Spanky,

Fear the ads!

Come on, who's really afraid of the TEEVEE?

It's not TV. It's his racist newsletters

Why I Cannot Support Ron Paul
by Bob Klauber

I seriously considered supporting Ron Paul. He has integrity and is the first candidate in my long lifetime
who is serious about, and not simply doing lip service to, keeping the US out of war.
All else being equal, I would back him. Alas, all else is not even close.
The Pros
1. Anti-war
Regarding war, he is 100% isolationist. I am 90%. I demonstrated against the Iraq and Viet Nam wars,
and agree with him on those, Afghanistan, WW I, and virtually every one of the many US interventions in
Latin America. I disagree with him on WW II, Libya, and every case where a crazed dictator tries to commit
genocide. (If I had a draft age child, however, this issue alone might put me in his camp.)
2. The Fed

He wants to audit and/or eliminate it. Long overdue.
3. Food freedom
He supports freedom of choice in food (though he does not seem to favor regulations against GMOs
being forced on us).

1. His underlying philosophy of life
• A rabid follower of Ayn Rand, whose primary thesis was that selfishness is a virtue. Rand's philosophy
permeates his political positions.
I believe the contrary – that we are here to learn selflessness and serve others (which, ironically, is
what Paul's deity, Jesus, taught).
• Doesn't accept the theory of evolution and apparently believes God created the world in 7 days. What
decisions would someone with such a world view make?
Is what he says about such other things as far from the truth as this?
2. The environment
• "The greatest hoax .. has been ..global warming", says Paul. He believes internet self proclaimed
"experts" rather than 97% (in an independent poll) of professional climatologists.
Loss of life from runaway temperature rise would far eclipse that of any war.
• "We had no business helping the Jews in WW II", Paul told staffers, many This, IMO, is the
bottom line issue of our age, and it alone prevents me from backing Paul.
• He would abolish the EPA. The EPA has problems due to corporate/political influence, but without it,
corporations would be completely free to pollute without constraint. Does this make sense?
3. Peace?
• "We had no business helping the Jews in WW II", Paul told staffers, many times. Was it peace the Jews
were experiencing? How can any supposed advocate of peace and saving human life take this position?
• He opposed stopping Gadhafi from slaughtering 100,000 people. We shouldn't have to pay even
minimum cost (some air support and no American lives) for someone else fighting for life and liberty? Is
this not unbridled selfishness bearing the label of "peace"?
• His peace position is actually an isolationist position, based primarily on US interests (in the "me first"
tradition of Ayn Rand). He does not truly care for peace for mankind, but rather for what is good for him
and his country, and this is sold by his campaign as "peace". He is no adherent of the "world is my
family" philosophy. 4. Ravaging the lower and middle classes
• Abolish capital gains tax. Why should money people don't work for (capital gains) be taxed at a lower
(zero in this case) rate than money people work for? The wealthy have a large part of their income from
capital gains, but the lower and middle classes have virtually none. This is a shift of the tax burden from
the wealthy to the non-wealthy.
• Institute a consumption (sales) tax. The lower and middle classes spend virtually 100% of their income
just to live. The wealthiest spend less than 10%. A sales tax means the wealthy would pay a far lower
percentage of their income in taxes than everyone else.
• Abolish government student loans. I and millions of others never would have gone to college without
government loans. Aside from the personal devastation, loss of earning power, and reduced ability to
realize the American dream for so many, the country as a whole would have lower average education
level, and thus be less competitive in the global marketplace.
Government aid to education is an investment in the country and its people, not an expense.
• Cut corporate taxes. Corporate taxes are paid on profit. They do not adversely affect a company's
operation, which involves before profit expense. Profits are paid as dividends to shareholders, in large
part, to the wealthy. Cutting corporate profits would increase income to the wealthy, reduce federal
revenues, and effectively shift the tax burden to middle and low income folks.
• Paul believes fervently in Jesus, who tirelessly advocated helping the poor. Where is Paul's concern for
the working poor? He has plenty of programs helping the wealthy, but none for the poor. He opposes a
minimum wage. I'd like one people who want to work can live on without food stamps.
5. Deregulation
• Remove regulations (however weak) recently put in place on Wall Street. Deregulation gave us the
savings and loan debacle of the 1980s and the present recession. How can anyone favor this?
• Remove regulations on corporations. He sees no need for regulations for such things as clean air/water
and safety testing Monsanto's GM food. Do we really want to remove what little regulation exists
protecting the environment and consumers?
6. Health care crisis
• Tax credits for insurance premiums (after repealing Obamacare). This is no help to the 45 million low
income, low tax paying folks without health care, which I thought was the problem. The government
would essentially pay for health care for high income folks who already have it, but not for low income
folks who don't. Is this a solution or a further shifting of resources from the non-wealthy to the wealthy?
• No plans to control costs, such as imposing price constraints on an out-of-control profit driven medical
industry that can with impunity charge anything they want. With your life on the line, you have to pay
whatever is asked.
7. Paul would be 77 on taking office.
• I'm a senior citizen myself, but ….
8. The economy
• Return to the gold standard. Economists note that monetary policy would be set by gold miners in South
Africa and Uzbekistan. As one said, "If you like what OPEC means for oil prices, you'd love what the
gold standard would do to financial markets."
9. Most ultra-right member of congress over 65 years
Based on statistics in Am Jour Polit Sci, Paul had the most conservative voting record of over 3,000 house
and senate members from 1937 to 2002. Does the country really need more extremism?

