If you want just yet another example of how there is zero difference between Republicans and Democrats on the big issues, you have to look no further than Vermont Senator and 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The self-described socialist official spoke with ABC’s “This Week” and was honest about using military force if he’s elected president next year.
Sanders explained that the international community must be aware that the U.S. is open to military force. In addition, Sanders wants the U.S. military to be the strongest in the world.
“Yes, there are times when you have to use force. No question about it,” Sanders told the news outlet. Sanders is also open to sanctions and international pressure and supports the president’s efforts to ensure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.
When asked if the U.S. should only use military force if attacked, Sanders explained the military could be used in other instances as well. “I think using our military is an option, obviously, that we will always have under certain circumstances, but it is the last option.”
The U.S. spends more than any other country on its military, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
Although he portrays himself as an anti-war candidate, Sanders is likely yet another pro-war official disguised as anti-war like President Obama.
The only time a country should use its military is when attacked. There is no other reason to use it. Not for regime changes. Not to apply pressure to a country. Not to intervene into the domestic affairs of foreign countries.
Economist Murray N. Rothbard was eloquent and succinct in his comments about war:
“All government wars are unjust.”
“It is in war that the State really comes into its own: swelling in power, in number, in pride, in absolute dominion over the economy and the society.”
Foreign policy hasn’t been a huge part of his presidential campaign because he believes there are far more important issues, like income inequality and the economy.
The entire interview can be seen before.
Photo by Truthout.
Bernie Sanders on the Cost of War in his own words:
“The cost of war is great, and it is far more than the hundreds of billions of dollars we spend on planes, tanks, missiles and guns,” Sanders wrote in an opinion piece in the Boston Globe last summer.
“The cost of war is more than 6,800 service members who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. The cost of war is caring for the spouses and children who have to rebuild their lives after the loss of their loved ones.
It’s about hundreds of thousands of men and women coming home from war with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, many of them having difficulty keeping jobs in order to pay their bills. It’s about high divorce rates. It’s about the terrible tragedy of veterans committing suicide,” he wrote.
“I believe that the United States should have the strongest military in the world. We should be working with other countries in coalition. And when people threaten the United States or threaten our allies, or commit genocide, the United States, with other countries, should be prepared to act militarily,” he said.