Who Said It?
The following is a quote from a 1983 speech before the House debating whether US troops should be sent into Lebanon. To highlight the comparisons to where we find ourselves today, I’ve omitted the word “Lebanon” and replaced it with “Iraq.”
The fundamental question is: What is the United States’ interest in [Iraq]? It is said we are there to keep the peace. I ask, what peace? It is said we are there to aid the government. I ask, what government? It is said we are there to stabilize the region. I ask, how can the U.S. presence stabilize the region?… The longer we stay in [Iraq], the harder it will be for us to leave. We will be trapped by the case we make for having our troops there in the first place.
What can we expect if we withdraw from [Iraq]? The same as will happen if we stay. I acknowledge that the level of fighting will increase if we leave. I regretfully acknowledge that many innocent civilians will be hurt. But I firmly believe this will happen in any event.
Those familiar with this site may roll their eyes that I am illustrating, ad nauseam, the consistency of Ron Paul. Not so. These are the words of John McCain. Even at this early stage of his career, he was dissenting from Republican ranks for the sake of the spotlight, and obviously not for ideological reasons.
1983 McCain may have been a vote-worthy candidate. By 1993 he was openly supporting interventionism, again dissenting from the ranks of conservatives and aligning himself with Clinton’s gallivanting in Kosovo:
I think the United States should inaugurate a 21st-century policy interpretation of the Reagan Doctrine, call it rogue state rollback, in which we politically and materially support indigenous forces within and outside of rogue states to overthrow regimes that threaten our interests and values.
Of course, now he’s over the deep end - advocating a presence in Iraq for 100 years (or more). “It’s fine with me, I hope it’ll be fine with you!, if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world [for a hundred years].”
Well, is it fine with you?
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