1 Funny, Ron Paul is in favor of instituting immigration controls and protecting our borders; More so than any other Republican leader in the current polls. Hmmm...

When you have a so-called "bi-partisan bill" like this, hold on to your wallets and your freedoms. Maybe if the globalist croud wasn't trying to covertly merge the U.S. with Mexico and Canada, we wouldn't have this problem to begin with. All the "free stuff" for undocumented immigrants surely doesn't help the situation either. "Everything free in Amedica..."

I really don't like the idea of needing the gov't to approve the hiring of workers by private businesses. Be very careful what you buy into.

Further, if we didn't have military bases in over 130 countries, we would have far more troops here to protect our borders.

2 That would be an interesting experiment. Significantly reduce our global presence then sit back to see who fills the vacuum.

What fun that would be!

3 How about if we gave a party and nobody came.

Whoever tries to fill the vacuum will go broke just like us.

4 We're not going broke paying for the Pentagon. Defense spending as a percentage of GDP pales in comparison to entitlement spending. Whoever rushed in to fill the power vacuum probably wouldn't go broke - they'd just need an inexpensive way to dispose of the bodies.

As much as you seem to think out government and our nation is the root of all evil on the planet - can you think of any nation or organization you would rather have in a similar position of global power and authority?

5 Actually, I don't think for a minute that our nation is the root of all evil on the planet. Americans are some of the best people on the face of the earth. I only have a problem with the policies of our "conservative, small government" executive branch and its rubber stamp demopublican Congress.

Check out shadowstats.com. The GDP numbers, among others, are cooked. Only private businesses get in trouble for cooking the books.

6 Actually, I don't think for a minute that our nation is the root of all evil on the planet. Americans are some of the best people on the face of the earth. I only have a problem with the policies of our "conservative, small government" executive branch and its rubber stamp demo-publican Congress.

There is serious evidence that this country is going broke. Check out shadowstats.com. From the data presented here and from several other independent sources, the GDP numbers, among others, appear to be grossly manipulated. Apparently, only private businesses get in trouble for cooking the books.

7 I can't seem to think of any other nation or organization I would rather have in a similar position of global power and authority, so how about NOBODY. How about if we all peacefully mind our own business, trade and conduct business with one another and only act militarily in self defense of our homelands. Switzerland comes to mind as an example - the world's wealthiest people put their money there for a reason.

8 Wayne,

So we should withdraw to within our borders and leave all of our friends and allies to fend for themselves? What should we do when the people who don't want to peacefully mind their own business and conduct trade start attacking those who do? Sit on our hands and do nothing until they get around to attacking us? Again?

As for the Swiss bank accounts of the wealthy, I suspect they are very useful for hiding wealth form their own government's tax collectors and law enforcement. (but that's another entirely unrelated issue)

9 Steve,

I still take heed of George Washington's advice from his farewell address - trade with all countries but no entangling alliances. The foreign policy that D.C. practices now represents nothing more than a baked over version of Woodrow Wilson's naive and misguided "make the world safe for democracy" philosophy. Americans back then, with a more sound education in history and thereby armed with knowledge of the true nature of big gov't soundly rejected this notion.

All this talk about about our "friends and allies" is nothing more than pro-empire propaganda - Let them learn to take care of themselves. Our military budget is far more expensive than you realize. There are hundreds of billions of dollars that are "off budget" as well. Over time, this greatly contributes to the debasement of our currency and a decline in our living standard here at home.

Switzerland, a republic like we used to be, has always taken care of their national defense in a far more efficient manner. Virtually every adult there is armed and ready to fight if they are attacked. Why does the US gov't have to be the policeman for the world? Probably because entrenched special interests want to use the the guns of gov't to get what they want from other countries abroad. This is not capitalism, it is mercantilism and imperialism, which is unbecoming of a peaceful constitutional republic. It is no different than the liberals wanting to use the guns of gov't to force you to pay for entitlement programs here at home for people who could care for themselves. Force and coercion are not sustainable ways to accomplish goals... Voluntary cooperation is the way.

