Congressman Massie supports Rand Paul’s surge against Russophobia.

This is why the  recent visit to Russia by my fellow Kentuckian Rand Paul is so courageous. In attempting to keep the lines of communication open between our two countries, he demonstrates true statesmanship amid a new xenophobic isolationism sweeping the anti-Trump media.

Sen. Paul’s meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev (his father) reminds me of President Reagan’s summits with that former leader of the Soviet Union. Like Paul and President Trump, Ronald Reagan believed in the power of a willingness to talk with our adversaries. Many believe that Reagan’s cordial relationship with Gorbachev encouraged the policies of “perestroika” and “glasnost” — an openness to freedom that led to communism’s downfall in Russia.

True leaders understand that dialogue is the quickest pathway to peace. As my colleague Rep. Rohrabacher says, “We need to find areas of cooperation and peace instead of constant belligerence that can only lead to war.” Contrary to what the D.C. elites would have you believe, Russia is not the biggest threat facing the United States today. The Russia scare is a distraction from our real threats, which include our massive national debt, porous borders, and an out-of-control federal government that claims the right to spy on Americans without a warrant.

It’s time to end the obsession with Russia. In the words of the famous English writer G.K. Chesterton, “A great nation ought not to be a hammer, but a magnet.” Let’s stop the bellicose rhetoric and instead start leading by example.

Thomas Massie is a Republican member of the House who has represented Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District since 2012.

Source: Real Clear Politics