Ron Paul
What should be the role of human rights in U.S foreign policy? What should the United States do about human rights violations in places such as Burma, China, Pakistan, and Russia?
Paul advocates a foreign policy of non-intervention without nation building or global policing, arguing that this approach follows the Constitution.
What should the United States do to stop the genocide in Darfur?
Paul voted against the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005 and was the only member of the House of Representatives to vote against the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007.
He argues that the U.S. government has no authority to end the genocide in Darfur because it has no constitutional or moral authority. He has also said that we should only focus our international attention on national security and should not get involved for “feel good reasons.”
When, if ever, should the United States engage in military action to stop genocide or ethnic cleansing?
In 2004, Paul opposed a House resolution “Declaring genocide in Darfur, Sudan” because he believed that it urged the Bush administration to “commit the United States to intervene in an ongoing civil war in a foreign land thousands of miles away.” Paul did not want intervention to lead to a war against Sudan.
Should the United States close the prison camp in Guantanamo? If so, what should be done with the prisoners there?
Paul believes Guantanamo should be shut down.
Are there any circumstances for when torture or extreme techniques of interrogation is appropriate?
In 2004, Paul asserted that he is against torture and believes that it is especially important to adhere to the Constitution during wartime, and that the president should not have extraordinary wartime powers.
Should provisions about labor rights be included in future trade agreements?
Paul is against the Central America Free Trade Agreement because “labor and environmental rules are inherently associated with trade laws, and we can be sure that CAFTA will provide yet another avenue for globalists to impose the Kyoto Accord and similar agreements on the American people.”
He argues that CAFTA imposes the “International Labor Organization’s manifesto, which could have been written by Karl Marx.”
Paul also voted no to making future trade with China contingent on them “measurably improving their record on religious freedom and human rights, eliminating their unfair trade practices, slave labor and the substandard policies that poison our food, toothpaste and toys.”
How can the United States best promote democracy around the world?
Paul asserts that there is nothing wrong with spreading democratic values around the world, but that it is wrong to spread them by force. Rather we should spread democracy by example.
Position on ICC ratification.
Paul is strongly against the ICC and argues that no authority exists that permits the existence of the ICC ot allows it to exercise authority over the U.S. He argues that there is no guarantee that the ICC will not seek to expand its jurisdiction outside of addressing crimes against humanity, and believes that the UN and ICC are “inherently incompatible” with national sovereignty.
Paul has been quoted as saying: “So called free trade deals and world governmental organizations like the International Criminal Court, NAFTA, GATT, WTO and CAFTA are a threat to our independence as a nation. They transfer power from our government to unelected foreign elites.”
