Guest Column: The Case for Ron Paul
"Most Respected, Least Expected" was the caption on a recent YouTube video discussing the 2012 presidential prospects of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside — and that might be true.
Paul has been writing the right prescription for U.S. policy, both foreign and domestic, for nearly 40 years. But we’ve failed to take his advice, so today we find ourselves in the midst of exactly what he has been warning us about for decades: a prolonged recession with rising gas and food prices, unsustainable national debt and an unstable monetary system causing unrest and uncertainty in many of the ...
Comments (49)
Barbara Harless
Very good summary of Rep. Ron Paul and his honest effort to educate the People over many decades. Rep. Paul has the best record to prove exactly where he stands on the issues. Other candidates flip back and forth - depending on the tide. I hope Rep. Paul is successful in his presidential bid. I will support him as THE GOP presidential candidate in 2012.
sssdddd
Don Quixote, aka Ron Paul, is a very dangerous person. His proposal to dismantle the FED based on ideology after the FED has steered us to 80 years of prosperity is neither conservative nor low risk.
He conveniently ignores discussing nettlesome details like economic growth during the period of FED supervision, or history of why we abandoned the gold standard. Or the history that we took power of managing monetary policy away from private hands (J.P. Morgan).
Ron cloaks himself in the cloak of righteous disclosure of FED activities. However unlike Harry Potter we know under his cloak that Mr. Ron Paul has no clothes on and intends to stick it to the FED. DO we want the fed politicized with it’s direction under the control of: Pelosi, Obama, Boehner, Gingrich, Bill Clinton, George BUsh, Carter, Cheney etc.?
I say show me another system that has had 80 years of uninterrupted growth then we should study that system to see if we can adopt it or if there are fundamental flaws. That we are being bested by state sponsored monetary policy today (china) is not proof this state sponsored monetary policy is superior. However if it is superior then we should opt for government oversight (political control) of the FED like the Chinese system. Then we should go the next step and eliminate private control over enterprises by nationalizing all industries so our FED has equal powers to the Chinese FED.
I think that Mr. Ron Paul has striking similarity to Don Quixote. Ron’s windmills are the economic system he does not seem to understand. His supporters are often those that know we have a problem, and are energized to solve them. However bravely tilting at today’s windmills can lead to disastrous consequences, much like those windmills in prior years.
Bastian Six
Great article Debra. We Texans need you to join Ron and Rand in Washington. Please consider running for U.S. Senator. God Bless you and your family!
Rick Parker
Ron Paul is exactly what we need to help us get out of the mess we are in. He is the best of both worlds. He projects the Republican ecomnomic acumen and the socially liberal high ground often staked out by the Democrats.
He correctly points out the very dangerous practices of the FED which has given us 80 uninterrupted years of inflartion and rigged market pricing that led to the loss of 98% of the value of the dollar. Some ignorant persons might refer to this as growth. Growth? Feels like loss.
I wonder someone may have forgotten the Great Depression when they go blathering about 80 years of uninterrupted growth. Do we need to remind people of the price controls of the Nixon era? What about the 20% interests rates duting the Carter years? I hate to mention it, but... at this very moment, Housing Bubble, Wall Street bail out, Tarp, we I guess we really haven't had 80 years of uninterrupted growth. In fact, I guess we have had quite a few interuptions.
Or we can try the system that seems to appeal to Mr. sssddd, the communist system that allows 1.2 Billion Chinese to almost outproduct 300 Million Free Americans... maybe... or maybe not.
Glen Shipley
80 years of uninterupted prosperty with the FED. You must be a banker. It's more like 80 years of borrowing money from the privately owned FED that has led us to the current economic disaster we find ourselves in today. Our once great Republic is now a Fascist dictatorship with debts we can never pay. Defaults anyone!
Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate that will start the transition back to a true Free Market economy, not the crony capitalism we have now,and a sound currency.
tom brown
As long as the Republican party keeps coming up with assorted clowns and jokers as potential national candidates - McCain, Palin, Paul, Trump, etc, they will continue to be dismissed as a legitimate party and common sense people are going to be forc ed to vote for Obama or his likes again.
