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| A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship | 
 enlarge | Author: Ron Paul
Publisher: Foundation for Rational Economics and Educati
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $12.42
You Save: $7.53 (38%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  69 reviews
Sales Rank: 8925
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 372
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 6 x 0.9
ISBN: 0912453001
Dewey Decimal Number: 338
EAN: 9780912453002
ASIN: 0912453001
Publication Date: June 15, 2007
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| Customer Reviews:
Great & Interesting Read March 25, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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!
 A Voice Worth Listening To March 14, 2008
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
When I listen to Ron Paul during debates or in interviews he comes across as a very likable man who's put a lot of thought into his beliefs. Now I am far from a libertarian but I have to say that I generally agree with his views on foreign policy particularly as it pertains to the use of our military. This book is a collection of speeches Ron Paul has given before Congress over his several decades as a member and as such there is a lot of repetition of ideas. His thinking remains generally consistent although his emphasis on denigrating international institutions like NATO and the "rotten, anti-American United Nations" subsided as it became clear that even he couldn't pin the blame for Iraq on the U.N. although he tried mightily.
Ron Paul puts up an absolutely spectacular defense for a foreign policy based on peace. Real peace as Rep. Paul says, `not peace through the medium of war'. This is an important distinction because there are many on the right who live by the philosophy of peace through superior firepower.
His critiques of our current `War on Terror' include the following wonderful quotes....
"...so-called suspects must be tried and convicted before they are assigned to this type of [military] `trial' without due process"
"To dismiss terrorism as the result of Muslims hating us because we're rich and free is one of the greatest foreign policy frauds ever perpetrated on the American people"
"Should we be fighting so strenuously the war against terrorism and carelessly sacrifice our tradition of American justice? If we do, the war will be for naught and we will lose even if we win"
"The general acceptance of the dictatorial policies of the Bush administration is astounding, but it helps explain how the German people allowed Hitler to rise to power"
This final quote is like a hammer upside the head of the Bush Administration.
Why is this kind of logical thinking so rare? They take on additional power coming from a Republican. This is Ron Paul the brilliant thinker.
There is also Ron Paul the libertarian ideologue. The man who believes that a deregulated free-market economy will solve all of society's ills. He's quoted saying, "I am recorded as having voted against 99 percent of all spending - to me that means voting for the taxpayer 99 percent of the time" By that logic he voted against the taxpayer 1% of the time which means that he believes all public spending is wrong. This is not a pragmatic approach to spending it's a completely inflexible dogmatic approach. Rep. Paul writes, "A renewed respect for gun ownership and responsibility for defending one's property would provide additional protection against potential terrorists" Wow. That's kinda.... silly. The problem with ideologues is that they have all they answers and now they're just looking for questions.
Ron Paul is convinced that the Federal Reserve is an institution that has "been granted authority that is unconstitutional to counterfeit money" and states that "without the Fed's ability to create money out of thin air, our government would be severely handicapped in waging wars that do not suit our interests" That's just absurd. Someone has to be in charge of the production of money. If not the Federal Reserve then who? Congress? Imagine the nightmare of Bush and his Congress making decisions on setting interest rates and producing money. How Ron Paul could possibly think that Congress would show more restraint than the Federal Reserve is absolutely beyond me.
In so many ways I love Ron Paul's philosophy on foreign affairs stressing a morally consistent and truly humble policy. I also agree that Congress should take back its place as the branch in charge of declaring war. But with Ron Paul you have to take the good with his bad and Ron Paul sometimes comes close to tinfoil hat territory. It's a good book but a bit repetitive. I might prefer one that is actually written as a book rather than a compilation of speeches.
Veritas February 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a brilliant view of the truth! This compilation of letters to the Speaker of the House and various Commitee Chairpersons gives us a rare look at the truth about our Congress without having to watch C-SPAN all day everyday. I highly recommend this book for anyone who truly cares about how the United States is preceived in the eyes of the World.
History of Paul's views on foreign policy. February 16, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book provides some insight into Paul's historically consistent stance on important issues such as a non-interventionist foreign policy and what he thinks are legitimate reasons for employing our military, but if you've been following him closely throughout the campaign you are already familiar with all of this. You're not going to be introduced to anything new, other than the fact that this man has been consistently on the right side of the argument regarding foreign policy since he began his political career.
Well Put Together Collection February 14, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The book was a well put together collection of Dr. Paul's speeches on the floor of Congress. Its amazing how his views on foreign policy foresaw many of problems we faced... he notes problems with Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Afganistan, Pakistan etc. Does read somewhat slow as some of speeches can be drawn out. Overall though, Dr. Paul offers a refreshingly new view of US foreign policy.
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