There are obviously a few issues I agree with (drug policy, not returning to a gold standard, environmental awareness), but the guy has a few major flaws IMO.
1) He insists in a non-interventionist, free market approach to dealing with recessions (ignoring proven Keynesian principles and rejecting monetarism).
2) He is pro life. This goes directly against his "states rights" stance that he commonly invokes as his position on many social matters
3) he has said he will never raise taxes, despite the fact that we pretty much HAVE to if you're going to be serious about our debt
4) that whole fiasco over his position on the civil rights act of 1964(he said it did nothing to improve interracial relations)... Are you serious? The younger people in America (25 and under) are quite noticeably less racist/prejudice than the prior two generations (so my generation compared to my parents and grandparents)
5) I believe he also opposes federal involvement in the health industry (medicare, HC reform act) in favor of leaving it up to the states.
Overall, good guy. I'd vote for him to be one of my states two senators or maybe he would do well sitting on the Supreme Court... But I dont believe he is the best option for president.
oh, and he overstates the debt problem to stengthen his position (he has voted no to pretty much every spending bill... ever)
DRUG POLICY-anybody on this site would be foolish to disagree with his drug policy, end the war on drugs and legalize ALL of them under similar restrictions of legal alcohol, ie. age and public endangerment
NOT RETURNING TO A GOLD STANDARD-that's either a typo or you are misinformed, he advocates backing our money with REAL assets, gold among them
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS-get the government out of it
1) "Proven Keynesian principles"? puhlease...Sometimes I think if a Republican would say "it's a beautiful day" you would argue that it is night. Ron Paul is of the Austrian economic school. Laissez faire, individualism, sound money and free markets.
2) He is pro life, he's an OBGYN for cryin' out loud BUT his stand is that the federal government has no say in it and it IS a state's right's issue
3) YOUR OPINON
4) again, YOUR OPINION
5) he does oppose federal involvement in health care but prefers a free market approach
"overstates the debt problem to strengthen his case"- again, your opinion
Dr Ron Paul is my Congressman, I am from the 14th district in Texas. He has literally demolished everyone who has run against him and he does it with little or no campaigning. Even the Republican establishment has run other Republicans against him (W. favored another Repub. against him in '06) yet he keeps winning.
I met him at the
second tea party in December of 2007 (the original in 1773, of course). The first in our time that preceded all the tea parties we have now and before they got hijacked by Palin, Beck and other neo-cons in libertarian clothing. He has not backtracked, waffled or flip-flopped on any issue that I know of. He is the same today as yesterday, last year, last decade and will be the same tomorrow. That in itself is refreshing in todays politics. It's not hard to find where he comes from in a political sense.
He is a strict Constitutionalist, which means limited government. "Government governs best which governs least." Thomas Jefferson
He is a free market advocate and realizes that most of what is wrong with our economy is a result of government interference. Heck, for that matter, pretty much EVERYTHING that is going wrong is a result of government interference.
I think a lot of people are starting to realize that what has been followed in the past is not working and he brings a new (new to the masses that have been brainwashed) perspective that makes a lot of sense. Yes, we lost our way but it's not too late to get the American Dream back and make our country into the shining beacon of individual freedom and prosperity, once again.
You cannot have freedom without responsibility. That is the other side of the coin that is sometimes left out of the debate. Responsibility is what is lacking today. Too many want the government to be responsible for their health, their security, their retirement, their job and on and on, ad nauseam. Responsibility to pay attention to what is going on and hold those in public office accountable. Responsibility for your security, your welfare, your retirement, your education, your work and for your "pursuit of happiness".
It comes down to two different belief systems: Individualism vs Collectivism. The "Individualist" is an idea that our country was founded on and now, some 200+ yrs later, it's a novel idea because of the onslaught of "Collectivism" being spewed from the classroom, the pulpit, the media and from the seat of government.
Yes, Ron Paul is old, but that means he has wisdom and experience that you young people do not. I know, I just turned 60 and I can remember when I was "young, dumb and full of cum" and I felt like I was 10' tall and bulletproof and I felt like these old farts don't know what they are talking about...
but you know what, they were right!
