EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Grow Up, Ron Paul
Like many other little American kids, all I wanted to do was eat junk food, play video games and goof around with my friends. I didn’t like being made to go to school, going to bed at 9 PM, eating vegetables, doing homework after school, or taking out the garbage. And like most other little kids who don’t like abiding by the rules of their parents, I sometimes fantasized about what it would be like to run away from home. But when I packed my backpack full of clothes and individually-wrapped packs of peanut butter crackers from the pantry, I could never go through with my plan. I knew if I ran away, I’d be hungry, cold, lost, and eventually found by the police and returned home.
Libertarian views of government regulation are very similar to how the 6 year-old views the authority exerted by their parents. Ron Paul’s every-individual-for- themselves rhetoric appeals to young, radical libertarians with simplistic viewpoints of authority, and an ignorance of why government exists in the first place.
In Ron Paul’s ideal America, safety regulations imposed on employers by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would be a thing of the past. Clean air and water regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency would be no more. Taxpayers would save money since Ron Paul would abolish the Department of Education and cut the Food & Drug Administration budget by 40%. Employers would save money by paying workers as little as they wish, since Ron Paul would abolish the Davis-Bacon Act. Corporate giants would be free to monopolize markets, since Ron Paul opposes federal antitrust legislation. And employees would no longer be required to pay into Social Security.
So what would this libertarian utopia look like, if Ron Paul were elected and followed through on his campaign promises?
-Families grieving for loved ones lost due to Massey Energy’s negligence in the Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion would have to accept that their relatives were casualties of the invisible hand of the unfettered free market. And Massey would've gotten off scot-free for polluting Martin County, Kentucky's drinking water supply with 300 million gallons of coal slurry.
-Millions of college students dependent on Pell grants would be forced to move back home and work minimum-wage jobs, no longer financially able to further their education. Oh wait-- what minimum wage?
-Food recalls would be a regular occurrence when tainted meat and vegetables hit supermarket shelves and cause record outbreaks of e-coli. And risky new drugs will avoid FDA tests and hit the express lane to the pharmacy, endangering the health of millions.
-Too-big-to-fail banks like Wells Fargo, Citi, Chase and Bank of America would be allowed to merge and/or buy out their competitors, as would oil giants like ExxonMobil, and Chevron, as would cell service providers like AT&T and Verizon.
-The Social Security trust fund would become insolvent, making retirement that much harder for those who paid into it all their lives.
Ron Paul and his right-libertarian ideology does espouse a new kind of freedom, just as rebellious children who fantasize about running away from home dream of a new kind of freedom. But as much as we may have rebelled against our parents as little kids, we eventually matured and realized that the rules and regulations our parents imposed on us were meant so we’d grow up to be responsible, functioning adults in society.
An unregulated little kid free to eat junk food and play video games all day won’t ever learn the responsibilities of adulthood. And an unregulated society where every individual is out for themselves will quickly collapse.
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
273 Comments so far
Show All"decent candidates"?? Are you kidding? We are talking about people who are running for US president. Decency has nothing to do with it. Nearly all the candidates--like the process itself--are thoroughly INDECENT. In one way or another, they all peddle lies about the US as God's country and how the whole world envies "us" and how fortunate we are to live in "the world's greatest democracy." Given the vast amount of suffering in the UNited States, this kind of rhetoric (from "Democrats" and "Republicans" alike is positively obscene.
Ron Paul, with his brutalist celebration of the so-called "free market," is typical of American political obscenity. You call him a "constitutionalist" as if that secures the argument. Remember, Obama, the law professor, also claimed to be a constitutionalist in contrast to the chronic lawlessness of the Bush regime. Do you really think that if Paul came to power he would "restore" the Constituion to its former glory? (Incidentally, this notion of "restoration" is itself a right-wing myth. The constitution has NEVER been fully observed by the US government or the States).
Paul is in "favor of the BIll of the Rights"? A dubious claim, given that he does not oppose private discrimination against "minorities." He's "against the wars"? Maybe he is, but if he should become President he will soon change his tune. Just look at Obama, who hasn't even gotten around to closing Guantanamo!
In short, if you are looking for a "decent candidate" in the US presidential race, you are definitely looking in the wrong place!
Carl is just another of the many faux liberals weighing in with the lies. This is McCarthyism at its finest.
Paul is one of the few candidates confronting the more serious issues of our time.
