Politics Blog, Kodoom.com Editorial:

For years, apart from a few libertarian or progressive Congressmen such as Ron and Rand Paul, Dennis Kucinich and Bernie Sanders, US politics was dominated by hawkish interventionist politicians advocating militarism and foreign regime changes. According to a recent Newsweek article, the United States has spent $6 trillion on wars that directly contributed to the deaths of around 500,000 people since the 9/11 attacks of 2001.

But the 2020 Presidential election could bring a change to a US economy paralyzed by cost of never ending wars. And when it comes to opposing wars, Tulsi Gabbard is one young charismatic Presidential candidate who stands apart from others because she has actually served in war zones but opposes continuous interventionist wars.

The articulate meditative politician who is impressively composed and calm, is a strong environmental advocate, a vegetarian yogi, a surfer, a martial arts athlete and a gardener.

Gabbard is a capable surfer

In a recent speech titled "Build, Don't Bomb: A New American Foreign Policy" Gabbard outlined her views (video below) at Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs in a session with Stephen Kinzer, the the author of "All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror" documenting, in details, how the CIA overthrew Iran's nationalist government in 1953. She addresses her view about Iran in 1:00:00 minute marker in the video:

In another interview, she warns against overthrowing governments of Venezuela and Iran by US force which would result in thousands of lives lost and trillions wasted.

Tulsi Gabbard was elected to the Hawaii State Legislature in 2002 when she was just 21 years old, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. A year later, she joined the Hawai‘i Army National Guard.

Tulsi Gabbard served two tours of duty in the Middle East, and she continues her service as a Major in the Army National Guard. Tulsi’s 2005 deployment was a 12-month tour at Logistical Support Area Anaconda in Iraq, where she served in a field medical unit as a specialist with a 29th Support Battalion medical company. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal at the end of this tour.

But Gabbard's stances have been occasionally controversial and contradictory. In 2015, she spoke at a conference of Christians United for Israel – an organization that strongly opposes Palestinian statehood and supports Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Also, unlike many progressive Democrats, Gabbard didn’t skip Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before the U.S. Congress in March 2015, in the midst of that year’s Israeli election. Sen. Bernie Sanders, whom Gabbard later strongly endorsed in the Democratic primary, didn’t attend the speech, accusing Netanyahu and Republicans in Congress of a “very bad” political stunt.

Related to Peace:



Related to Women:

