and in violation 
of the War Powers Resolution has prompted a positive and beneficial 
debate in the Congress and throughout the Nation. This is a necessary 
first step to get Congress to regain its prerogatives over the issue of 
war.
  Number eight, interventionism in the affairs of other nations when 
our national security is not threatened serves no benefit and causes 
great harm. Our involvement with NATO and Yugoslovia has once again 
forcefully shown this. Although our Founders knew this and advised 
against it, and American Presidents for over 100 years acted 
accordingly, this rediscovery of a vital truth can serve us well in 
future years.
  Number nine, NATO's arrogance has once again restated another truth 
worth remembering: Might does not make right.
  Number ten, the 19 nations' military actions against a tiny state 
shows that alliances to promote aggression do not work. The moral high 
ground is not achieved because despite the pronouncements of concerns 
for the suffering of the innocent, when survival is not at stake and 
when the defense against an aggressor is not an issue, war by committee 
is doomed to fail. This is a lesson that needs restating.
  Number 11: NATO's blundering policy ironically will leave a legacy 
that will allow rebuilding after the new world order disintegrates.
  To the bewilderment of their own leaders NATO has forcefully 
supported the notion of autonomy and independence for ethnic states. 
Instead of huge governments demanding ethnic diversity, the goal of 
establishing Kosovo's independence provides the moral foundation for an 
independent Kashmir Kurdistan, Palestine, Tibet, East Timor, Quebec, 
and North Ireland and anyone else that believes their rights as 
citizens would be better protected by small local government. This is 
in contrast to huge nation states and international governments that 
care only about controlling wealth, while forgetting about the needs 
and desires of average citizens.
  12. Another lesson that will be learned from this misadventure, but 
unfortunately not soon enough, is that empires self-destruct out of 
their own weighty arrogance and blindness to the truth. Inevitably 
powerful empires--and it is said we are the only super power left and 
have great world-wide responsibilities--pursue a march of folly, a 
course upon which we inextricably find ourselves.
  If these lessons are remembered, we will have a much better chance of 
achieving peace and prosperity throughout the world.

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