http://www.dailypaul.com/207922/intelligent-response-needed-for-anti-paul-article

Also, Ron Paul signed off on racist 1990s newletters according to WaPo

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ron-paul-signed-off-on-racist-newsletters-sources-say/2012/01/20/gIQAvblFVQ_story.html

Excerpt from Ron Paul newsletter from an ex-cop...

An ex-cop I know advises that if you have to use a gun on a youth, you should leave the scene immediately, disposing of the wiped off gun as soon as possible.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/12/21/394152/what-to-make-of-ron-pauls-racist-newsletter/

This is not exactly Peak vs Peek; Spanky

Bev-if you didn't mentioned it but Paul talks about the government not intefering with our lives but then he will with woman. No pro-choice for women's rights. Seems kind of hypocritical of his views doesn't it? Big government making decisions for women?

Obama/Biden 2012

I can surely tell you that the intent of the Declaration of Independence, revolution and later drafting of the US Constitution in no way, shape, or form defined the First Amendment as a tool for Articles of Incorporation or even private citizens to PURCHASE an Office in the US Government!

Prior to the Civil War, State Corporate Charters prohibited all corporate political contributions and the Federal Supreme Court,(aka SCOTUS) defeated any an all attempts by Corporations to gain any rights, privileges or citizenship status in this country, for the exact same reasons they did with Churches!

I am beginning to understand the mindset of the "Conservatives" who would prefer King George II and British India Tea Company to rule the US again.

Elise: I think you will find that Ron Paul, as a doctor and Libertarian/Republican, is a firm believer in the government getting out of doing any kind of regulation of medicine.

Beverly: reprinting an opinion piece from think progress about an article from the Washington Post about a newsletter article which Ron Paul has specifically disowned DOES NOT make Ron Paul a racist. His ideas on some things may be extreme, but I firmly believe he is not a racist. I'm sure he created the newsletter, wrote a few columns for it, and then handed it off to someone else. I would bet $10,000 [ :) ] that even Mitt Romney would not be able to provide proof that Ron Paul edited and "signed off" on every article. I'm not a Ron Paul Super Fan, but I just don't care for this lie being continued to be spread.

Bev,

I though you were more reasonable and open-minded that to post drivel like this, most of this crap has been so debunked over and over. Yet, you are spewing it like everyone out there doesn't have a functioning brain.

I know you are in a pissing contest with Spanky, but, do you really have to sink this low, I think much more highly of you than this.

Elise,

Same with you! How in the world could a very successful ob/gyn be against women's choices? Is Political paranoia gone so far where we can't see nor accept common sense anymore?

Both of you,

Anyone against your personal political position is someone that needs to be stomped into the ground, have his reputation trashed, be accused of being evil incarnate?

