Monday, June 04, 2007

Ron Paul

Even the Democratic Candidates for President have not been this radical when it comes to the war in Iraq. Ron Paul is the self styled 'Libertarian' candidate in the Republican Primaries. He is not as libertarian when it comes to other issues like abortion, gay rights, or immigration.

Of course he has as much chance as the Democratic libertarian Dennis Kucinich does.

This is from the last Republican candidates debate.

Ron Paul

Ron Paul

Voted against use of military force in Iraq. Supports withdrawing troops from Iraq, but opposed war spending bill which included a plan to withdraw most U.S. troops by March 2008. Calls for repealing authority given to the president in 2002 Iraq war authorization vote. Opposed Bush plan to increase the number of American troops in Iraq. Says military victory in Iraq is "unattainable."

You’d abolish the Department of Homeland Security in the middle of a war?

Ron Paul: We were already spending billions of dollars on homeland security prior to 9/11 and it didn’t prevent the attacks; inefficiency was the problem. Adding another huge, expensive, inefficient level of bureaucracy makes things worse.

You’re the only one on this stage who opposes the war. Are you out of step with your party, and why are you seeking its nomination?


Ron Paul: The Republican Party has lost its way. The conservative wing was always anti-interventionist: Taft was against NATO; Bush ran on a promise of a humble foreign policy, anti-nation-building, anti-global-policing; Republicans were elected to end the Korean and Vietnam wars; it’s the Constitutional position; the founders’ advice was to pursue friendship with other nations but avoid entangling alliances. We should negotiate, talk, trade with other countries; we lost 60,000 soldiers in Vietnam and lost the war, and now we invest there. We shouldn’t go to war so carelessly.

Follow-up: Is noninterventionism still a viable position after 9/11?

Ron Paul: 9/11 was a response to our previous interventions. We’d been bombing Iraq for a decade; we’re now building 14 permanent bases there and an embassy bigger than the Vatican. If China were doing this in the Gulf of Mexico we’d be upset.

Follow-up: Are you suggesting we invited the 9/11 attacks?

Ron Paul: I suggest we believe their reasons are what they say they are; also bin Laden says he’s delighted our soldiers are over there where they can be targeted more easily.

Giuliani intervenes: As NYC mayor during 9/11, I’ve never before heard such a shocking claim that we invited 9/11 and I ask Ron Paul to withdraw it or clarify whether he believes it.

Ron Paul: I believe the CIA is correct when it warns us about blowback. We overthrew the Iranian government in 1953 and their taking the hostages was the reaction. This dynamic persists and we ignore it at our risk. They’re not attacking us because we’re rich and free, they’re attacking us because we’re over there.

(Later on Tancredo also attacked Paul, saying that regardless of what our foreign policy was or whether Israel existed, the terrorists would still attack us because they view it as a religious imperative. Paul did not have a chance to respond.)

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5 comments:

Mike in WNY said...

To say Ron Paul does not support the libertarian position on abortion, gay rights and immigration is a misleading statement at best.

His position on abortion and gay rights is based on constitutional grounds. Neither issue should be regulated by Federal law, instead they should be treated as States' Rights issues.

His stance on immigration is based on eliminating the social services and other incentives that lure immigrants to our country. The elimination of social programs is very much a libertarian value.

Ron Holland said...

Ron Paul Supporters: Where's Giuliani? From www.gambling911.com

http://www.gambling911.com/Ron-Paul-Giuliani-060307.html

Carrie Stroup with Gambling911 has requested the folks at Sportsbook.com - presently offering political betting odds on the 2008 US Presidential election - to offer odds on Giuliani attending and debating Ron Paul at FreedomFest.

Breaking News at 9:34 AM on 6/4/2007

Dr. Paul accepts the invitation to debate Mr. Giuliani on the Iraq War & US Foreign Policy.
We are still waiting to hear from the Giuliani Campaign.

www.freedomfest.com/debate.htm Paul/Giuliani debate invitation

EUGENE PLAWIUK said...

Ron Paul like his Dixiecrat predecessors, supports States Rights, that is Republican. He sees abortion as a State Right, he fails to be a libertarian on this issue, which is that abortion is neither a Federal nor State right but the right of the individual to choose.

Curtis said...

One thing to also take into account on the abortion issue is that Ron Paul is a baby doctor. He's delivered over 4,000 little ones and had to adhere to certain oaths as a medical professional. I'm a Paul supporter that is very much pro-choice. If anyone in the Republican field is qualified to have a meaningful opinion on abortion it is Dr. Ron Paul. Despite his reservations against it, he still votes in line with the Constitution in that the federal gov't shouldn't even deal with it. What he did vote 'yes' on for the federal gov't is to make sure that folks are allowed to freely travel to a state that allows abortion if the state they currently reside in has outlawed it.

EUGENE PLAWIUK said...

The definition of States Rights is that all citizens are equal except some citizens are more equal than others. I thought the inherent inequality of States Rights was dealt with by Abraham Lincoln.