Steve King and Foreign Policy

Congressman Steve King (R) of Iowa's 5th District generally holds opinions that I would agree with, not all, but mostly. That being said, I was interested to hear his critique of Dr. Paul's military and foreign policy positions.

His district is all of western Iowa. It is 95.5% white, .8 % black and 3.5 % Hispanic, some of whom are white. This district is farm country and appropriately King is on committees of the House that deal with agriculture and the judiciary. He does not have a college degree. Like the United States, Iowa is bounded on the east and west by water. In Iowa's case these bodies of water are the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. King's District is bordered on the west by the Missouri. You can't get more firmly placed in "flyover" America.

He has no apparent background in foreign or military affairs, but favors large and still expanding military forces for what appears to be a national strategy of forward basing overseas and at least a declaratory stance of belligerence against anything that threatens what he thinks of as US interests. What those ineterests or threats would be is unclear to me.

One of his more entertaining statements was that Dr. Paul would "turn his back on 114 years of American foreign policy." The reference seems to be to the Spanish American War and the emergence of a short lived American imperial colonialism under the sponsorship of King's party. (See RTuchman's "The Proud Tower") Ah! I forgot. The neocons have revived the imperialist wing of the Republican Party.

His most striking pronouncement is his statement that US military withdrawal from the 3rd World would open those areas to Chinese penetration. What does that mean? Does it mean that he thinks that if we do not have military forces in overseas regions then those regions will be militarily invaded by the Chinese, the Russians or Qur'an brandishing Islamists? Does it mean that he thinks our withdrawal from overseas would lead to Chinese (for example) business and trade penetration of those regions? If the latter is the case, then how does he think that the presence of our forces in a region prevents the expansion of Chinese economic activity in that area? Does he think that we can forbid business contracts with the Chinese? Does he think the locals are intimidated by our regional presence and for that reason will not grant mineral extraction concessions to the Chinese? That does not seem to have been the case in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

What is he talking about and does he have any real thought process in such matters other than a mindless jingoism? pl

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70949.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King,_Steve

 

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

I can only imagine what contributions the Congerssman makes to the hearings, rulings, investigations, of the Judiciary Committee.

As to foreign policy, the Iowa arrangements and influence of this non-representative state in the formation of ideas in selecting a President is a travesty.

Speaking from experience I can tell you point blank that Iowa has gamed the federal programs, functions, and activities the best of any STATE with the result in devastation to parts of the state. I refer of course to devastating floods in 1993, 1996, and almost every 4 years since. STATE and local promises of mitigation and steps to protect property and citizens has been largely avoided by the power structure in Iowa. And any who visit Mr. King's district should not miss the small town of Atlantic, IA.

How is it that IOWANS just don't seem to get "it"! Meaning knowledge of events and policies impacting the rest of the country usually adversely. Hey did you know the ethanol tax subsidy has expired after three decades. This helped push food prices world wide higher and higher over that time frame as in excess of 10% of the annual USA corn crop went to subsidized fuel. Let them drink "gas" I guess is the IOWANs refrain.

[bob randolph]

Rep. King is a man whose job security depends upon his not understanding and thinking overmuch about the questions you have posed.

[Nightsticker]

Colonel Lang,

Dr. Paul says vote for my ideas; they are outside current mainstream Washington DC thinking. His critics say do not vote for Dr. Paul his ideas are outside current mainstream Washington DC thinking. I believe he is doing a great deal of good by reintroducing some forgotten truths into the political dialogue, a warning even. Think Ezekiel 33 3-4 (KJV)

"If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head."

Best Wishes for the New Year to you and all the SST correspondents.

Nightsticker
USMC 65-72
FBI 72-96

[Charles I]

Um WRC, seriously, no offence, but Iowans live under the American political system. The one that made Saddam do 9/11, though many hijackers came from Canada. And they only have 18 months or so before the first primary to suss things out, including how politics, the economy, big money and international affairs works, from TV to boot.

[Farmer Don]

Many of the hijackers came from Canada????

[William R. Cumming]

Charles I! Yes please buy beach front property on the Arctic Ocean!

[stanley henning]

As a matter of fact, the Chinese have already been cultivating markets all over the less developed world for quite a while now. This includes both sides of the Panama Canal. Steve, the Chinese have already penetrated the 3rd World, so what has the military necessarily got to do with it? What inane out loud thinking!

[MS2]

He and many others look at the world like a RISK table game. This is probably not going away for a long time. I suppose the right thing to do is ridicule them as you do.

The following paragraphs are written as an attempt to understand where this mentality comes from and leads, not as some sort of advocacy.

The only thing I can imagine him referring to is a scenario where interests from all over the world are simultaneously making "offers that can't be refused." You don't have to go to college to understand how business practices degenerate absent effective legal oversight. If the Chinese adopt a foreign policy resembling the (doubtful) descriptions of US policies in "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man," then interests will get squeezed out unless they can sweeten deals or threaten violence effectively. Whether the force structure he envisions/funds is relevant to such a mission is questionable, as is whether the US wants to take on such a mission, as is the resemblance of reality to this whole scenario.

Still, what is he talking about? I can guess. Large-footprint WWII-style deployments that are military-logistical-economic nonstarters when your similar-sized adversary is driving trucks to the battle, and you are driving vulnerable boats and airplanes to it (in this case, you must at least have the locals firmly on your side). Ike understood this, as did his successors, hence New Look -> flexible response / strategic deterrence, etc., which is a pretty dangerous game to play in perpetuity. It would be Orwellian to call this national security.

