I have never understood what it means to have a foreign policy of freedom, but Ron Paul's book A Foreign Policy of Freedom makes me feel as if I am Robert A. Taft in the 1952 Presidential primaries. The book is filled with speeches Ron Paul gave on the House floor. It was published in 2007 by the Foundation for Rational Economics and Education. Not only does the book give a phenomenal history of modern U.S. foreign affairs, but also Ron Paul's struggle for non-interventionism. The speeches span from the death of Mao Tse-Tung in 1976 all the way to dealing with Iran in 2006. After finishing the book, I was convinced that a non-interventionist foreign policy would be the best for any country. This book also opens your mind to an old, yet new foreign policy that not a single living American has experienced. This was the foreign policy the founding fathers wanted the United States to live by. Yet, we have drifted far from it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in foreign policy.
Ron Paul's speeches are unique. They aren't about "hope" or "change"; they have none of those empty promise words. His speeches are STRICTLY about policy; straight-talking, honest policy. He doesn't "beat around the bush" when it comes to letting his fellow Congressmen know his thoughts. If he has something to say, he'll say it. This makes the book very interesting to read. Any other book full of speeches from a politician, you would fall asleep within 15 pages. So, don't let the thought of Ron Paul's speeches scare you off, they are very interesting. The book has certain parts in bold face, they emphasis the main point of his speech and give you something great to remember.
The book's message demonstrates that a foreign policy of freedom, peace, commerce and honest friendship is essential to a free society. There is a certain fallacy that seems to go unseen within American politics; both of the political parties domestic and foreign policies are not guided by the same principles. Liberals insist on government intervention inside the U.S., but want to stay out of the lives of those in other countries. Republicans insist on limited government at home and then intervention abroad. This doesn't make since. In order to preserve freedom, peace, commerce and honest friendship, it is crucial to have a similar domestic and foreign policy. These policies must not contradict each other.
Non-interventionism basically died out when Woodrow Wilson decided to enter WWI. If you compare Wilson to modern day neoconservatives, such as Bill Kristol (author of Reflections of a Neoconservative), you will see MANY similarities. Woodrow Wilson was the biggest neoconservative of the 20th century. The basic beliefs of neoconservative can be quoted from a speech by Ron Paul on July 10, 2003:
"Here is a brief summary of the general understanding of what neocons believe:
1. They agree with Trotsky on permanent revolution, violent as well as intellectual.
2. They are for redrawing the map of the Middle East and are willing to use force to do so.
3. They believe in preemptive war to achieve desired ends.
4. They accept the notion that the ends justify the means--that hardball politics is a moral necessity.
5. They express no opposition to the welfare state.
6. They are not bashful about an American empire; instead they strongly endorse it.
7. They believe lying is necessary for the state to survive.
8. They believe a powerful federal government is a benefit.
9. They believe pertinent facts about how a society should be run should be held by the elite and withheld from those who do not have the courage to deal with it.
10. They believe neutrality in foreign affairs is ill advised.
11. They hold Leo Strauss in high esteem.
12. They believe imperialism, if progressive in nature, is appropriate.
13. Using American might to force American ideals on others is acceptable. Force should not be limited to the defense of our country.
14. 9-11 resulted from the lack of foreign entanglements, not from too many.
15. They dislike and despise libertarians (therefore, the same applies to all strict constitutionalists.)
16. They endorse attacks on civil liberties, such as those found in the Patriot Act, as being necessary.
17. They unconditionally support Israel and have a close alliance with the Likud Party. "
Foreign Policy for the best 90 years has been the same: interventionism. Want to open your mind to new, but yet old policies on foreign affairs and how they are applied to the events of the past 30 years? Then read this book.
This was the foreign policy of choice for the founding fathers. They believed that America needs to mind her own business and stay out of the affairs of foreign countries. On the very first page of the book, you read a quote of Thomas Jefferson: "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations - entangling alliances with none." Jefferson this said at his first Inaugural address in 1801. George Washington, the father of our country, said: "It is our true policy to steer clear of entangling alliances with any portion of the foreign world." Interventionism feeds the elite and military industrial complex for the want of a never ending war; this is what James Madison thought of such an idea: "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare."
There are a few things I would have liked to see in this book:
1. More background information on the conflicts
2. Outcome of the speeches
3. Ron Paul's thought on that certain speech from his eyes today
4. The final vote on the bills at the end of each chapter
5. The outcome of each foreign conflict and how non-interventionism would have helped
Overall, I would have liked to read more content that has the "looking back" point of view. It would have made this a bunch more interesting read. I can't blame Ron Paul for being bias, since these are Congressional debates and he needs to use that to his advantage. A "nod" to his opposition would have been nice, but since there was little writing that wasn't in the speech, it can't be done.
Regardless, this was an amazing book and I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone interested in foreign policy, or just wants to open their mind. If you are a libertarian, this would be a great read to learn up on foreign policy. There aren't many good books on foreign policy for libertarians, but this book wouldn't disappoint you. If you want to learn in-depth applications on non-interventionism, they you are going to have to pick up A Foreign Policy of Freedom and find out for yourself!
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