Craig Young
Well put Debra. Let's hope that Texas GOP has matured since '08 and will abandon it's "ANYONE BUT RON PAUL" thinking. We are doomed putting forth somebody like McCain again.
I trust Ron Paul.
Mark Wentlandt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
A mascot, eh?
Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Debra Medina a shill for Paul? How appropriate. See how all of that Libertarianism worked out for her.
George T. Contreras via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Cool... Never thought of R.Paul being the Spurs Coyote of the TeaParty... THat makes total sense.
Michael JJ Messer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Libertarianism works great when you are rich. So does trickle-down-economics.
Joel Stanford via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why is it that every Ron Paul supporter I meet is so often a young lower class male who is also a 9/11 conspiracy theory wonk? Also, this editorial is written so poorly. It is indicative of the menial cognitive capabilities of Ms. Medina.
Joel Stanford via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Also, I find it rather hilarious that she quotes the crazed fundamentalist Christian A.W. Tozer as some sort of rallying cry for the deranged masses.
Luisa Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ron Paul & Son are right about stopping the drug war, but most of their other ideas (gold standard? dumb) are useless isolationism or too 19th century
Katie Bobatee
How do you know why young people like him when you are not young?
Old people messed up the economy and whole lot of other stuff too. Old people from the left, the right, the Fed, private sector… all made a team effort to leave the economy in shambles for the next generation.
I enjoy listening to Ron Paul. At times, he really makes sense. He also wants to decriminalize weed, and that's like, way cool too, man.
Young adults are a large part of his base because he's real. No sugar-coating, and no pandering to the audience. He's consistent and provocative. I also like that Ron Paul was a practicing doctor, (although the concept of any male ob-gyn kinda weirds me out) and I guess some of his children also pursued a career in medicine. That validates "the good doctor" as a real person, not just another fancy politician. The fact that Ron Paul has become more relevant while calling out his own political establishment is inspiring.
A lot of things would have to change if Ron Paul wants consideration from this young voter.
His affiliation with crazy Republicans, the ultra-conservative, and the Tea Party would have to stop. The young people I know don't admire the Tea Party, we make fun of them. They decorate their hats with tea bags and bring lawn chairs to 'protests'. Before they were the Tea Party they were tea baggers -like the sexual act.
If Ron Paul did run for president he would face a major uphill battle. He's significantly shorter than Barack Obama. Obama is also relatively young and shares some similar tastes in music and entertainment with the coveted young people. Ron Paul is relatively old. I can't even begin to guess whats on his iPod, or if he even has one. Ron Paul 2012 could profoundly affect public discourse, (WINNING!!!) although he wouldn't win the Presidency.
Evelyn White via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well heck. We (most of us) anyway, have stopped taking the Koch Brothers seriously, as well as all the candidates.... such as Medina and Paul, that they fund to keep in office. Most people have no desire to go back to the 19th Century.
Karen Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Vote for Ron Paul if you believe minimum wage laws, child labor laws and that everything needs to be deregulated because Big Corporations will self-regulate, then by all means, vote for Ron Paul. However, if you like a decent wage, don't want children exploited, and enjoy clean air, safe food and drinking water--the list is endless, then don't vote for Ron Paul. I know what my choice is.
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Libertarianism is what you get in a post-McCarthyite society that says "there is no alternative to American capitalism"--a society in which "social-democracy" or (gasp!) "socialism" is a dirty word. And when your only recent experience of "liberalism" is the post-Great Society Democratic Party (NAFTA, cuts in social spending, and plutocratic legislation like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act), voilà: libertarianism on the rise. Fun fact: "libertarian" means "anarchist" or "far-left, anti-statist socialist" in most everywhere in the world except for the US and the UK--and even here, it's a relatively recent phenomenon. Hence domestic 1960s and 70s publications calling Noam Chomsky and Paul Goodman "great American libertarians."