This article uses the very same tactics our leaders in charge use to get us to support endless wars, and Empire. FEAR! I'm not afraid of monopolies, we already have them. I'm not afraid of businesses polluting my world, they already do, and when called upon the county EPA's do a fine job! I'm not afraid of bad pharmaceuticals, they are already addicting and killing thousands more than illegal drugs. Nor am I afraid of eating bacteria laced foods, I already do, and suffer the consequences from it on occasions. I don't fear the sky falling if Paul were elected, but obviously many do. These are the real children who need to grow up!
Grow up Carl and open your eyes!
And your answer is ... to put trust in somebody who claims from day one that he thinks none of the issues just listed is a problem?
Probably the EPA could have done a BETTER job. But well, for sure more was achieved compared to NOT HAVING EPA at all.
Lies? Really?
Care to point out one?
Why don't you defend Paul's actual views, some of which I posted below? They were taken directly from his website.
Such cognitive dissonance. On the one hand you say you are not afraid of these things, but on the other hand you say we should all be very afraid of these things and should vote for Paul based on those fears.
Clearly, your statement that "this is McCarthyism at its finest" shows that you have no understanding of McCarthyism.
Privatization is indeed one of "the more serious issues of our time." Paul stands firmly on the wrong side of that debate, and always has. The resurgence of states' rights is another one of "the more serious issues of our time." Again, Paul stands on the wrong side of that issue.
Paul wants war-making and the military to be as it was at the time of the war of aggression against Mexico, and gullible and naive people think that makes him a peace candidate. Ronald Reagan did not think Paul was a peace candidate, far from it, and Paul is so proud of Reagan's endorsement of his hawkishness that he has the quote at the top of his webpage about the military.
Paul favors local jurisdictions deciding your civil liberties for you, an agenda that gave us Black Laws, Jim Crow and other wonderful "freedoms." Moving civil liberties down to the local level is freedom for people like Paul to persecute and deny people rights, it is not a blow for liberty.
I don't fear the sky falling if Paul were elected, either. I do fear the Paul supporters, though.
Wonderful, concise piece of prose, Mr. Gibson. Sure as hell wish I'd written it.
I actually dabbled with libertarianism back in the mid-1970's when I was a fresh and relatively uninformed young man. Experience has since taught me that libertarianism is indeed nothing more than a seductive fiction, much like Huck Finn's fun weekend in a secret island on the Mississippi. Sooner or later you've got to come back home and help reconstruct a civilization if you want to live among civilized men...
Well said!
In 2003 the most powerful military in human history began the obliteration of the nation of Iraq. The Iraqis were already weak and having medical and food problems due to the US embargo. They had never threatened or attacked the United States and had nothing to do with 9/11. Nevertheless our "political leaders" invented reasons for war and between 600,000 and a million were killed, the vast majority non-combatant. Children are still being born with birth defects from radioactive munitions, many families were devastated in the Sunni-Shia civil war aggravated by our insane policies. The economy was ruined with the crackpot ideas of Milton Friedman the american fascist economist.
Barak Obama always voted to fund this murder, he has characterized it as heroic defense of our country. He is now regularly using the same tactics to demonize Iran. He has expanded the use of drones, continued extraordinary rendition, ok'd torture,and expanded the war in Afghanistan, another country that never attacked or threatened us.
All across this country, people who claim to oppose war will vote for another war, people who claim to be for the bill of rights will vote for the suspension of habeas and a government and military that can kill or detain or torture without trial; people who claim to be opposed to racial discrimination will vote to continue to jail an inordinate percentage of black people for using or selling drugs.
I will vote for Ron Paul in the primary and consider him the far lesser evil to Obama. The biggest delusion right now is corporatism, which is dead without war, and Paul is the least corporate, the least apartheid, the least big bank friendly candidate. Let me repeat that. American corporatism and the american dollar is dead without war; our economic power is entirely propped up by the threat of annihilation. Paul is opposed to wars on humans and wars on plants. He is against unlimited executive power and continued centralization. He is against body bags, and post traumatic stress, and soldier suicide, and spying on citizens, and dropping bombs on children, and right now that is enough .
My own political ideals: Decentralized power with euro sized national entities who provide environmental rules and health care and engage in international diplomacy along UN lines. Respect for tribal peoples and lands and preservation of all remaining languages. Localization of: food, building, clothing where possible and sustainable economic activities suited to natural resources, education, entertainment. Large areas of wild land sparsely populated with native peoples. Devote science and economy to permaculture, nature based design, sustainable energy. You get the idea. Pretty dreamy. But really what else is there to do once you stop the global war on man and nature. ( Lester Brown, Richard Heinberg, Starhawk, the tribal elders and shamans, Bill Mollison, Masanobu Fukuoka, Buddha, I.F. Stone, Riane Eisler,Michael Pollan, Naomi Klein, Jesus (the wisdom teacher, not savior religion etc...) .