[Fred]

The Politico article quotes King in reference to Paul's plan to bring American troops home stating that would “actually alter the course of the United States’ destiny irreparably and in perpetuity.” Just what destiny is this?

From what I've seen on the media the candidates are being hawked like fresh sausage. Wiki also show's Former Governor Vilsack's wife might challenge King in this election. Judging by other comments in the Politico article it seems he is out of touch with many of his constituents.

[turcopolier]

fred

"United States’ destiny" Manifest destiny? American exceptionalism? I wonder if this man knows that McKinley left the scene a while back. pl

[Larry Kart]

"Mindless [or semi-mindless] jingoism" sells politically with a good many audiences, or it sells quite well enough often enough Also, it takes a lot of strain off the seller; one doesn't have to think too much, just make a fist and sound manly.

[turcopolier]

Larry Kart

Our friend Claude, even in extremis, makes these people look like farm animals. pl

[Yellow Dog]

Based on their rhetoric, the Republican establishment appears to be terrified of Dr. Paul. Perhaps because he fails to do and say what he's told.

I'm starting to think they'd rather lose with Romney than win with Paul.

[turcopolier]

Yellow Dog

Ari Fleischer, GWB's talking dog said today that Paul does not belong in the Republican Party. Paul is listening. pl

[Mike Martin, Yorktown, VA]

We'll get the proof in the pudding tomorrow evening. I have to believe that the polls' vacillations over the last few weeks may have to do with some - if not many - Iowa voters playing with the pollsters. I sure would if my phone were ringing several times a day w/ poll takers and not being able to go buy a gallon of milk and loaf of bread without some fool with a clipboard wanting to "ask a few questions" as I leave the store.

And you know it's gotta be boring in Iowa this time of year. Presidential primaries must be high entertainment for those folks.

[John G]

He's a know-nothing idiot only re-elected by the overwhelming republican advantage in his previous districts.
Christie Vilsack will give him a strong challenge in the newly re-drawn district. He's incestuously in the pocket of
monied interests in the northwest, overwhelmingly dutch
corner of the district. His incompetence is only topped by
his thuggishness, he's refused to debate any of his opponents. He's been a frequent ally and supporter of Michelle Bachman, even though he bailed on her and refused
to endorse anyone. He's the perfect embodiment of the Iowa
Republican primary.

[jerseycityjoan]

I don't see the smart people of either party or no party discussing how we are going to adjust to our new place in the world. The rise of the Second and Third Worlds may be overstated at times, but it's happening. The fall of the First World may be overstated at times, but it's happening.

Anyone can see the US doesn't have the money to dominate the world stage as we did just a few years ago:

1. We can't afford to spend so much on healthcare than other First World countries anymore (more than 17% of our GDP today, estimated to rise to 20% by 2020).

2. We can't afford to continue providing our "security shield" the rest of the world. Every year that passes, it becomes more galling to realize how much we spending on defending other First World countries. Let them spend their money on themselves instead of us spending our money on them.

3. We don't have enough jobs for ourselves, much less the millions of immigrants we continue to admit and allow to compete with Americans for jobs.

4. We can't afford to allow multinational companies and "too big to fail" financial companies to write their own cushy tickets that guarantee continued high profits in good times, as well as taxpayer bailouts when things go wrong, unjustifiable tax breaks and continued outsourcing of jobs.

We have an utter lack of leadership and an inability to articulate the nature of our domestic and international challenges and a coherent and rational response.

So disagree and laugh at Steve King all you want. But who else in Congress is doing any better? Who isn't clinging to a past that's gone or expressing an unjustifiable optimism that things will get better, somehow, and soon, while they do nothing to solve our problems.

Sticking our heads in the sand or hoping things will change is not a plan. By their lack of action, our business, intellectual and government elite show they think they can prosper no matter what is happening to the rest of the country.

[g. powell]

Zero -- But Canada has a single-payer health insurance system (which is highlighted in the Koran), so surely they must have involved.

[graywolf]

King is a politician.
Politicians are shallow and narcissistic.
They live for publicity.
Shallow narcissistic people (including the present WH occupant) living for publicity don't engage in reasoned or thoughtful analysis.

[Matthew]

Col: The innovation in this election cycle is the ideological test that the Beltway Denizens are applying to the voters. This is simultaneously amusing and tragic.

[DCA]

I wonder if Rep. King has been outside the US at all--though no doubt he has visited what he would probably call "our closest ally".

[Bill H.]

"how much we spending on defending other First World countries"

Um, aside from the grammar, defending them from what?

[Fred]

MM

I think the folks in Iowa know that come Wednesday they'll be ignored for another 4 years.

[Rd.]

Fred said in reply to Mike Martin, Yorktown, VA...

I think the folks in Iowa know that come Wednesday they'll be ignored for another 4 years.

looks like they may be ignored on tues as well!?>!>!

vote counting on dis-closed location?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2011/12/iowa-gop-moving-votecount-to-undisclosed-location-108812.html#.TvsaPJyPwbk.twitter

[Charles I]

according to a consistent majority of Americans over a ten year span, including, I recall DHS Secretary was it Janet Napo-something