Wanda Farmer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's going to do away with Social Security, A lot of people have paid into the system. Whats he going to do about that? Give everyone their money back. Then we will really go broke.
Jason Stradtner via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Vote for Paul if you believe in fiscal responsibility, personal responsibility, personal freedom and liberty, and the greatness that America can once again be. Vote for ANYONE else if you believe in the welfare, warfare, nanny state - cradle to grave govt intervention in your life.
Michael Cosper via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes Jason as we can see by your prolile pic most Libertarians have the minds and values of children.
Jason Stradtner via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And I guess we can use that same philosophy to assume you are just an unhappy person, so I won't let you personal attack bother me.
Why don't you put some of your efforts that you put so fervently into attacking others and use it for good to learn something useful about this country and where we are going if things don't change.
Matthew Whitt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well lets see......Hmmmm Child labor laws and wage laws only came to be AFTER the private sector had acted. 99% of the workforce were not children when the child labor laws came to be and wage laws on help to create inflation.
Matthew Whitt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Don't let it bother you Jason. These people crave a den mother. They think a president can do away with SSI. If they ever heard Paul's plan they would know that he would take apart the foriegn wars and not do away with SSI first. Then we would be allowed (if we choose) to not pay into SSI. I don't think they know much about money creation and banking. What do I know? I am just an economist. While ALL the private sector economist are warning about inflation the government economist are saying the opposite. Which one gets paid for results and which ones get a salary to say what a politician wants them to say? I have moved on to a point in which I don't care anymore. Plain and simple. Let folks like Wanda lose all their SSI to inflation. I won't even bother to say "I told you so." As long as my money and my client's money is safe (which is not in US Dollars) then I will be fine.
Michael JJ Messer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Kochisms. Ha!
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Libertarianism: an ideology for slave-minded, power-worshipping children. I also find it pretty hilarious that the biggest funders of Libertarian crap--the Kochs--made their first fortune via their daddy who made HIS fortune by building infrastructure for Josef Stalin (read all about it http://ow.ly/4J2mb). And now they make billions off our own "Nanny State"--while simultaneously declaring their hatred of Big Gubbamint. What a b.s., fraudulent ideology libertarianism is. Just totally pathetic.
Joel Stanford via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So Jason, where are we headed if things don't change? Glenn Beck's fantasy land?
Matthew Whitt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wow Joel. That is your argument? Hard to believe such an "educated" person would come up with such a great counter-argument. @Connor- Do you even know what Libertarianism is?
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I sure do, buddy boy: Dungeons and Dragons for groveling geeks and infantile billionaires.
Joel Stanford via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Who says it was an argument, Matthew? It is an extrapolation of what his political beliefs almost certainly are. He fits the Beckian mold to a T. Did I hit a nerve? Are you one of them as well? The comment was mocking his doom and gloom hyperbole. Was it too subtle for you?
Joel Stanford via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Also, Matthew, why are you lying about child labor laws? Child labor really only ended due to the great depression. Adults needed jobs, and would accept the same wages as children. In the late 30s, Roosevelt passed the FLSA, which helped end the practice permanently. At that time there also existed a great tide of public outcry against the practice - it was not from private industry as you suggest.
Side note: Don't call yourself an economist. You're not one.
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Here's something I do. Y'all should try it sometime: I see a libertarian mouthing off on FB. So I go to their info page and see who they work for. Pretty amazing how often they work for a government (federal, state, county/municipal) or a business that exists almost entirely on government contracts/public-resource-hand-outs secured by lobbyists and massive campaign donations. Or just as frequently, there's no employer listed--social security checks + Medicare keepin' em afloat, I suppose.
Danny Surman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The level of sloganeering and lack of critical thought from most commenters on this page is just sad. Evelyn, perhaps you should check but Koch Industries actually supported Rand Paul's primary opponent in the Senate race in 2010. It is particularly sad that this Connor fellow shows some intelligence early on, but then just drops down into petty stereotypical characterizations. I read the Tribune because it has some of the best damn reporting in the state; it is sad to see that its readers are not living up to its standard.
