Is Ron Paul a Conservative Republican or is Opposition to the Fed Something Else?

Anarchy Deluxe ^ | 12/06/2009 | MIchael Nichols

[Anarchydeluxe]

As a former conservative turned free-market libertarian, I have always been intrigued by Ron Paul's strong advocacy for the free market. After all, conservatives claim to stand on the same principles. So, I found it quite odd during the Republican presidential debates of 2008 when all of the other candidates actually had answers for how they would better "run" the economy. Having lived in Russia, China, and Europe, each candidate's answer scared me to death. Had they somehow missed the memo about how planning economies doesn't work, has never worked, and never will work? Cold War, anybody? The proper answer should have been that no president can or should try to "run" the economy, which Paul thankfully pointed out. It was at that moment, combined with hearing a Republican presidential candidate bash the free market and greed on Wall Street (failing to mention, of course, the government's own role in that) and watching George W. Bush abandon any pretense of a free market ideology, that I had a revelation about the modern Republican Party. Paul was the only true free-market representative on the Republican stage, and other Republicans viewed him as a threat. Fox News certainly treated him like a joke. But why? And what happened to the Republican Party, the natural home of free-market principles?

[BlackElk]

Are you SURE you agree with Paulie on guns???? I suspect that the NRA will be taking a second look since he refused to join virtually all other Members of the Congress in signing off on an amicus curiae brief in opposition to state/municipal gun control in the matter of McDonald vs. Chicago. The case was filed to overturn local law which spits on the 2nd Amendment. As with abortion and marriage, paleoPaulie decided that doing nothing against unconstitutional gun control is the best policy. The Second Amendment is right there in the Bill of Rights itself. He can hardly claim that the Tenth Amendment leaves gun control to the states.

[RegulatorCountry]

You certainly have bloviation down pat, BlackElk.

Ever considered a career in politics?

[BlackElk]

Whatever our agreements on other matters, the reason why Fox News and normal conservatives treat Ron Paul as some sort of joke is because he IS some sort of joke and his supporters are treated as “nutz” because it is the most charitable description of people who would support the dishonest treason weasel. Neville Chamberlain, Axis Sally, Tokyo Rose, Ezra Pound and their ilk are dead and they are not coming back as paleoPaulie whatever Paulie may hallucinate.

[BlackElk]

Get used to being called an isolationist because it is not going to stop and it IS the truth. Money is only money. Nothing more and nothing less. Money is not the essence of conservatism. Money is useful to buy things and buy results, both of which are more valuable than money or one would not spend the money. Money is not a God. There is only one God. We are not Fortress America (not when the F-22s are being canceled by paleoPaulie's Islamofascist buttsmooching, weapons scraping, foreign and military policy soulmate Comrade Hussein O). We are not EVEN Fortress America. Paulie and his eccentric and treasonous ideas are absolutely irrelevant in foreign policy.

The best way to DEFEND the United states (and its allies) is somewhere far from us and close to them. Non-interventionist foreign policy is for Ramsay Clark and George McGovern and Comrade Hussein O and paleoPaulie, not for nations of grownups. Perhaps, instead of simply sitting around with one's thumb stuck where the sun shineth not while awaiting the WTC and Pentagon 9/11 style results of weak or no resolve in destroying our enemies, we might want to launch the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque at Mecca to the Planet Pluto and publish a press release listing what's next if the Islamofascists don't back off of us and Israel once and for all. Drill here, drill now. Use nuclear power and hydropower for electricity. Take whatever oil is necessary during the transition. Slaughter anyone who gets in the way. To hell with free trade! The purpose of American government is to protect citizens from all enemies foreign and domestic not to engorge the greedy by sending Americans' jobs to Bangladesh to be filled by 7-year olds at 10 cents an hour for the stockholders' insatiable search for the almighty buck. End trade with enemy nations unless and until they fall in line.

[BlackElk]

I care very much and am shocked (SHOCKED) to find that free trade is yet another area where Paul probably disagrees with himself but you have certainly sourced your claim and I will accept him at his published word on this unless and until he changes his mind.

[BlackElk]

Wisconsin seceded in 1859 in protest against slavery but no one paid Wisconsin any attention. No other state seceded before people cast their individual votes in 1860. It may well be, however, that states had seceded before the actual Electors met to elect Lincoln.

[BlackElk]

Also, Breckinridge would have been a magnificent choice and near infinitely better than Lincoln.

I will be away at a meeting for a few hours but will check in on return.

[Poser]

I’ll have to take another look at that one. My research, although reasonably thorough did not show me any anti-gun votes on his record. I generally agree that Paul’s stance on local government taking priority over federal government is a good one. However, those items that are clearly federal, like the bill of rights, are not negotiable.

[BlackElk]

It was not a vote but a joint effort of all but two (IIRC) GOP Congress members signing off on an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief to SCOTUS in the matter of McDonald vs. Chicago (or perhaps vs. Daley) if that helps your search. Paul would not sign on an invalid states' rights notion. It is inapplicable since the RTKBA is clearly and literally in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution and therefore a federal right. The previous decision a year or two ago striking down the District of Columbia gun control statutes suggests that the SCOTUS may well rule against Chicago as it should.

I am an old school computer illiterate who does not know how to post links or even find them easily, or post photos or other magic tricks of my fellow Freepers. It is also true that Paul has IIRC an A from the NRA. I am also getting just plain old but my memory is generally quite reliable.

[NoLibZone]

"Is Ron Paul a Conservative Republican or is Opposition to the Fed Something Else?"

Something else.

[citizenredstater9271]

Dr. Paul is the only politician who supports a 100% free market. This guy has no idea what he’s talking about.