Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) begins his long project of selling a Paulian foreign policy of peace and noninterventionism to the non-Paulian parts of the Republican Party.
He tells the Values Voters summit this past weekend that he is "not a pacifist" but thinks "it unacceptable not to hate war. I am dismissive of those who champion war as sport and show no reluctance to engage in war" and that true leaders "are reluctant to go to war and try mightily to avoid war."
He admits he could "commit a nation to war" but "reluctantly, constitutionally, and after great deliberation" with the only just war being one of self-defense.
What's more, "I don't believe Jesus would have killed anyone or condoned killing, perhaps not even in self-defense."
Some heady stuff on foreign policy and interventionism from the Senator, the quotes above kicking in around 4:55. The rest of the talk is anti-abortion stuff that will appeal less to many libertarians.
Reason's Rand Paul story archives.
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