Thread: Tea Party vs. War Party?

Tea Party vs. War Party?
by Patrick J. Buchanan

10/01/2010

"We're all on the same page until the polls close Nov. 2," Richard Viguerie, the longtime conservative strategist who has allied with the Tea Party, told The New York Times. After that, "a massive, almost historic battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party begins."

Indeed, such a battle seems unavoidable. Consider.

The great issue uniting and motivating the Republican Party and Tea Party is the deficit-debt crisis, a national debt nearing 100 percent of gross domestic product and a deficit of 10 percent of GDP.

As to the cause of the deficit that could precipitate a run on the dollar, double-digit inflation, even a default, the Tea Party and GOP also agree -- federal spending that consumes 25 percent of GDP.

Both are also on the same page in their opposition to closing the deficit with new or higher taxes.

This means spending must be slashed. But to cut the budget to 20 percent of GDP, where it was before George W. Bush and Barack Obama, requires spending cuts of an astronomical $700 billion a year. Even then, the 2011 deficit would be $700 billion.

As interest on the debt must be paid, or we default, there are only two places you can find that kind of money. The first is the major entitlement programs -- Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security -- and social spending for education, veterans benefits, earned income tax credits and unemployment compensation.

But a Democratic Party, brutalized and bled on Nov. 2, returning to Capitol Hill with its moderate wing annihilated, is unlikely to collude with a resurgent Republican right and Tea Party caucus in hacking away at social programs that are the Democratic Party's pride and joy, and the reason that party exists.

Which leaves one place where a bipartisan majority may be found for major spending cuts: defense and the empire, the warfare state.

The "agonizing reappraisal" of commitments abroad that John Foster Dulles predicted half a century ago may be at hand.

And here is where the Tea Party and War Party split the blanket.

If Obama makes good on his pledge of full withdrawal of the 50,000 U.S. troops in Iraq by the end of 2011, will the Tea Party and Republican right oppose that withdrawal and join the War Party in demanding that we retain an army in Iraq indefinitely?

If Obama refuses to go to war against Iran, a war that would send oil prices soaring, close the Persian Gulf and be a disaster for the global economy, will the Tea Party join the War Party in denouncing Obama for not launching a third war in the Near East?

If Obama begins his promised withdrawal from Afghanistan next July, will Tea Party Republicans join the War Party and the generals in accusing Obama of inviting an American defeat?

The neocons are nervous the Tea Party may not sign up to soldier on for the empire. Writing in The Washington Post, Danielle Pletka and Thomas Donnelly of AEI have sniffed out the unmistakable scent of "isolationism" among Tea Party favorites.

They are warning that the old right and Tea Party might unite in a "combination of Ebenezer Scrooge and George McGovern, withdrawing from the world to a countinghouse America."

Sorry, but the old neocon name-calling won't cut it this time.

After Iraq and Afghanistan, the American people are not going to give the establishment and War Party a free hand in foreign policy. Every patriot will do what is necessary and pay what is needed to defend his country. But national security is one thing, empire security another.

Why should Americans, 65 years after World War II, be defending rich Europeans from a Soviet Union that has been dead for 20 years, so those same Europeans can cut their defense budgets to protect their social safety nets?

President Eisenhower told JFK to bring the troops home from Europe, or the Europeans would wind up as permanent wards.

Was Ike a closet isolationist?

Almost $14 trillion in debt today, we borrow from Europe to defend Europe, borrow from Japan to defend Japan, borrow from the Gulf Arabs to defend the Gulf Arabs. And we borrow from Beijing to send foreign aid to African regimes whose U.N. delegations laughed and applauded as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the General Assembly that 9/11 was an inside job by the U.S. government. Have we lost all sense of self-respect?

In his 1969 "Silent Majority" address, Richard Nixon said that, after Vietnam, America would provide Asian allies with weapons and assistance in defending their freedom. But Americans would no longer do the fighting.

Why are U.S. soldiers still on the DMZ, 57 years after the Korean War? Why are Marines still on Okinawa, 65 years after Gen. MacArthur took the surrender? Cannot Korea and Japan, prosperous and populous, conscript the soldiers for their own defense?

National security, yes. Empire security we can no longer afford.

The only problem with Sen. McGovern's "Come home, America!" slogan was the timing.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39221

GET RID OF THE NEOCONS: THE EMPIRE BUILDING IS OVER AND MAY HAVE BANKRUPTED THE U.S. IN THE PROCESS

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

GET RID OF THE NEOCONS: THE EMPIRE BUILDING IS OVER AND MAY HAVE BACKRUPTED THE U.S. IN THE PROCESS

DARN RIGHT! The Neocons must go!!!!!!!! The USA is not supposed to be an empire!!

Why are we still footing the defense bills for Europe and Japan and not even securing our own border against a state-sponsored invasion from the narco-terrorist, failed state, "nation" to our south!?!

I hear Germany's economy is going great right now. Good, then we can pull out all our troops, close our bases, and Germany can take care of it's own defense.

Originally Posted by patbrunz

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

GET RID OF THE NEOCONS: THE EMPIRE BUILDING IS OVER AND MAY HAVE BACKRUPTED THE U.S. IN THE PROCESS

DARN RIGHT! The Neocons must go!!!!!!!! The USA is not supposed to be an empire!!

Why are we still footing the defense bills for Europe and Japan and not even securing our own border against a state-sponsored invasion from the narco-terrorist, failed state, "nation" to our south!?!

I hear Germany's economy is going great right now. Good, then we can pull out all our troops, close our bases, and Germany can take care of it's own defense.

100% agreement ... Our nations best, our LOVED veterans and soldiers are toast; they are committing suicide in record numbers; they are homeless in record numbers; 40 million Americans on welfare; U-6 Unemployment at 22.3 percent and OUR FRICKEN Borders are barely defendend. Women and children are raped; car jacking, kindnappings; robbery and this FLAKEY so called government represents everyone but the people they work for

you people do realize we have 196 bases in over 70 country's .. this country has been taken over by NEOCON's .. they are NOT Conservative Republicans .... they are WAR PROFITEER's at Best and at worst they are Genicidal MANIAC's and need to be dragged in front of a War Crime's Tribunal

No No No ... Its time for a MASSIVE PINK SLIP CAMPAIGN and it starts in DC

We didn't have these problems when the tarriff rate on imported COMMUNIST Chinese goods was 30%!!!

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

you people do realize we have 196 bases in over 70 country's ..

Are you serious? What the heck? I did not know that. Thanks!

Originally Posted by patbrunz

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

you people do realize we have 196 bases in over 70 country's ..

Are you serious? What the heck? I did not know that. Thanks!

most are special operations A-teams but that is not a guess.. that was reported by Ron Paul