I am a huge Ron Paul supporter. His voting record speaks for itself. It is as freedom oriented and constitutional as anyone could hope for. How many other politicians can say that? Not too many, if any at all. That’s why I wrote so much about him when he was running for president. That’s why I tried to alert as many as I could and tried to convince anyone who would listen that he was the only candidate on the slate worth voting for. Ron Paul truly gave me hope that men of honor, principle and integrity could still succeed in modern politics. We need more people like him in congress.
I’d like to be able to get behind his son Rand with as much enthusiasm. I really would. But I find I can’t. Yes, he seems like a nice enough person and his intentions are good. I like his stance on repealing the Patriot Act. I like his stance on reading the bills. He has nice views on fiscal policies, wanting to audit the Fed and balance the budget. I just can’t get over that war thing. I can’t get over his support for empire. His stance on supporting the troops by buying them all the equipment we can’t afford rather than by bringing them home simply doesn’t make sense, either from a fiscal point of view or a freedom oriented point of view.
Rand talks a good game, but I’ve learned that talk is not enough. He has no political voting record and I’ve no other reason to disbelieve him, so I have to take him at his word. Unfortunately, when it comes to matters of foreign policy, his word is sadly lacking. His talk of strong defense is disturbing as America’s foreign policy looks more like one of aggressive offense and occupation. He certainly does not sound as if he would shrink government or curb its spending when it comes to military matters. This is too reminiscent of the Reagan/elder Bush regimes where smaller government was promised but not delivered in large part because of the military. We’ve seen this song and dance before.
Yes, I think he’d likely be a better candidate than any other Republican running against him. Yes, I hope he gets his party’s nomination. I simply don’t see how one can claim to be a small government candidate while supporting big government programs such as our over bloated military. I don’t see how you can claim to be a limited government candidate while supporting policies of empire. Depending on the sentiment of the average Joe in Kentucky, he might have a problem with his military stance if a well spoken anti-war Democrat runs against him. I’d really like to see an independent, fiscally conservative, anti-war candidate get into the mix and give the people of Kentucky someone they can vote for rather than having to choose between the lesser of two evils. It would be nice to see people not affiliated with the big government Republicans or big government Democrats take office anyway.
This is not a small thing. The foreign policy this nation undertook after the Second World War is bankrupting us. We simply can’t afford to maintain and expand an empire anymore. We need to let it go. Even a balanced budget amendment would do no good as long as we have troops in the field occupying other countries. When was the last time a politician obeyed the Constitution anyway? Not to mention how hard would it be to amend it? If the Constitution is to be changed, wouldn’t such an effort better serve the people if it was spent trying to repeal the 16th and 17th amendments? Before any such efforts could work Congress would have to be filled with people of honor and principle who believe not only in letting ordinary people run their own lives, but in limiting our military, keeping it at home for defense and letting the rest of the world trade and control their own natural resources.
Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Dr. Rand Paul did nothing to endear him to me. The attempt to use her to usurp the Tea Party movement is troubling. The tea parties began as an anti-war, liberty oriented, grassroots movement and now it’s being trampled by a herd of elephants just like the Libertarian Party was in 2008. It seems that the Republican Party has been relegated to the role of spoiling independent grassroots movements and silencing the voices of ordinary folk. If the Tea Party movement is to remain relevant it needs to distance itself from establishment plants like Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and even Glen Beck and stick to the message of freedom expressed by the likes of Ron Paul, Mary Ruwart and Harry Browne. Otherwise, let the Republicans have it and allow another organic movement to take its place.
Sarah Palin’s warmongering is sickening to me. Her enthusiasm for bloodshed is disgusting. I’m all for the individual’s right to own guns for self defense, but she takes it beyond that. Her endorsement of the wars of aggression and occupation are not self defense. Her push to defend other nations and police the world is frightening. She is a control freak like most other politicians. She is a nearly perfect example of how personality can overshadow issues. She’s a good looking woman with a cutesy air about her that makes one wonder if people are truly listening to the ideas she espouses. She is not a friend of liberty. She should not be a leader of any grassroots movement. She should not even be welcomed to the party until she somehow demonstrates that she has changed her ways and sees the benefits that peace offers.
I understand the need in politics to hedge one’s positions to try to take in as many people as possible. But this practice is a major reason that government keeps growing. Both parties are controlled by the elite power managers and most people know it. Big party Republicans continue to promise free market fiscal reform and smaller government while spending more on military adventurism. Democrats promise less militarism (at least they did the last couple of election cycles) while spending more on giving the “little people” more services. What we get is bigger government via militarism and then bigger government via social services and government cannot cut spending and shrink. The practice of trying to excuse one type of spending over the other needs to end. All aspects of government need to be curtailed. If it doesn’t happen in a controlled fashion, it is destined to end in a possibly catastrophic collapse.
Freedom should not be compromised. It should be understood and demanded. It is one of the main tenets this nation was built upon. It is the ability for the entrepreneur to open a business unrestricted and allow the consumer to decide whether or not to do business with him or her. It is the ability to decide for one’s self what one wants to put in one’s body. It is the ability to trade with each other without having to pay tribute to a group of elitist government types. It is the ability for one to keep the fruits of one’s labor. It is also the willingness to allow others to live free. It stems not only from holding a special spot for your own personal liberty in your heart, but from not trying to force your will upon others.
The freedom movement needs to stand firm. People need to reject party politics and focus on issues. The personality cults need to end. Let them know that no matter who they are their excuses will not be tolerated. The more of us who speak out, the more likely it is that the mindless sheeple will begin to understand, begin to wake up, and will begin to reject the brainwashing they’ve been subjected to. It is time for the minority factions to stop imposing their will on the masses and to let the peace and freedom loving majority be heard. It is up to us to show the establishment that we reject their message whenever it contradicts with the principles of liberty and freedom. It is up to us to make sure the freedom movement does not become compromised.
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