Book Review III: A Foreign Policy of Freedom

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 

Estimated Reading Time: 10 hours (371 pages, ~1.5 minutes / page)

Why I choose to read:

• 2012 presidential primary debates spurred my interest in foreign policy due to controversy on Israel-Iran tensions.
• Desire to hear Ron Paul’s stance on foreign policy from the horse’s mouth, not from secondary media outlets.
• Read Ron Paul’s The Revolution and End the Fed further raising my interest in understanding Ron Paul’s noninterventionist beliefs.
• Numerous foreign events in recent times:
• Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Israel, Korean Peninsula, G-7, G-20, United Nations, NATO
• Underdeveloped political area of mine.

Background:

• Subject
• Ron Paul’s beliefs and insights into America’s foreign policy. More specifically, an in depth study of Ron Paul’s support of noninterventionist foreign policy.
• Year Written: 1997
• Cultural Context
• 6 years post Gulf War
• Soviet Union dissolved in 1991
• Cold War

Author Details:

• Promoter of Austrian Economics
• Ludwig von Mises
• Murray Rothbard
• Libertarian platform
• Ron Paul Channel
• Online video platform with episodes of Ron Paul’s views on current and controversial issues
• Texas senator for 25 years
• Detailed Biographys
• Ron Paul Channel
• Wikipedia

Reflections:
What I appreciated -

• Increased my understanding of how our foreign policy is perceived worldwide.
• Makes me extremely frustrated with the wasted resources (people, money) and harm to citizens of both our own country and other countries.
• Increased sympathy for Ron Paul. His steadfastness in holding to his beliefs in the face of misrepresentation and malignment by others is noteworthy.
• Has tried so hard to steer our country away from foolish decisions with few if any results. I feel we are now reaping the fruit of our planting in the 21st century with 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Korea, China, etc.
• It is no wonder why Ron Paul receives more donations from military members and their families than any other candidate.
• Free pdf of entire book at Ludwig von Mises Institute

Shortcomings -

• Due to publication date of 1997, has missed a number of foreign affairs in the last 15 years.
• Would have been very interesting to hear how these events fit into Ron Paul’s framework.

Key Messages:

• Ron Paul believes in policy of armed neutrality (linked with free trade and strong defense)
• A policy of non-intervention would make America stronger, wealthier, more influential, and a respected beacon of liberty
• Giveaway programs (foreign aid) and trade barriers (tariffs) create contempt, hostility, national debt, and decrease American business competitiveness
• Giving foreign aid for peaceful purposes (humanitarian aid) allows countries to free up their own limited capital for military purposes
• Treating our enemy’s enemy as friends is short lived
• Examples: Sadaam Hussein (1980’s), Osama bin Laden (1980s)
• 60% of our military budget is being spent on the defense of other nations (1997)
• In an attempt to balance interests we anger all sides
• By trying to support both sides we alienate both sides
• When one person can initiate war (president), a republic no longer exists
• The president may be commander in chief, but Congress authorizes funding, no funding = no foreign intervention
• Waging war and ratifying treaties is a legislative function, not executive
• Out of political fear, Congress relinquished/transferred its war declaring power to the president
• In the end, the economic consequences of world domination will dictate our policies
• The demand to sacrifice liberty at home to promote freedom and democracy abroad rings hollow
• Hypocritical to use outside force to achieve freedom
• Economic law eventually overcomes politicians deceit
• Seems ironic we have been allies with Sadaam, Osama, and the Islamists in Iran
• Noninterventionists are misrepresented as isolationists, however the consequences of interventionist polices actually lead to isolationism
• Decreased allies, increased enemies, worsened economic conditions
• Opposing continuing wars is not a lack of support for the troops, in many ways it is supporting them by bring them home to their families

• Henry Grady Weaver:

"Most of the major ills of the world have been caused by well-meaning people who ignored the principle of individual freedom, except as applied to themselves, and who were obsessed with fanatical zeal to improve the lot of mankind-in-the-mass through some pet formula of their own. The harm done by ordinary criminals, murderers, gangsters, and thieves is negligible in comparison with the agony inflicted upon human beings by the professional do-gooders, who attempt to set themselves up as gods on earth and who would ruthlessly force their views on all others with the abiding assurance that the end justifies the means."

• Rather than democrat or republican should use terms libertarian and socialist as both democrats and republicans support a mix of both libertarian and socialist policies
• We sacrifice future wealth for present indulgence at the expense of individual liberty
• The debtor is slave to the lender
• Bad ideas, whether promoted by men of bad or good intentions will produce bad results
• Wars are won with sound economics (my thought)
• Ron Paul was for responding to 9/11 with intelligent military force
• Before committing to a war, success, our enemy, and our exit strategy should all be defined and approved by Congress
• Should avoid entangling alliances and have an exit strategy for all alliances
• War is often built around money (like everything else) rather than our nation’s security
• Ron Paul is very much against the UN/NATO (decreases America’s sovereignty)
• Thomas Jefferson said “peace, commerce, honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none”
• The United States should strive to be an example to other nations such that foreign peoples/governments will enact their own change outside of U.S. influence
• War results in innocent people dying and damaged economies
•  “A government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take it all away”
• David Crocket
• We support a military takeover as long as the new dictator does as we tell him
• To dismiss terrorism as a result of Muslim’s hating us because we are rich and free is a fraud
• Preemptive wars for humanitarian causes could be privately funded and manned
• LOVE this idea!
• Cannot fund both foreign entanglements and domestic entitlements
• Supports move towards localized government and weak central government
• Elections are a consequence (good) of freedom; freedom is achieved first and then elections
• Using force contradicts the moral foundation of a free society

To who would I recommend reading?

• Everyone. Our personal and country’s safety, freedom, peace, and prosperity is at risk
• Especially young and middle-aged as we bear the greatest human and financial cost

To who would I not recommend reading?

• Ron Paul
• Those who have read it in the last 10 years
• Read these books first:
• Doctrine - Driscoll
• Economics in One Lesson – Hazlitt

I believe A Foreign Policy of Freedom is one of Ron Paul’s greatest works. It is a shame it has not garnered greater attention, especially in light of recent foreign conflicts, largely the outcomes of seeds sown long ago. I agree with Ron Paul, a policy of non-intervention would make America stronger, wealthier, more influential, and a respected beacon of liberty. All things I believe all people would agree are worth striving for.


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