I can remember a lot of politicians on the world scene that used these tactics.... I would prefer not to name them because of the vile reaction it would cause.

I don’t necessarily accept the theory of evolution for humans either, the science just isn’t there. His religious beliefs don’t concern because his policy is sound.

When he talks about global warming hoax he is referring to the hype used to spend money unwisely. Lobbyists use global warming to get congress to spend money. He wants a clean environment he just wants to do it the right way.

He believes in protecting his own. He doesn’t want to be the police of the world. People are getting slaughtered all over the world are we supposed to go everywhere and prevent this from happening? If this is what countries want to do to themselves who are we to stop them? Do you want to risk an economic collapse just to try and save a people? The reason we got into the war was because of japan, not to help the jews.

What makes sense is to get rid of something if it is not working and start new. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t support a clean environment.

Government student loans drive up the price of tuition. You have a well written piece opposing ron paul but I can pick it apart and write a better rebuttal if I wanted to waste the time. Ron Paul is still the best candidate running and you are foolish not to vote for him. The debt is going to be the downfall and no other candidate is serious about it. Say goodbye to the US as a superpower if anyone other than Paul is elected

It's probably more of Pauls 'Freedom and Liberty' thingy!....too funny.....

If the dog eats your homework its not an excuse its a very good explanation.

Actually phine,

"The dog ate my credit card statement"....

kinda like the deficit is not Obama's fault?

Buck, the deficit is not Obama's fault. This nation had a deficit of less than One Billion until 1982, where it's now over 14 Trillion 30 years later. So unless Obama was President for the past 30 years then the answer is NO, the deficit is NOT Obama's fault!

Geesh, has politics wiped out all common sense in this country?

Pac's have no contact with the candidate and are not under the candidates control, until it's a republican candidate as far as the democrats around here are concerned...

Actually, SpryLynnx,

This is why in political circles it is called the silly season, normally sane conscientious persons lose all sense of reality and go crazy trying to be on the "Winning" side....

Common sense definitely takes a back seat

Super Pacs are "Absolutely, positively not coordinating with the candidate." *wink* *wink*

ok, future deficits, it is unsustainable, live within your means like all Illinois residenrts are getting readly to find out the hard way with higher taxes.

Bev,

Here is the first paragraph of that article...

A new budget report released Tuesday predicts the U.S. government will run a $1.1 trillion deficit in the fiscal year that ends in September, a slight dip from last year but still very high by any measure. A previous estimate was for $973 billion.

First of all it's an estimate, you do see the word "Predicts", now go to the last statement, the previous estimate was less than a Trillion.

How, is this anything other than an increase? it may be slightly less than last years actual amount, but it is an increase from what they were previously predicting.

Lets quote it accurately huh?

What's a few billion dollars between friends ?

A billion here, a billion there...

The major problem with American democracy is that ignoramuses like you are allowed to vote.

Doubter222

The major problem with American democracy is that ignoramuses like you are allowed to vote.

Just like you...

Seriously... more consistently pro-liberty than Ron Paul?

Ron Paul wants to end the War on Drugs, believes it's not a Federal issue. Specifically says that Federal Agents harrasing sellers of Medical Marijuana in California is wrong.

Ron Paul wants to repeal DOMA, believes it's not a Federal issue. While he's not personally a fan of gay marriage, he says it's the right of the states to make that call.

Ron Paul wants to remove Roe v. Wade, believes it's a bad precident and an example of "legislating from the bench". He'd rather have actual state laws, rather than a court ruling.

Ron Paul wants to remove Federally Mandated health insurance. He's perfectly happy with (and supportive of) State-level health care.

Ron Paul wants to abolish the EPA, because the States can more easily pass environmental legislation. In fact, the EPA managed to strike down California laws concerning vehicular emissions because they were stricter than the EPA's.

MkeMike: this story was about a Super Pac which is supporting Ron Paul, not about Ron Paul. Most of the media avoid writing actual stories about what Ron Paul has actually said and done. That's why this story is ok to do, it isn't actually about him.

Bman numbers ....are you poor? just asking not bashing or anything...