Thread: Lying is Not Patriotic by Ron Paul

This was a speech given on the House Floor by Congressman Ron Paul on Wednesday:

Lying is Not Patriotic

by Ron Paul

WikiLeaks’ release of classified information has generated a lot of attention world-wide in the past few weeks. The hysterical reaction makes one wonder if this is not an example of killing the messenger for the bad news.

Despite what is claimed, information so far released, though classified, has caused no known harm to any individual, but it has caused plenty of embarrassment to our government.Â* Losing a grip on our empire is not welcomed by the neo-conservatives in charge.

There is now more information confirming that Saudi Arabia is a principle supporter and financier of Al Qaeda and this should set off alarm bells since we guarantee its Sharia-run government. This emphasizes even more the fact that no Al Qaeda existed in Iraq before 9/11, and yet we went to war against Iraq based on the lie that it did.

It has been charged, by self-proclaimed experts, that Julian Assange, the internet publisher of this information, has committed a heinous crime deserving prosecution for treason and execution or even assassination. But should we not at least ask how the U.S. government can charge an Australian citizen with treason for publishing U.S. secret information, that he did not steal?

And if Wikileaks is to be prosecuted for publishing classified documents, why shouldn’t the Washington Post, New York Times, and others that have also published these documents be prosecuted? Actually, some in Congress are threatening this as well.

The New York Times, as a result of a Supreme Court ruling, was not found guilty in 1971 for the publication of the Pentagon Papers.Â* Daniel Ellsberg never served a day in prison for his role in obtaining these secret documents. The Pentagon Papers were also inserted into the Congressional Record by Senator Mike Gravel with no charges being made of breaking any National Security laws.

Yet the release of this classified information was considered illegal by many, and those who lied us into the Vietnam War and argued for its prolongation were outraged.Â* But the truth gained from the Pentagon Papers revealed that lies were told about the Gulf of Tonkin attack which perpetuated a sad and tragic episode in our history.

Just as with the Vietnam War, the Iraq War was based on lies.Â* We were never threatened by Weapons of Mass Destruction or Al Qaeda in Iraq, though the attack on Iraq was based on this false information.

Any information that challenges the official propaganda for the war in the Middle East is unwelcome by the administration and supporters of these unnecessary wars.Â* Few are interested in understanding the relationship of our foreign policy and our presence in the Middle East to the threat of terrorism.Â* Revealing the real nature and goal for our presence in so many Muslim countries is a threat to our empire and any revelation of this truth is highly resented by those in charge.

Questions to consider:
1.Â* Do the American people deserve to know the truth regarding the ongoing war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen?

2.Â* Could a larger question be: how can an Army Private gain access to so much secret material?

3.Â* Why is the hostility mostly directed at Assange, the publisher, and not our government’s failure to protect classified information?

4.Â* Are we getting our money’s worth from the $80 billion per year we spend on our intelligence agencies?

5.Â* Which has resulted in the greatest number of deaths; lying us into war, or WikiLeaks’ revelations or the release of the Pentagon Papers?

6.Â* If Assange can be convicted of a crime for publishing information, that he did not steal, what does this say about the future of the First Amendment and the independence of the internet?

7.Â* Could it be that the real reason for the near universal attacks on WikiLeaks is more about secretly maintaining a seriously flawed foreign policy of empire than it is about national security?

8.Â* Is there not a huge difference between releasing secret information to help the enemy in the time of a declared war—which is treason—and the releasing of information to expose our government lies that promote secret wars, death, and corruption?

9.Â* Was it not once considered patriotic to stand up to our government when it’s wrong?

Thomas Jefferson had it right when he advised:Â* “Let the eyes of vigilance never be closed.â€

Thank You chloe24 for bringing up this post. This last week my blood was boiling as the neo-con talking heads were out in full force trying to make Ron Paul out as an idiot. This would include Mark Levin, Rusty Humphries, and Andrew Wilkow and perhaps there were others.

As propagandists they missed the mark when their "opinions" were pushed as a defense for the status quo. They attempted to circle the wagons and do damage control and asked none of the questions that your post asked. Questions that Ron Paul is willing to ask. Is Ron Paul a genius? No, I do not think so,....but the talking heads are not either,....they are worse, they are propagandists. Manure salesmen.

I could have had some modicum of respect for these idiots had they asked some critical questions and looked for some honesty and truth in this debacle concerning Wikileaks.

Mike Church did ask some of these questions and Judge Napolitano as well I believe, to their credit.

A simple question, "elementary my dear Watson,"........ Yet the self appointed proprietors of the turnip wagon refused to think, or to spin the question that should have been asked long ago,....How does a PFC get access to so much classified information?

Just that simple question took way too long for the talking neo-cons to ask.

Deliberately misleading? Or, just turnips themselves?

I don't know where you get your information, but you've obviously never listened to either Mark Levin or Andrew Wilkow. To call them "neocons" is the height of absurdity. FWIW, this thread belongs in "other topics."

good post chloe24 Thank you for sharing


Kathyet

I don't know where you get your information, but you've obviously never listened to either Mark Levin or Andrew Wilkow. To call them "neocons" is the height of absurdity. FWIW, this thread belongs in "other topics."

Shapka, I believe that if you can be honest and demand more from your media source, (perhaps Americans should have done this along the way) the talking heads, turnips, neo-cons, and manure salesmen, then you might get a bigger bang for your buck. I have given up looking for heroes in any of the medias a long time ago.

If you continue to coddle the propagandists children with free passes to the circus, then you should expect them to act like juveniles and end up with their lollipops stuck in their hair.

Yes, I might be hard on the manure spreading talkies, but, the questions presented still stand....

By the way, I have been listening to the talkies since the 80's......I do not ask the questions of the left or the right, I look for the questions that the left or the right refuse to ask or investigate. I like to find others that ask those "other" questions as that helps me to think in a differing light from that of the crowd that are cheering on the kids with the "lollipops stuck in their hair."

I have had to listen to many of the talkies defend the Bush economy(?) right up til the collapse of the stock market. I have listened to them through the years avoid or defend illegal immigration and those doing the jobs Americans will not do, and some that still defend in a sometimes very subtle manner that some kind of Amnesty is needed as we cannot realistically deport them all. The Dream Act finds its adherents in strange places, cloaked in conservative compassion(?)

Yeah! where the hell is all that money! I'm tired of paying for wars in Europe! The war is right here south of Arizona and Texas and New Mexico!
Put our soldiers where they're going to do the most good! Here in America!

Great post. Ron Paul for president 2012.


Ron Paul to oversee the federal reserve...awesome

http://www.infowars.com/ron-paul-on-job ... l-reserve/

I like Sessions better!

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

I like Sessions better!

Another good guy. I always liked Sessions.

That's cuz you're an Americanpatriot!