Ok, continuing with the imaginary. Many posters are talking as though the president were all powerful and independent of constituencies. There is no way Paul will win the primary race without an infusion of non conservative voters. Those voters will have environmental, feminist, and economic concerns in tension with Paul's goals. If he were to win the primary he would need even more of those voters since the Fox news Republicans will turn to war monger corporatist Obama.. A whole new ball game. Paul will face the choice of a serious dialog with OWS types or losing( He has worked in the past with progressives like Kucinich and Sanders) .This would also open the door wide to a 3rd party candidate. The economy and weather will be screaming for a reality check and Fox news would have only Obama to turn to. This is an opportunity to majorly fuck with the system and nobody gets it. And yes we need to fuck with the system in such a way as to avoid fascism, because that is where the corporate war agenda goes. Reforming the current model toward a peaceable, sustainable socialism is not an option unless the imperial army is retired.
WHY NOT MESS WITH THE SYSTEM AND VOTE IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR RON PAUL?
jonabark sez: "WHY NOT MESS WITH THE SYSTEM AND VOTE IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR RON PAUL?"
Why not give the Dems and Repubes an excuse to move even further to the right?
See how well RP is doing? It must mean the people want less government regulation of industry and more unfettered capitalism! And an end to abortion! And safety regulations! And food inspection! And drug certification! And environmental regulations! And...
I know liberals like to hate Ron Paul over his stances on health care, social security, and the like. I agree with these criticisms, but like it or not, Ron Paul is the only candidate out there willing to talk about the most destructive aspects of American foreign policy, and the loss of civil liberties. You see, if we lose our civil liberties, then we lose the ability to affect the changes we want, left or right. Without our destructive foreign policy, there is more resources available to get our economy moving again. I would gladly support a challenger to Obama from the left, but where is he or she? The other point that is missed about Ron Paul didn’t start running for president because of health care, social security and medicare. He is running to primarily carry the message of anti-imperialism, anti-federal reserve, and pro-civil liberties, and if by some miracle he were to enter the oval office, those would be his priorities, because he knows to take on the social issues would ruin any chance he has of affecting any positive change. He also knows that he has a snowballs chance in hell of winning the nomination, and is spending his golden years trying to warn the American public about the evils of interventionism, and the police state we are becoming. Who else is doing that? So say what you want about this social polices, but I say, so what. The dialogue he brings about the crucial issues that genuinely threaten our future as a republic, as a democracy, is sorely needed, and the courage he has displayed in presenting these ideas in the midst of a hostile Republican party, is truly commendable.
There are candidates on the left, and the foreign policy and erosion of human rights are more a product of the total privatization agenda than they are a cause of it.
Paul supports the age-old states rights agenda, and the purpose of that agenda is to allow local communities to persecute and oppress people. That has always been the agenda going back to before the Civil War.
Paul supports a stronger, more deadly and effective military. He opposes peace-keeping and nation building (so called, of course), but does not support massive response to threats to US (corporate) interests.
Let's look at what Paul himself has always said, always supported and fought for rather than what we are wishing and hoping he stood for.
How come people who reject the "lesser of two evils" argument when used by Obama supporters, then use it to promote Paul?
"How come people who reject the "lesser of two evils" argument when used by Obama supporters, then use it to promote Paul?"
And reject with passion. This is something I cannot understand. Dr. Paul is somehow excluded in the "lesser of two evils" argument?
Thomas Gilbert-
I know that States rights has been used for the purpose you speak, but are rights of states over the federal government ever worth defending. Certainly, those in Vermont who want to secede from the union are not doing it for racial supremacy. Furthermore, Paul is against the drug war, which is directly responsible for the suppression of human rights, as in incarceration for minor drug offenses, which helps support the "private" prison industry quite well, and targets primarily the minorities you wish to protect.
Paul wants to end the military deployments over seas, which would automatically greatly reduce the size and footprint of our military, and focus on the simple defense of the country, not the imperial wars suppress democracy, and that promote instability and violence.
Believe me, I have taken into account his actions, and his deeds in the U.S. Congress, oftentimes being one of a few lone voices against absolutely horrendous legislation that would result in less liberty, and less security.
When I hear Ron Paul speak, why is it that I get a gut feeling he is pandering???...Here you have a Man whom has been in Congress for decades and you mean to tell me that he'll have the power to change Congress....LMAOOOFFFF....In order to get these things done he has to go through Congress!!!!....Unless of course he does EVERYTHING by Executive order....Which, well, we know how that works out!!!
