http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/11/us_backs_off_claim_of_naval It seems I was wrong - none of the speedboats were fired on. I think I was confusing what happened with another incident. The timing is questioned in the article I linked, but if the timing is as it appeared, the voice was threatening. Of course, knowing where the voice came from is important - it may have intentionally coincided with the speedboats without being officially related to the speedboats, which could point to a third party trying to get a US ship to wrongly fire on Iranian vessels. The article I linked seems to indicate that some question the authenticity of the voice, and if you listen it doesn't sound authentically foreign, it actually sounds kinda goofy. I take that with a grain of salt, but I suppose it can't be entirely dismissed. The bottom line, though, is if everything occurred as it seemed, Ron Paul wouldn't have questioned defending ourselves, and you don't seem to think he would so we don't really disagree on that point. While that is true, it doesn't mean we should continue the same foreign policy simply because that is the way things have been done in the past. If you equate ending bad foreign policy to running away with our tail between our legs, I'd say that isn't the best way to look at the situation. The world isn't black and white. Ron Paul firmly believes in a strong national defense (not merely an adequate national defense, mind you) and he understands that involving ourselves in regional situations actually undermines our national defense and our standing in the world. In addition, it affects our domestic situation and our economic stability and it puts us in a perpetual tightrope walk of our own making because our relationships abroad are too complex. When I see your stances I don't necessarily see a person who has issues with Ron Paul - it seems that you just don't fully understand what he stands for. The biggest issue, I believe, is that people think Paul "blames America." All Paul is really saying is that it is wise to know your enemy and to realize that your enemy is human, too. It is easier to fight an enemy that we demonize, but that just isn't intellectually honest.