Trey Hatt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So who else are you supposed to vote for if you want an end to these undeclared wars in the desert, warrantless wiretaps, and this stupid war on (some) drugs?
Angel Voluntaryist Robinson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No matter what happens in the next election, Ron Paul cannot lose. When I consider how much I have learned since 2007 about history, philosophy, human action, economics, etc... when I think about how much more substantive and meaningful my conversations about real issues have been, and when I meet people whose experiences have been parallel to mine as relates to Ron Paul I am excited for this campaign and what I know it will necessarily achieve. Here's to the meaningful discussions that will take place all around the country thanks to Ron Paul and his supporters.
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Uh oh, I've let down Libertarian Danny! Sorry I didn't make the grade Libertarian Danny, I'm ever so desperate for your approval!
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Trey, I sympathize. You can vote Green Party. Or you can support someone like Dennis Kucinich in a Democratic Primary. @Angel, that's some truly cultish language there, no offense.
david rairigh
I few items to note. Dr. Paul has stated many times that as President he doesn't have the power to end Social Security, therefore he wouldn't be ending it. He would try to convince the people and congress that it needs to be ended and part of the would be giving younger people the option to OPT out. He also stated that by ending our militarism around the world he would be saving around a trillion dollars a year, which he would gladly push toward continuing to support those people who are dependent on government payouts. He also has repeatedly stated that he doesn't expect to go back to the Gold Standard but would like to see competing currency legalized.
The fact of the matter is that this country is on a steady decline due in large part to its government's massively incompetent spending. People whom refuse to admit that the government cannot continue to borrow more than its revenue are "civically" negligent ( and should probably be considered criminally negligent for fraud and theft of the youths' future ).
Libertarianism is the most freedom-oriented political and moral ideology in existence. It nurtures individualism and self-sufficiency. It rewards social responsibility in the same way that Churches do, by stressing local solutions to local problems. This creates local networks of people who more often than not work with each other to solve problems, because a stable local environment is in the best interest of not only the individual but the (local) group. Any form of political ideology that supplants the individual's responsibility toward local stability with a remote attention necessarily destabilizes the locality.
Finally, let's be honest how "80 years of growth" came to be; we exported our inflation and debt. The country of freedom and liberty exported the toxic waste of its Keynesian economic policy onto the backs of a lot of less fortunate people in the world and now it has come back to haunt us.
Justin Flores via Texas Tribune on Facebook
There's not one substantive attack on Dr. Paul in this thread. Just like the last cycle, there will be plenty more mud thrown. The key is not lowering yourself into it. Ron Paul by far has the least to fear from superficial attacks, or closet skeletons. Debate issues or policies. Win hearts and minds. Leave children to their own devices and politics to the grown-ups.
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I wonder if the "Dr. Paul" fans here are familiar with the "Ron Paul's Freedom Report": a mailer he sent out in the 1980s. http://ow.ly/4Jee9 Here are some excerpts: “opinion polls consistently show only about 5% of blacks have sensible political opinions," “if you have ever been robbed by a black teen-aged male, you know how unbelievably fleet-footed they can be,” Barbara Jordan is “the archetypical half-educated victimologist” whose “race and sex protect her from criticism.” Then there was the recent Neo-Confederate "historian" that Paul invited to testify before congress a couple of months ago, Mr. Thomas "Hitler was a Lincolnite" DiLorenzo--yes, that's an actual quote.
Justin Flores via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thanks for getting this out of the way, Connor. This is the only skeleton in Dr. Paul's closet and it doesn't even belong to him. Ron Paul was totally open about this abuse of his trust from the 80s committed by someone else with his permission. He has disavowed the comments and made it clear he does not support racism. If you look at literally everything else the man has ever said or done, his record speaks volumes to that truth. Thank you for proving my point though with this lame attempt at pulling out the biggest attack used against him the last time that has already been debunked and clarified.
