Jesse Ventura on Foreign Policy Former Independent MN Governor; possible Presidential Challenger

After WWII, we put top Nazis to work for us

It almost seems to me that the Cold War was staged so the weapons manufacturers and others could make money off it. Otherwise, how could we go from being allies with the Russians all through the war to their becoming our bitter enemies almost overnight?

And I find it outrageous that some of the leading Nazis were brought over here because it was apparently more important to fight the Cold War than to hold them responsible for what they'd done.

There should have been a thorough vetting done by this country--and not secretly but in public--so American people knew which Nazis were coming and why.

Visited Cuba & Fidel Castro, despite presidential opposition

I'd grown up in fear of Fidel Castro. I was young when his revolution took place in 1959, but I remember the propaganda. I vaguely recall hearing about the Bay of Pigs invasion.

I met Castro at the trade fair. The first words out of his mouth were, "You are a man of great courage." I was puzzled; he looked at me and said, "You defied your president to come here." I guess he has pretty good "intel."

And I looked right back at him and said, "Well, Mr. President, you'll find that I defy most everything." I told him that I felt the U.S. boycott was wrong. It did nothing positive for either of our countries, and it was time for Americans to get over it.

Questions why we still need Cuban embargo

I questioned Pres. Clinton about why we continued to have an economic boycott against the Cubans. At the time, I was smoking cigars, and I said that I was sick and tired of having to feel like a criminal every time I wanted a Cuban cigar. Clinton talked about how Cuba had shot down an American plane that strayed over its air space, and allegations of human rights violations, as justifications for why the boycott had to continue. Which still didn't fly much with me.

In 2002, a MN trade mission to Cuba came about after a few of the sanctions dealing with food and agricultural products had been lifted. This provided us an opening to seek deals with the Cuban government, for humanitarian purposes. Pres. Bush did not want me to personally go. Being there reaffirmed my position that the American sanctions are wrong. You realize that these are only hurting the Cuban people.

Global cooperation OK; world government not

Can you imagine the potential for corruption that would exist within a single global government? We have enough trouble trying to rein in corruption in our own federal government! The temptation to abuse power on a global scale would be sure to attract the worst of humankind. I’m all for nations cooperating with each other, being peaceful & friendly, and keeping trade free and borders open, but I don’t ever want to see a single worldwide government

Buchanan is an unrealistic isolationist