Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

The media and mainstream Republicans are all focused on Ron Paul’s stance against the war in Iraq. While personally, his anti-war position is appealing to me, too, the importance and relevance of his position is lost when the media portrays him as a strictly anti-war candidate and takes everything out of context.

Ron Paul is not strictly anti-war as the media and other Republicans would like you to think, and he should not be. His opposition to the war in Iraq and our expansionist foreign policy stems from his immaculate understanding of the principles upon which our nation was founded, and the lessons of history. It is reinforced by his clear knowledge of economics and how our trade deficit with China is linked to our falling dollar value, which is the direct cause of inflation, which is linked to how the government is funding the war in Iraq and the increasing prices of health care in this country.

Additionally, Ron Paul, as a Vietnam veteran and a candidate who has actually studied history, realizes the fallacies in nation-building, in interventionist foreign policies, and in trying to police the world: IT DOESN’T WORK AS INTENDED.

Ron Paul isn’t completely anti-war. He believes in what may be the finest document in human history, the Constitution of the United States of America, and it says nothing about avoiding war. It says that war must be declared by CONGRESS, which is elected directly by the people (yeah, you thought it was just a stupid system, but there’s a reason behind it).

As a member of the military and someone that is slated to serve after college, I have sworn an Oath. I have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Below that, I also agreed to follow all orders of the President of the United States of America, and all officers appointed over me. Nowhere in my mind am I considering disobeying either parts of the Oath, but I’ll be damned if my future commander-in-chief does not follow the Constitution, too.

Ron Paul 2008.