How would have voted on the invasion of Afghanistan?
How would you have voted on the invasion of Iraq?
I was a young officer during 9-11 and also still felt my New York City roots as I had family there, so it won't come to a surprise that I fully supported the invasion of Afghanistan and also Iraq. We have been fighting for nearly a decade now, and there are many things that I wish we had done differently, but hindsight is 20/20. I also lost an amazing friend in Afghanistan named Tamara Archuleta. She was the best friend and squadron mate of another close friend of mine, and was also engaged to marry another Academy alumni that I had known. She left behind a child from a previous marriage gone bad, and I often wonder how that child is coming along. My point is that my feelings towards war are not the same as they were in 2001. I would not say I've grown wiser, but I will say I've grown a bit more cynical. Instead of trying to imagine my actions if I could be transported into the past or if history repeated itself, I would rather repost an answer I gave on what I would do in Iraq and Afghanistan right now-
War in Afghanistan. No.
Although I agree with our response to 9-11 and am proud to have participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, I am against further large scale involvement in Afghanistan for three reasons.
(1) Our economy is insolvent and we must take drastic measures to pay off our debts and maintain the strength of the US dollar. Large scale involvement is too costly.
(2) Our forces have done an admirable job, but our logistical system, maintenance upkeep, and combat training have all suffered because of the length of time our forces have been deployed. To keep our edge, we need to reconstitute our forces.
(3)The two regimes we are supporting, that of Karzai in Afghanistan and Zardari in Pakistan, have a history of corruption and have made several mistakes that have caused uprisings against their rule in the countries they control. Events in Pakistan have gotten out of Zardari's control, and there is now a humanitarian crisis developing along the
Afghani border.
I cannot support a large scale conflict against a population where the lines between an al-Queda terrorist and man fighting against a corrupt government are blurred.
If elected to Congress I pledge to seek the removal of the military from Afghanistan and Pakistan, except for small scale operations specifically targeted at terrorist cells planning operations against US citizens abroad or on US soil. Also, although I am not
supportive of Karzai or Zardari, I would not want to entirely abandon the Afghani people and would also be willing to see the US provide some assistance in developing a system of irrigation and farming to territory controlled and secured by Afghan warlords that treat their various ethnic groups humanely and treat our own aid workers with respect. Finally, there needs to be a more open system of selecting aid groups and construction companies, instead of us picking the same firms whose board of directors once seated a high ranking politician.
War in Iraq. No.
I am also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was proud to finally see Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party removed from power, and am even more proud that Iraq has become a functional country. It will not have the internal stability of the United States. Stability closer to what we see in Jordan seems to be coming to fruition. Although corruption is
still an endemic problem, the Parliamentary system in Iraq is healthier than the kleptocracy that is Karzai's government in Afghanistan. I would want to see us leave Iraq for the following reasons:
(1) The insolvency of our financial system needs immediate attention. (2) I would not want to see the Iraqi government become complacent of US protection such as what has happened in Western Europe. Western Europe is so dependent upon US power that it was not able to respond to the crises in the former Yugoslavia and embroiled us into the conflict, and is also unable to stand up to Russian threats and power plays. It is time to leave Iraq so that our forces do not become a crutch, and so that we do not become involved in conflicts that the Iraqi government might start.
If elected to Congress I pledge to see the reduction of forces from Iraq except to provide security to our embassies.
What is your position on abortion?
Personally I do not condone abortion. Legislatively, I would push for an end to all government funding of abortion.
Do you live in the 3rd District?
Yes.
What is your position on the Patriot Act?
The Patriot Act has been abused and has allowed the government to invade the privacy of US citizens. It should be repealed.
What should we do about the border?
Take the soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan and place them on our borders. Then go after the businesses that are exploiting illegal immigrants for cheap labor and promoting unsafe work environments. If we tighten the borders and go after those that are perpetuating the problem we should be able to stem the tide. After that, we can see if we can make the beauracracy a simple process so more illegal immigrants are encouraged to follow the legal process of citizenship, while deporting those who continue to violate our laws. It is inhumane for us to continue this exploitation and it will lead within the next generation to an increase in ghettos consisting of second generation Americans with no chance of a future.
What should the US do about Iran’s apparent attempts to develop a nuclear weapon?
If we truly feel that Iran is attempting to develop a nuclear weapon and that it will be used against the United States and its citizens, then we should just strike the sites and go home. Iran's posturing should not be used as an excuse to expand our global presence indefinitely.
What percentage of my income should the federal government get from me?
God is a higher authority and only asks for 10%. The federal government should request less than that. We also need the government to stop taxing its citizens with inflation created through the printing press. Inflation makes it easier for the government to pay its debt, but harder for the citizen to survive. Inflation is a tax.
Update: Someone asked me if I support a tax on income. I do not, but saw the above question instead as an overall tax burden.
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