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At the night of the debate, when I was interrupted, the issue then was said to be that, what I've said, is that some way or another I'm blaming the victims. Which is preposterous. It's sort of like taking somebody who's been murdered or raped, and saying, well, let's find out who it was and what the motives were, which everybody does in crime, it's normal and natural, to say that he's blaming the rape victim, or the murder victim. It couldn't be further from the truth, and an individual like myself and the many many others who have taken this position, that we blame America, or Americans. I'm an American, you're all Americans, and to say that there's a blame placed on you for what that has happened, not these murderers who came in and killed us, is ridiculous. And the whole notion that our foreign policy has nothing to do with it, and Giuliani has never heard this, is unbelievable. It's sort of like saying, a country could be under attack for year after year after year, with sanctions, and hundreds of thousands of people dying, and, oh, they don't care, they haven't even thought about it.

Ron Paul#39

PoliticsForeign policySecurityBlameNational identityNationalism

About this quote

What does it mean?
Ron Paul argues that blaming America for attacks is absurd, comparing it to blaming victims of crime for their own victimization.
In plain terms
He says it’s ridiculous to blame Americans for attacks, just as it’s wrong to blame crime victims.
What can you take from it?
Avoid assigning collective blame to a nation for actions of its citizens.

Where it applies

  • political debates
  • media commentary

Putting it to work

  • reframe narratives
  • focus on perpetrators

Questions to consider

  • Who should be held accountable for violent acts?
  • How does collective blame affect national unity?

Another view

The argument may overlook systemic issues that do influence security.

More from Ron Paul

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  2. We have a lot of goodness in this country. And we should promote it, but never through the barrel of a gun. We should do it by setting good standards, motivati…

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  3. We need to worry about our borders here at home, not worry about the borders around the world, and the border between Syria and Iraq - that doesn't have anythi…

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