He portrays himself as the Senate’s leading voice for foreign policy realism and American moral leadership. But Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., isn’t the most reliable servant of moral purpose in foreign policy. Because when it comes to Paul’s positions over the protection of journalists and the enforcement of U.S. human rights norms, it’s a tale of two Rands.
Consider the senator’s position against Saudi Arabia over its murder of Jamal Khashoggi. That murder, Paul says, requires U.S. sanctions. And so in op-eds and television interviews over the past two weeks Paul has pushed for an end to U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the imposition of sanctions on Riyadh. Such action, Paul suggests, is necessary to punish the Saudi regime for its immorality in killing Khashoggi and in order to strengthen the moral authority of American foreign policy. Whatever you think about Paul’s position here (I think he’s wrong), at least it carries the appearance of moral intent.