If he is soooo against what goes on as far as our Taxes are concerned, why don't he prove to me as a citizen by not taking his paycheck anymore, stop with his healthcare and not take his pension, all paid for by the Taxpayer...I have asked this question before to the Mental Minions of Paul and I got 2 different answers, 1) he can't and 2) when and if he becomes president he will take the average pay of a citizen.....
LMAOOOFFF.....It is all BS to me, take the pay of the average Citizen.....LMAOOOFFF......Talk about pander!!!!....What an excuse and the minions drink it up like Kool-Aid...Why don't he avoid the rush and start now with not taking a Paycheck, Healthcare and Pension and while he is at it " if " he is to become President not take the Presidential Salary!!!!!!!!!!.....I guarantee he won't be giving that up!!!!!!!!..
I am going to ask all of those questions of his own son (Rand Paul) considering he works for Congress now....Why isn't he given it up?????....Why, because he is a BS artist, that's why, and the Mental Minions drink it up like Kool-Aid!!!!
Whats even funnier, is that it seems to be a crime when a person asks those questions of these Candidates...Especially the Reichtie Candidates......
What interesting is that People like JefferyK still use the Fear and Scare tactics of the Reichtie politics, using the phrase " and the loss of civil liberties.".....Hey Jeff, can you do better than that phrase?????????....
I am wondering are you in jail??....Because if our civil liberties were taken away right now, you and I wouldn't be talking on this forum right now!!!!!!.....It seems that Fear and Scare is the Motto of the Mental Minions of Ron Paul and Ron Paul himself seems to enjoy using these phrases that the Reichties used when George Chithead Jr. wanted to invade Iraq!!!!...
The Mental Minions are using the Fear and Scare Tactic now to get people to vote for Ron Paul.....How Soviet of you people!!!!!
Please Note: Just a reminder to the Ron Paul Minions, the Founding Fathers didn't get paid for their services....They didn't get paid for Forming the Government and Leading the way...
Yes, I, too, would like to see "Big Government" cut. My cutting would include
1. all oil depletion allowances
2. all tax breaks for corporations and millionaires. Everybody should pay the same basic rate for what's left after I get through. Then we can begin to talk about millionaires and the top 1% really paying their fair share to the country that gave them so much opportunity to make their millions.
3. agricultural subsidies... ALL of them
4. ALL foreign "aid," which is no more than handouts to dictators we like
5. ALL aid to Israel. There is no reason why the Zionist state should practice genocide openly and also in our name. It's a prime reason why people all over the world hate us.
6. ALL government contracts for defense, "Homeland Security," and useless construction ("pork")
7. the TSA. The entire agency. Close it down.
8. HALF of the Pentagon's budget. Rightwing politicians always talk about how streamlining and cutting workers makes things more efficient. Let them try it on the Defense Department. If the DOD isn't improved enough, cut another 25%. That ought to do the trick. I would also entirely cut AfricCom and half of all military bases overseas.
Cutting the Pentagon's budget shouldn't be that hard anyway, because I would end ALL foreign wars and bring the troops home.
8. the following agencies, inter alia: the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, the CIA, Lawrence Livermore Labs, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
9. cut the INS by half and start negotiations with Mexico and other Latin American countries to help their farmers so that they won't have the incentive to come here.
10. Limit the DEA to stopping the trafficking of hard drugs.
11. Shut down any and all FEMA camps retrofitted for domestic "terrorists."
12.I would also hand over the BIA to the tribes. Let them have the budget to run their own schools, hospitals, retirement homes, etc. If it isn't enough, let them have some of the Pentagon's cut. I think Indians will appreciate doing more with less. They've been at it since before we arrived on these shores.
13.I would also cut the Bureau of Prisons. All prisoners convicted of nonviolent offenses would get paroled.
14. I would cut the FBI by half and stop their harassment of peaceful Americans.
15.I would appoint people in Treasury and the Federal Reserve who would put THIS NATION'S interests FIRST, not the interests of the 1%. That ought to save money in the long run.
16.I would put a freeze on all federal insuring of nuclear power plants. They are a waste of money, and they are the worst environmental hazard in human history.
17. Radio Free anywhere and VOA
I would also stop the Forest Service's giveaways of rights to public lands by private organizations. These giveaway sell our precious irreplaceable natural heritage for a pittance.
Finally, I would close the Holocaust Museum, and use the funding for an American Holocaust Museum, dedicated to telling the TRUTH about the genocide of native Americans.
That should do it for starters. I'm sure I'll find that I will have saved quite a bit, which can be used either to lower taxes or make live more liveable for people, especially the working poor. But, I won't rest because I am sure I missed a few pork barrel projects and handouts to the lazy rich.
