Rand Paul: U.S. Won Iraq War

My enthusiasm for Ron Paul never extended to his son, Rand. While I was hoping that Senator Rand Paul might morph into a younger Ron, I never expected it. Ron enjoyed being Dr. No, a lone voice in the Congressional and establishment wilderness. Rand, however, seemed too ambitious -- his ambitions heavily relying on pleasing the GOP establishment.

The latest bit of disappointment from Rand comes from a radio interview he give to the Iowa-based Jan Mickelson. Brian Tashman of Right Wing Watch quotes Rand Paul as saying:

"We won the war in Iraq. Why would we be giving political asylum to people to come from a country where we won the war? It's one thing if you're trying to escape Castro or trying to escape Communism in Russia or Vietnam or somewhere else or China. I can understand asylum. But when you win the war, why would you give people asylum? And if the 60,000 coming here are friends of the West, wouldn't you want that 60,000 to be in Iraq helping to form a better country over there?

"...If you let the better people, the people who like the United States leave and come here, then aren't you diminishing the numbers of folks that would make that country a better place to live? So I think the whole idea of resettling 60,000 people from Iraq over here was a mistake. But I also think that the refugee program as well as the student visa program are some of the highest risks for us to be attacked."

Rand Paul's comments will displease libertarians for several reasons. Some might be upset because Rand opposes open borders. Or that he rattles the saber against Muslims, implying that Muslims in general -- many or even most Muslims -- are a serious threat to Americans.

But what I find most disturbing is Rand's claim that the U.S. "won" the Iraq War (implying that there was anything to win), and that because of America's military "victory," the people of Iraq are much better off and should have no reason to want to leave Iraq. That the United States and Iraq are both better off because of the war. That somehow the Iraq War was a good thing.

In preparing for his presidential run, Rand is flirting with Republican Neocons and Islamophobes.

You can here the interview excerpt here:

You can also read Brian Tashman's report on Alternet (May 19, 2015).

====================