Ron Paul = Not So Great
This is what we’ve been trying to tell you people! (totkb2jeffwells)
Update: to those Ron Paul defenders who have been posting obscenities and threats in the comments, thanks but no thanks– they’ve been deleted post-haste. For a far more thorough and concise breakdown of the problem with Paul, check out these two links from Orcinus, probably the best political blog out there (imho):
http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2007/06/trouble-with-ron.html
As a libertarian leftist, I understand viscerally the charm of Paul’s message. Who wouldn’t be charmed? He’s anti-war, anti-torture, anti-drug war, and anti-corporation — a real progressive dream date. Until you reflect on the fact that he’s also anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-environment, anti-sane immigration policy, and apparently, anti-separation of church and state as well.
http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2007/06/ron-paul-vs-new-world-order.html
Ron Paul may or may not be a racist — and arguing about it is likely to end up nowhere. But what is unmistakably, ineluctably true about Ron Paul is that he is an extremist: a conspiracy theorist, a fear-monger, and an outright nutcase when it comes to monetary, tax, and education policy. The more believers and sympathizers he gathers, the worse off the rest of us will be.
But hey, if you’re cool supporting the candidate endorsed by none other than David Duke, the candidate who defended cross burning, and the candidate with the largest number of supporters on the white supremacist Stormfront website, that’s fine with me. Just sayin’, is all.
Update II: Fine, I changed the title so it’s a bit less confrontational. But still, if any of this information is factually incorrect (if he’s pro-gay-rights, pro-environment, pro-immigration, pro-seperation of church and state, if he wasn’t endorsed by David Duke, if they don’t love him on Stormfront, etc.), educate me in the comments. Go for it!
Anonymous said,
I’m a long time reader but I must say you’ve lost a lot of my respect. There is no honest dialog going on here, you’ve made up your mind and are just spouting nonsense.
JP said,
OK, so prove it. Where’s the nonsense?
p said,
The main reason I am voting for RP in the primary (and a Dem in the main, since there’s no way RP will get the nomination) is due to his monetary policy, which is founded in Austrian economics.
A lot of people seem to think a fully-backed currency is “crazy” for some reason, but they can never explain why. Backing currencies (and other reserve notes) with only fractional reserves creates artificial liquidity which is (according to Austrian theory) by far the main source of inflation, a steady, subtle invisible tax, which transfers money from poor people to rich people 24 hours a day. No other candidate even seems to understand the issue.
Also, RP is extremely anti-war and anti-torture, two huge points with me.
He is very opposed to any amendment outlawing gay marriage, but proposes to leave it up to individual states (it is unclear how workable this is, but it’s the position we’re in now, with the recent Iowa decision.)
He stupidly voted for the useless border fence, but strongly opposes tying human rights to citizenship, which is the current law. An illegal immigrant would not be deprived of due process, etc. just because of their legal status under his plan. This sounds ok to me, but how often does the “fence” half of a plan get implemented and the “protecting rights” half not?
I can envision scenarios in which some of RP’s goals synergetically promote those of the neocons, even though he hates them. This is a danger from all Democratic nominees, too, excepting probably Kucinich and Gravel (both of whom, like RP, are unlikely to get nominated.)
It is hard for me to care about anything David Duke says. Just because some policy would benefit both me AND people I don’t like is enough to avoid it? That’s silly. Duke likes Paul because of gun rights and opposition to illegal immigration. He might also think that Paul’s anti-federal-reserve stuff is “code language” for teh Joos, but this is ridiculous to economists.
I would no more consider Duke’s opinion than I would the opinion of a dogmatic Marxist (there’s a couple around still!) who would consider me personally to be hopelessly insane due to my religious beliefs. But even stupid racist demagogues should have their rights and earnings protected, they are humans.
Certainly all other candidates besides Kucinich, Gravel, or Paul are completely unacceptable to me, due to their comfort with violence, war, and the abrogation of human rights.
so, that’s my 0.02! Any anti-war, anti-torture candidate can get my vote, and the most important thing in American politics now is to fuck up the neocons, so I’m voting Republican (for Paul) for the primary and almost certainly whoever is the Democratic nom for the main. If the corrupt GOP ever lets RP win the nomination, I’ll be gobstopped.
Huge amount of info, plus articles by him, so you can decide on any particular issues you might be interested in:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/
Anonymous said,
I suspect Paul hates anyone not like himself and I wouldn’t be surprised if he burns crosses himself. in fact, he probably burns more trees than any other politician. He is on TV everywhere like Jerry Falwell, and the stormfront crew floods the whole internet with fake propaganda about freedom. They don’t call him “Dr. No” for nothing… He is a real life evil superhero.
Anonyminimized said,
Strong words coming from someone who is anonymous!
terje said,
Speaking as an outsider of American politics, it looks to me that while this candidate might get substantional votes in some states, he will be an unlikely candidate for the finals.
Looks like you have another Jerry Brown on your hands, hold onto your hats.
Anyone who is oblique enough in their rhetoric to be enthusiastically primed by hopeless “sidetrack of the universe” phantasiasts (I intend Marching Ants and Tin-Foil-Hat Brigade racists, not “neocons” etc.) and without the wherewithal to sanction against it, deserves not only the “diss” but the complete ignore. Whats happening, Warren Beatty trying out Bullworth in reality?
Go soul search into the question of whether you would like your America to absorb more of European political ideology or less; his tendencies sounds like a mix of Fogh-Rasmussen (PM in Denmark) and Sarkozy (President of France) - in areas it appears to me that implicating the post haste, desperate measures of the aformentioned - where there might be other, better long-term solutions. I am about to vote on the local elections on Monday, where our consistuency candidates have been dramatically unwilling to differ in the least aspect, except the packaging - makes me grumpy because the ideologies they represent has absolutely no influence on local politics, so I might as well just buy a button or a t-shirt instead. Oh, the “alternative” is to vote for the “we forgot to disband our political party” Reds (Communist Party)
-cough. ANYWAYS, Good Luck for the Elections, Jeremy.