John Stossel: Mike Pompeo Versus Libertarians

Mike Pompeo, former CIA Director and Secretary-of-State, will likely run as president.

He is often called a “strange man”. “staunch conservative.”

Check out our Extended interviewI don’t like that.

“Conservative” once meant promoting limited government. However, Republicans are pushing for new regulations and driving up America’s debt through spending. more.

Pompeo, who agreed with Donald Trump that Republicans have spent too much, surprised me. He said again that entitlements need to be cut and that we should don’t We need to spend more money on our military. This was refreshing.

Next, we discussed the border.

“Immigrants made America,” Let me remind you.

“I’m an immigrant,” Pompeo responds. “My ancestors came through a legal process. This is the difference.”

Today, however, I want to point out that the “legal process” For ambitious people who are driven to succeed, it is not possible to work. “You might  get in after waiting 12 years!”

“Whatever the rules … you got to enforce it,” Pompeo responds.

“Shouldn’t we change the rules?” I ask.

“I actually think it’s time to take a break,” Pompeo. People today apply for asylum, and they stay there until they are granted or denied. Pompeo claims that he shared his concerns with Mexican officials while he was secretary of State. “You’re not going to have these people traveling in caravans through your country. We’re sending them back to you.”

That policy was reversed in the wake of President Joe Biden. “You can now see 4 million illegal immigrants in just 24 months,” Pompeo. “This will fundamentally change the nature of our country … drugs came across our borders. There’s not much difference between a cartel leader and a jihad leader.”

“Why not legalize drugs?” I ask. “Then cartel leaders wouldn’t exist!”

“It’s a terrible idea,” Pompeo responds. “You see the decimation that we have from our drug culture today.”

“That’s because it’s illegal!” I push back.

“It’s not,” Pompeo responds. “There’s too much product available. Family institutions are beginning to fray in ways that are fundamentally dangerous to the United States.”

His answer doesn’t make sense. Family members fall apart, and drugs are shipped despite Our drug war. The war creates an underground market. The causes crime. There is no alcohol “cartels,” Only because we Ended Prohibition.

But I won’t convince Pompeo. Or you, probably.

I ask Pompeo why America has 54,000 troops in Japan, and 36,000 in Germany. “We won those wars! Now those countries should defend themselves.”

Xi Jinping is “singular greatest threat in the history of our nation,” Pompeo. We can bring all our troops home if we do. “put the American people at enormous risk.”

Pompeo calls Edward Snowden “a traitor” who should be executed. Snowden stole documents that were part of the National Security Agency and showed how our government was run. Illegally spied American.

Snowden is a hero because he risked his career and freedom to tell the truth.

Pompeo claims Snowden exposed secrets that could have endangered Americans. Our spies tend to exaggerate their importance. The NSA claims that its mass surveillance prevented 54 terrorist attacks. The number fell to seven. The government reviewed the data and concluded that mass surveillance didn’t stop any attacks.

“You can’t just steal American secrets,” Pompeo. “If you find something illegal, there is a process to correct it.”

People who did that were forced to leave their homes and their careers. I can understand why Snowden fled the country.

Trump’s tariffs are another area in which Pompeo and me disagree.

“Tariffs mainly punish the American consumer,” That is all I am pointing out. Goods are more expensive because of tariffs.

“Tariffs are a very blunt instrument,” Recognizes Pompeo, but “solve a very real challenge. How is it you prevent an adversarial nation from screwing you in their trade relationships?”

The Chinese cheat. They also steal intellectual property. However, tariffs have not stopped them. Some industries are also subsidized by the Chinese. But so do we!

Everyone benefits from free trade. This is one of the reasons I am a libertarian.

Pompeo is a proponent of cutting government. Why is hen’t a libertarian, though?

“I grew up libertarian,” He says. “The idea of less government power being better for the American people is something that is very near and dear to my heart.”