Rand Paul on the boat attacks off Venezuela

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J. Lane Easter, DVM

A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House

No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991.

22 October 2025, 19:29

Tumbleweed

I’m trying to remember..wasn’t there some other outfit that used to arbitrarily kill suspects without due process?

22 October 2025, 19:38

Tumbleweed

quote:
But the west would have never settled like that and neither would have the Nueces Strip

Yeah, come to think of it, the Americans have a long and bloody history of taking what doesn’t belong to them and messing in other nations affairs while trying to convince themselves they’re the ‘good guys’.

Christians, who’ve never opened a Bible.

Humanitarians, who get rich selling death and destruction.

Revelling in their ‘Freedom and Liberty’ while simultaneously installing a dictator.

Something has rolled inverted in the logic and reason of this world.

22 October 2025, 19:58

Mike Mitchell

quote:
Originally posted by ledvm:
He has a point. But the west would have never settled like that and neither would have the Nueces Strip. Sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire. Carry on POTUS.

We're not trying to settle the west or the Nueces Strip. We're killing people thousands of miles away without due process. Who, by the way, are not carrying fentanyl to the United States as alleged by your idiot leader. It's cocaine bound for the West Indies. I'm sure some of it makes its way to the US.

Would you be in favor of summary executions here in the United States for all drug users? I mean, why not? They're breaking the law, right? Just have the cops shoot the kid who gets pulled over and is smoking a joint. Save the time and trouble of an arrest and a trial.

Idiot.

22 October 2025, 20:05

Huvius

quote:
Originally posted by Tumbleweed:
I’m trying to remember..wasn’t there some other outfit that used to arbitrarily kill suspects without due process?

The British?

22 October 2025, 21:36

ledvm

If they are drug dealers or manufacturers…kill’em. I am good with it.

And Mike

22 October 2025, 22:52

Mike Mitchell

quote:
Originally posted by ledvm:
If they are drug dealers or manufacturers…kill’em. I am good with it.

And Mike

And, who makes that determination and how? You dense little man.

22 October 2025, 23:04

wymple

Probably 1/3 to 1/2 the members of this forum do or have done some form of recreational drugs, mostly pot. And every one of them lies about it when filling out forms to buy a gun.

22 October 2025, 23:38

ledvm

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:
quote:
Originally posted by ledvm:
If they are drug dealers or manufacturers…kill’em. I am good with it.

And Mike

And, who makes that determination and how? You dense little man.

I am sure we have quite good intelligence. I am good with the Captain Call and McCrae approach. Stay the fuck away from the USA. And besides, sharks gotta eat too!

23 October 2025, 01:41

theback40

I still ask, if they are innocent, why do they not stop when ordered, or a warning shot is fired?
I have said. If a drunk or impaired driver will not pull over when ordered, I think deadly force should be used on them too. Someone else should not die from their breaking the law.

23 October 2025, 03:10

M.Shy

It’s a war and in war, people die

23 October 2025, 05:17

Steve Bertram

So why do we release the survivors with no charges? Guilty enough to be killed without a trail but not guilty enough for court if you survive? Sure seems odd to me.

23 October 2025, 05:30

crbutler

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
So why do we release the survivors with no charges? Guilty enough to be killed without a trail but not guilty enough for court if you survive? Sure seems odd to me.

Kind of hard to produce the evidence when you blow it up… that and what jurisdiction does the U.S. court have in international waters?

I don’t disagree that we shouldn’t be doing this though.

If we can produce video that we demanded they heave to and warned them, that’s a thing that would make me feel better about it.

23 October 2025, 06:14

Huvius

I’m not sure this any hill to die on.
These drug smugglers pose a direct threat to the wellbeing of US citizens and should be shown no mercy.

I didn’t see any due process in the escalation of drone strikes during the Obama administration.
Also didn’t see any dissension here on the ARPF regarding said drone strikes.

Throughout history, pirate ships and smugglers have been seen as free targets by any and all territories (except those profiting of course) so I don’t see this any differently.

23 October 2025, 06:36

Tumbleweed

quote:
These alleged drug smugglers

If you have anything even approaching ‘guilt beyond a reasonable doubt’ perhaps you could provide it.

Otherwise, someone could conceivably shoot you dead and be exonerated by saying “I was pretty sure he was a drug smuggler!”.

There is a reason for all those laws and rules and regulations.

23 October 2025, 07:32

Scott King

Most everything Trump rubs me the wrong way, this topic isn't one of them.

Our modern day justice system and government encourages criminals to operate in arrogance. Street thugs, petty drug dealers and predators don't fear arrest, conviction or time served. It goes right to the top. America and the rest of the world know in this day and age the right friends in office means a pardon for crimes committed, January 6th being the obvious example.

I'd like to read about a 1/6 criminal getting the living shit beat out of him by a neighbor because he was pardoned. I'd like to read about neighborhood grannies randomly shooting thugs on the corner. I'd love to read about a mass grave of Cartel perps found on a farm outside of Butte MT and have the farmer shrug his shoulders in ignorance.

Bring back vigilantism and keep blowing up the drug running boats. The cockroaches aren't afraid of the light anymore.

23 October 2025, 07:37

Huvius

To Tumbleweed:

Oh fucking please…
Peddle your righteousness somewhere else…
Drug smuggling boats are easily identified by the intel and as mentioned above by their total refusal to acquiesce to commands to stop.
I’m genuinely more interested in how blowing kilograms of fentanyl into the ocean affects marine life more than I care about the plight of drug smugglers!