Justin Flores via Texas Tribune on Facebook
"Later, in 2001, Paul would claim that someone else had written the controversial passages. (Few of the newsletters contain actual bylines.) Caldwell, writing in the Times Magazine last year, said he found Paul’s explanation believable, 'since the style diverges widely from his own.'"
Justin Flores via Texas Tribune on Facebook
That's from your link, Connor. Thanks again
Katie Bobatee
@David
So Ron Paul would be "giving younger people the option to OPT out" of something that they've been funding through their paychecks and will never receive. Wow! That's awfully nice of him.
Do you truly believe Ron Paul, or any hypothetical president , would have the capability to "end our militarism around the world" and apply the "trillion dollars a year" savings "to support those people who are dependent on government payouts" within the time frame of his presidency?
Is Ron Paul talking about the US Military while stating the defense department's costs? And who are "those people who are dependent on government payouts"? Is he talking about oil and ag subsidies, or is he talking about my 83 year old grandma who lives alone?
What makes you so sure "this country is on a steady decline due in large part to its government's massively incompetent spending"? Could other factors include unresolved historical conflicts, ever evolving social roles, and our inability to fully understand our relationship with the environment , all coming in contact with globalization at a time when we seem greatly unprepared?
Do you have the stats to prove that "libertarianism is the most freedom-oriented political and moral ideology in existence." I imagine it would be difficult to quantify things like freedom, politics, and morals. Then measure them against every ideology in existence.
Libertarianism is an important and valid school of thought, but it is just that; a school of thought.
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hahaha, okay dude, whatever your deranged, libertarian brain tells you. Man, today's right-wingers are like the old Politburo. "This evidence only CLEARS comrade Paul from any wrong-doing!"
Justin Flores via Texas Tribune on Facebook
weak... bye
david rairigh
@Katie Bobatee
Yes, we've been paying into SS but many people under the age of 40 or 45 would probably gleefully opt out if it meant that they didn't have to continue to pay into a system which is, in my opinion, approaching failure. This year was the first year SS took in less than it paid out, although I admit we've had a crappy economy and that this certainly played a role in creating the lower revenues. Let's face it though, SS was designed to support a significantly lower percentage of the population than it actually does. Statistically speaking, the plan assumed that a higher number of payers would never live long enough to take advantage of it. For myself, I am not assuming that there will be any help from the government, nor would I expect any (even with my moderate contributions to SS to date).
Yes, I truly believe that Ron Paul could bring our troops home. The president has the final say in deployment of troops. While I certainly couldn't guarantee that the money saved would be used in an intelligent manner at least we wouldn't be spending it on useless militarism.
I use the phrase "people dependent on government payouts" exactly as I stated. People, not corporations. Both Dr. Paul and I believe that there should be no crony capitalism or subsidies, so no oil or ag help. He has stated many times that he certainly wouldn't leave your 83 year old grandmother who lives alone without her SS. He's neither cruel nor stupid. His solution is a gradual movement away from government largess.
I distinctly stated that the steady decline is "...due in large part..." to incompetent spending. I probably should have been more specific and stated "incompetent governing." In my opinion certainly other factors contribute to societal dysfunction but I believe that our government is a silvered mirror of our overall disdain for personal responsibility and self-sufficiency. I look at the steady decline in the quality of K-12 schools, the steady rise of the "no loser" mentality and the more apparent ( in my opinion at least) attitude of entitlement and see this as the inevitable outcome of centralized government and one-size-fits-all educational blueprints.
Thankfully I don't need stats to prove that libertarianism is the most freedom-oriented and moral ideology in existence. Nor do I believe that its difficult to quantity things like freedom, politics or morals. And if its just a school of thought than EVERYTHING is just a school of thought, which seems false to me.
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Weak? Dude, he sent the report out from his congressional office, then claimed he had no idea about the language several years after the fact, and that "someone else" wrote it? And you swallow that? Good Christ, wake up man.
M G
Looking forward to vote Ron Paul in 2012!