Rand Nixes New Iran Sanctions; Now Here's the Bad News...
It's no secret that several contributors on this website have taken flack for criticism of Rand Paul in the past. Heck, it was even the subject of the very first "Whiskey Chat" for the Lions of Liberty Podcast. But let it be known that we only try to criticize on principle; We have praised him when appropriate as well. we have no interest in the advancement nor the decline of Rand Paul's political career. The policy is here is: "Praise when he's right, criticize when he's wrong".As usual however, with Rand it's usually a little bit of both.This week, Rand came out against new sanctions on Iran, which many of the typical warmongering Republicans - and Democrats! - have been foaming at the mouth for. This is of course worthy of praise. Sanctions prevent individuals in other countries from engaging in free trade, with often disastrous consequences. Rand's statement:
I’ve been for sanctions. I have voted for sanctions in the past, to try to get the Iranians to negotiate. I think while they’re negotiating, and if we can see that they’re negotiating in good faith, I don’t think it’s a good idea to pass sanctions while we’re in the midst of negotiations.
To be clear, I absolutely applaud Rand's efforts to stop further sanctions. And he is absolutely right, further threats on the citizens of Iran will only create a more hostile negotiating environment. This is a good move for the side of peace, and for that we applauds Rand's move here.As it often "stands" with Rand, the devil is in the details. As he states, he has "been for sanctions", and isn't against the concept in any way. He is really only opposed to them at this time for utilitarian purposes. To Rand , sanctions aren't a good idea "while we're in the midst of negotiations", but this implies that they may very well be once "we" aren't!This is akin to someone who supports pot legalization because they themselves smoke pot. But if this very same person is opposed to the legalization of cocaine, mushrooms, non-FDA approved drugs, etc., then something is revealed about their principle. It shows they have no principle that humans should be able to consume or grow whatever substances they want. They should be applauded for their pro-pot efforts of course, but it's clear there are still philosophical inconsistencies with people of this ilk.The same continues to hold true for the Rand Paul.For a consistent view on sanctions, Rand would do well to heed his father's words.Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!
