Posted on 10/04/2011 6:37:10 PM PDT by mnehring
Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) offered support for some of the Occupy Wall Street protests that have built up in lower Manhattan over the weekend in an interview Friday with Reason magazine, where he also denounced the “militarization of our police forces.”
“If they were demonstrating peacefully, and making a point, and arguing our case, and drawing attention to the Fed — I would say, good!” Paul said following a town-hall meeting in New Hampshire.
Paul has long been an outspoken critic of the Federal Reserve, which he says manipulates American currency and is excessively secretive.
Paul was asked by Reason about a report from last weekend in which an NYPD officer was caught on camera pepper-spraying protesters.
“I hadn’t heard that, since I have to admit I didn’t keep up on all the details of it,” Paul said. “I didn’t read the stories about it. But that means government doesn’t like to be receiving any criticism at all. And my argument is, government should be in the open — the people’s privacy ought to be protected. So I don’t like it.”
During the town hall, Paul denounced the “militarization” of police forces, specifically reports that the NYPD had obtained a weapon that would allow them to shoot down an airplane involved in a terrorist attack.
“Yeah, I have concern about that,” Paul said. “That’s not exactly your friendly policeman on the block to go to when you’re in trouble. The militarization of our police force — the SWAT teams and all — I think it’s a bad sign.”
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Billionaire financier George Soros says he sympathizes with protesters speaking out against corporate greed in ongoing protests on Wall Street.
Soros answered a question about the protests During a Monday news conference at U.N. headquarters about his participation in a large-scale development project in rural Africa.
Soros says he understands the frustrations of small business owners, for instance those who have seen credit card charges soar during the current crisis.
Soros founded the Open Society Foundations. He and Earth Institute at Columbia University director Jeffrey Sachs are announcing the newest phase of the Millennium Villages Project, which works closely with several U.N. agencies.
Don’t worry protestors, Ron Paul is from the government and he is here to help.
“Don’t worry protestors, Ron Paul is from the government and he is here to help.”
+1
When you hear these idiot’s demands it sounds like nearly like a Paul platform statement.
Can Ron Paul get any nuttier?
Georgie will probably put Ronnie in charge of the drug legalization wing of the protesters.
Are they bunking with the Lyndon LaRouche crowd?
Keep it up Paul and pretty soon even your son won’t be able to defend your remarks. Talk about taking an idea to an extreme.
This is why Rue Paul has no chance. He has a few good ideas, but his nuttiness far outweighs them so a sane person can’t want him anywhere near the WH.
Code Pink likes!
The only purpose of the Wall Street protesters is for them to express their inner 60’s hippy and to show off their haircuts, tie dyed shirts and tatoos. They are a pathetic crowd looking for a motive for what they are doing. They should take heed: without capitalism there is no wealth to redistribute. But hey, they are all free to move to Cuba if they want.
Ron Paul’s biggest problem is that the world doesn’t work anything like the way that Ron Paul thinks it works.
So much so, he wants to side with a group that not only will end that, but are also calling for the ending the entire private banking and credit system and centralizing it under government control.
Yea... great plan there.
My theory- http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2787950/posts
Note the convergence of Libertarian and Socialist Utopia ideals under one false guise of liberty.
Ron Paul is dead-on right about many things. But, he is also very wrong about others...that is, crazy wrong.
Grumpy old nutjobs
In Ron Paul's world it does. LOL!
Must be sad to wake up every morning being the world's clown and not even realize it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.