The Fundamental Arrogance of Ron Paul’s Isolationism

Normally, I don’t like to pay much attention to Ron Paul.  He isn’t going to be the nominee, and his positions on foreign policy are so wildly wrong, it almost doesn’t seem necessary to even take them down.  I mean he is the only Republican running who might convince me to vote for Obama.  That is how little I like him.

But this morning I get a pair of headlines that really illuminate a point about his thinking.  First, via Brietbart by way of Weasel Zippers, we have this clip of Ron Paul explaining that the reason why Iran is pursuing nukes is because we are threatening them.

Yes, really.

Meanwhile, via Hot Air, we get this from Fars, the official Iranian mouthpiece:

The wife of Martyr Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan Behdast, who was assassinated by Mossad agents in Tehran in January, reiterated on Tuesday that her husband sought the annihilation of the Zionist regime wholeheartedly.

"Mostafa's ultimate goal was the annihilation of Israel," Fatemeh Bolouri Kashani told FNA on Tuesday.

Bolouri Kashani also underlined that her spouse loved any resistance figure in his life who was willing to fight the Zionist regime and supported the rights of the oppressed Palestinian nation.

Iran's 32-year-old Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan Behdast, a chemistry professor and a deputy director of commerce at Natanz uranium enrichment facility, was assassinated during the morning rush-hour in the capital early January. His driver was also killed in the terrorist attack.

President Asshole Strikes Again (Updated)

Mostly in private, there are moments when our president is such a complete jerk, I half-jokingly call him President Asshole.  I think the first time I did was when he compared his bowling skills to that of someone in the special Olympics.  Seriously, for the most powerful man in the world to compare to make fun of some of the weakest?  That is a straight up asshole move.  Presuming to dress down the Supreme Court in the middle of the State of the Union?  Another straight up asshole move.  Giving the finger to people when he thinks he is being sly?  Big time asshole.

And now after treating Israel like a red-headed stepchild for months, he then has the nerve to suggest that the reason for the deterioration in their relationship is bigotry:

[W]hen confronted with the anxiety that some Israelis feel toward him, Obama said that "some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is Hussein, and that creates suspicion."

(Source.)  Yeah, I know we have to show respect for the office, but seriously, what an asshole.  And I am really starting to think this guy is a bit of a bigot, too.  I find that incredible if only because it is almost certainly a hypocritical bigotry, but I am starting to suspect it is true.  Weirder things have happened, especially in politics.

Of course he can’t possibly be an anti-Semitic, because some of his best friends are Jews.  Yes, really.