23 October 2025, 08:45

Saeed

quote:
Originally posted by Tumbleweed:
I’m trying to remember..wasn’t there some other outfit that used to arbitrarily kill suspects without due process?

They were called NAZIS.

Led by Adolf Hitler.

Venezuela is not holding a gun to the stupid Americans heads to take drugs.

EDUCATE your people.

Well, we all know that does not work with stupid idiots.

Who vote for career criminals!

23 October 2025, 10:12

wymple

quote:
Venezuela is not holding a gun to the stupid Americans heads to take drugs.

This is, & always has been, the root of the problem. All the righteous posturing will never change that simple truth.

23 October 2025, 17:17

Mike Mitchell

quote:
Originally posted by Scott King:
Most everything Trump rubs me the wrong way, this topic isn't one of them.

Our modern day justice system and government encourages criminals to operate in arrogance. Street thugs, petty drug dealers and predators don't fear arrest, conviction or time served. It goes right to the top. America and the rest of the world know in this day and age the right friends in office means a pardon for crimes committed, January 6th being the obvious example.

I'd like to read about a 1/6 criminal getting the living shit beat out of him by a neighbor because he was pardoned. I'd like to read about neighborhood grannies randomly shooting thugs on the corner. I'd love to read about a mass grave of Cartel perps found on a farm outside of Butte MT and have the farmer shrug his shoulders in ignorance.

Bring back vigilantism and keep blowing up the drug running boats. The cockroaches aren't afraid of the light anymore.

Yeah, the problem is that you either have rule of law or you don't. It either applies to everybody or it doesn't. When you have a despot like trump arbitrarily applying the law or, in this case, ignoring it, what's next Scott? How about the next liberal Democratic president confiscating your guns via Executive Order? Or outlawing hunting?

Allowing the arbitrary personal preferences of the POTUS to determine what's legal and what isn't is a very slippery slope.

23 October 2025, 18:06

ledvm

quote:
Originally posted by Huvius:
I’m not sure this any hill to die on.
These drug smugglers pose a direct threat to the wellbeing of US citizens and should be shown no mercy.

I didn’t see any due process in the escalation of drone strikes during the Obama administration.
Also didn’t see any dissension here on the ARPF regarding said drone strikes.

Throughout history, pirate ships and smugglers have been seen as free targets by any and all territories (except those profiting of course) so I don’t see this any differently.

+1
There was reason the British hung all pirates.

23 October 2025, 18:39

Scott King

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:
quote:
Originally posted by Scott King:
Most everything Trump rubs me the wrong way, this topic isn't one of them.

Our modern day justice system and government encourages criminals to operate in arrogance. Street thugs, petty drug dealers and predators don't fear arrest, conviction or time served. It goes right to the top. America and the rest of the world know in this day and age the right friends in office means a pardon for crimes committed, January 6th being the obvious example.

I'd like to read about a 1/6 criminal getting the living shit beat out of him by a neighbor because he was pardoned. I'd like to read about neighborhood grannies randomly shooting thugs on the corner. I'd love to read about a mass grave of Cartel perps found on a farm outside of Butte MT and have the farmer shrug his shoulders in ignorance.

Bring back vigilantism and keep blowing up the drug running boats. The cockroaches aren't afraid of the light anymore.

Yeah, the problem is that you either have rule of law or you don't. It either applies to everybody or it doesn't. When you have a despot like trump arbitrarily applying the law or, in this case, ignoring it, what's next Scott? How about the next liberal Democratic president confiscating your guns via Executive Order? Or outlawing hunting?

Allowing the arbitrary personal preferences of the POTUS to determine what's legal and what isn't is a very slippery slope.

I know it. I've thought and said for a long time that the liberties we allow our side can be used against us by the other side.

I'd still like to read about grannies randomly shooting thugs.

23 October 2025, 21:06

ANTELOPEDUNDEE

Jeff Cooper said it best. Any time drugs are confiscated they should be poisoned and put back onto the street. Poisoned to make the user sick. but not to kill. There would be a lot of users and pushers at war with each other, but that's ok.

23 October 2025, 21:29

Saeed

With all that we know about drugs and their effects, it really is amazing that people indulge!

23 October 2025, 21:30

Scott King

quote:
Originally posted by ANTELOPEDUNDEE:
Jeff Cooper said it best. Any time drugs are confiscated they should be poisoned and put back onto the street. Poisoned to make the user sick. but not to kill. There would be a lot of users and pushers at war with each other, but that's ok.

I like that.

23 October 2025, 22:30

Mike Mitchell

quote:
Originally posted by ledvm:
quote:
Originally posted by Huvius:
I’m not sure this any hill to die on.
These drug smugglers pose a direct threat to the wellbeing of US citizens and should be shown no mercy.

I didn’t see any due process in the escalation of drone strikes during the Obama administration.
Also didn’t see any dissension here on the ARPF regarding said drone strikes.

Throughout history, pirate ships and smugglers have been seen as free targets by any and all territories (except those profiting of course) so I don’t see this any differently.

+1
There was reason the British hung all pirates.

You two idiots are walking talking proof of why we now have the dumbest POTUS in history.

Do Budweiser and Jack Daniels pose a direct threat to the well-being of US citizens? Because Budweiser and Jack Daniels and all the other alcoholic drink producers in the US kill more people in the US than drug overdoses every year. A lot more. Like 100,000 more per stats.

Should we be droning that distillery in Lynchburg?