I'd eliminate the corporate income tax. The capital gains tax. Repeal the payroll tax. Introduce a 10% tariff on all imports, regardless of if the ownership was "American" or not. A 10% VAT which would finance "reformed" Social Security and "reformed" Medicare. The income tax would apply to all "earned" income regardless of source. The top tax would be 25% which is high enough and the bottom 10% (which it is now) An end to the American Empire. All US military would be kept in the USA. This would allow a serious "cut" to the "defense budget" which is now close to half of all money spent on "defense" by the entire world. Especially as a lot of money being spent on "defense" by other countries is to protect themselves from the USA. Why is Iran working on a nuclear weapon? To "deter" Uncle Sam! Most people don't know that the US has armed forces virtually everywhere today. 130 countries according to Ron Paul. This includes agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency which has become a paramilitary organization. We are the world's "bully" today. Something we should not be! We need to start "minding our own business" and let others do the same...
the thing i want concerned progressives to consider is not whether all of Paul's views are progressive, but that we can reasonably anticipate that if we debated his views, the discussion would be civil and constructive unlike the FOX news toxic bullies and sun tv demagogues assuming you understand where Paul is coming from and going to and not jumping to the wrong conclusion that what he's said 'can mean only one thing!' as progressives, do we expect everyone from New Zealand to Zambia from Japan to Chile to have the same preferences and ways about all things all the time? or do we ask that conflict be resolved non violently with some chance of a meeting of the minds? even if Jesus, Buddha and Confucius were in the same room together, they would probably not have the same preferences or style about everything so we shouldn't be judging others past, present and future only by whether they're exactly like 'us' but rather by how consistent they are with their standards for us. Don't take an 'all or nothing' approach to your enemies and opponents or you're get all of nothing most of the time. be grateful for each opponent who is willing to concede we are right about some things and willing to confront their 'team' with their hypocrisies and denial. the grownups are the ones who can accept differences and make the best of what others are willing to do.
This is certainly an interesting group of comments….
Some are scholarly and well informed; most are reactionary, emotional opinions based on information steeped in confusion, fear, and anger.
It is my opinion that the majority of people in this country feel afraid and helpless. They want it like it was. It can never be that again. Most know that.
The majority of comments are missing foundation in the definitions to the words they are using. “Libertarians” some investigation into the historical meaning of this word may help. Hint there are two kinds of libertine. Of course this will be problematic for a population that can’t read and wants all of what it knows spoon fed with pictures. Also a clear understanding of what a Republic is…that may take some digging, it has been lost in translation over the years in our schools. Not by accident. A meditative reading of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights could be very helpful, along with some serious introspection into how much you and your families have lost. What I see in most of these posts is hysterical responses to the knowledge that you and I are abandoned. We were banished from our own good a long time ago. You and I are on our own. The liar will tell you what you want to here. Feeling comfy?
Dr. Paul tells us we as a nation have a terminal disease and that the cure is risky, difficult, painful but there is hope with time we will survive to live ….DIFFERNTLY
I must say that I personally do not think that the “Powers that Were” have long. They have lost control, which is why they grasp so desperately for more. They use the same plays, fear, abuse, brutality, confusion and monetary power. Once we accept that we have been nursed by a toxic mommy into complete dependence. We can forget about being taken care of by a new President that will make it all better. It’s not going to go away or get better unless we the people start to use the heads sitting on our own shoulders and forget about symbiotic relationships with parasites, or Trojan leaders filled with candies for us to suck on so the pain won’t hurt……I don’t think Ron Paul or any other single human being can take down this Goliath of ugliness, this contagious virus that has contaminated the world and stripped us of our morality, our values and our well being is our job.
So now, you have had the patience to read this far, my words have either entertained your imagination or further agitated your fears, and you wait for the snake oil cure. Sorry, I have none. My choice is to shun the feeding of the corpse of corruption where ever I can. To help my neighbors when they are honorable, and respect their differences. My choice is to investigate, learn, think, imagine, and find ways to STOP FEEDING THE BEAST. First Law is to do what you can when you can. Accept that it’s enough for now, and that you will grow stronger with the doing no matter how small it may seem. Then it won’t matter who is elected.
Lets make 1 law for Corporations, do no harm to your workers, consumers and Mother Earth. Why in god's name do we need DC to tell teachers what or how to teach? In this 21st Century, if we could keep the profits in the States, they could run themselves. I do wish The Doctor would talk about North Dakota as a way out of the Fed and to help fund States. You should read Howard Zinn and John Perkins to find out how awful our Foreign Policy has been! (No I did not read past the 1st paragraph of this nonsense.)