The reason why I bring up Switzerland is because during WWII, Hitler used to refer to her as the "little porcupine" because everyone there was armed. Their national defense was largely decentralized. He knew that invading Switzerland would be no cake walk for him, unlike many of the other european countries he invaded where the national defense was centralized and the average citizen was unarmed. This is also what our founders had in mind - They even advised us not to keep a centralized standing army. In todays America, most citizens suffer from learned helplessness regarding their safety and security. It is a fallacious argument to say that we need to take away freedoms in order to protect liberty. Personally, I would rather die a free person than live as a "protected" slave. A growing number of people here share my sentiment. Free people live courageously.

People open Swiss bank accounts for a variety of reasons, but by far, the most important factor is that Switzerland is a stable country due to its stable, non-interventionist, republican form of gov't.

I realize that there are plenty of bad people around the world, but it is none of our business unless they try to harm us directly. They are far less likely to do do so if we stay out of their affairs while keeping our individual swords sharpened here at home.

10 Wayne,

And when those bad people in the world step in and take over all of the people we want to trade with - who do we do business with? And when those those bad people start attacking the the interests, assets and properties of American's and American companies around the world what do we do then?

It's not about making the world safe for Democracy. It's about making the world safe for all of that commerce you want us to peacefully engage in.

11 Steve,

The people we trade with need to learn to protect themselves in a peaceful, defensive, non-aggresive manner. Is it my responsibility to protect your home or to be your bodyguard when you go shopping in Bridgeport?

In my past, I studied martial arts and taught self defense. There is no reason why the U.S. can't teach our trading partners how to efficiently protect themselves from the bad guys without keeping our dog houses on their property. Israel sure does a good job at protecting themselves despite all of their surrounding enemies.

12 By the way, it is unrealistic to assume that the bad guys are going to attack "all of the people we want to trade with".

Further, most so-called "American" companies are not really American companies anymore, nor are they "ours". They are the first to lay off people here at home and shift a lion's share of their profits offshore, thanks to all of the silly laws that the demo-publicans have been passing to regulate businesses in recent years. Let the corporations protect themselves too, otherwise don't do business in risky places. Why should the American taxpayers have to subsidize the costs of security for international corporations?

Please consider that small and medium-sized domestic businesses are the real economic growth engines in America... and Americans are still the most prolific consumers in the world.

13 Wayne,

In the end it comes down to a fundamental moral question.

There are evil people in the world who crave nothing but power and have no hesitation to subject the people of a nation to tyranny and slavery. And to spread that power wherever and however they can.

The question is if tyranny and slavery are unacceptable for us in America, how can they be morally acceptable for any people?

Either you recognize this as evil or you do not. And if you do, how can you argue that we should just be accepting of it -as long as it's happening to someone outside our borders?

Can you claim freedom as a value and not be willing to defend, protect and fight for it for anyone?

14 Steve,

There have always been evil people like this on earth, this is nothing new. A strong, decentralized national defense keeps the bad guys out, while preserving our freedoms and prosperity.

My point here is that we should get our own house in order. The problem is that our current political system aids and abets sociopathic predators in their attempts to rise to power. There is plenty of funny money to be printed up for these people, facilitated by well-connected special interests who have their mouths open under the money spigot turned on by Congress.

In the end, in trying to control others, we are ultimately the ones who will be controlled. The more we overextend ourselves around the world to selectively slay tyrants and evil doers, the more this will create the very same thing here at home - The recent Military Commissions Act is one of many examples. You cannot protect freedom by taking it away. Once freedoms are surrendered or lost, they aren't easily recovered.

I would rather see the U.S. set an example of freedom, liberty and prosperity rather than impose its will on others. Defending our homeland would be much easier with a smaller, more focused role for the federal gov't.

I'd rather focus on scaling down the size of the federal gov't. Then in the long run, we'll have far fewer enemies. The founders of this country knew this better than any modern neo-con empty suit. In other words, I trust Washington, Jefferson and Madison more than I do Bush and Cheney. Human nature has not changed.