Last night, the Grand Ol' Party slugged it out in Myrtle Beach, SC. While answers were largely unsatisfactory across the board, I wish to briefly discuss one thing:
Why was Ron Paul booed for citing the "golden rule" in reference to American foreign policy?
In such a predominantly christian place as South Carolina, one would think that the idea of treating people as you would like to be treated would carry resoundingly in the audience. In fact, the opposite happened. I'm pretty sure that Jesus did not say that "do unto others as the United States sees fit".
This pervasive lack of respect for non-Americans or our "American exceptionalism" should frighten us. It is the reason why nations fear us, but do not respect us. Even though Teddy Roosevelt said to carry a big stick; he also said to walk softly. We have forgotten how to walk softly, how to show respect to others, and most importantly, how to respect our own constitutional values.
The people in that room, the ones who disagreed with Congressman Paul's assertions, have forgotten the roots of our nation. Yes we, as a nation, were born of a war. But war is not, and should never be our national agenda. Our track record is hurting any diplomatic endeavor we undertake be it anti-missile defense or trade agreements. It is no surprise that nations are hesitant to enter into contracts with us; we do not respect our counterparts. We walk loudly with our big American stick, and flip the bird to people who disagree. That policy, that as Americans we know best for the world, DOES NOT WORK. It hasn't worked since 1945, and it will continue to fail. The only reason it has not yet happened is because we still have the biggest stick in the room.
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