Posted on 12/17/2007 9:27:45 AM PST by West Coast Conservative
must read later.
This is quite interesting. They were proven wrong, so we should give them another chance. The Rothbard vision of the lack of danger the Soviets posed sounds very much like Paul's denial of the danger islamic terrorism poses. It seems very appropriate that Ron Paul has a picture of Rothbard in his office.
His rabid rabble aren't normal society, it would seem.
Ask any of the Paulies who they consider the greater threat, the terrorists or the US government. Most will answer the US government.
Stalin’s U.S.S.R. was already working to influence American politics, policy, education, entertainment, etc.
Did it pose a “threat” to US Security? Was any harm done by spies handing the Soviets the secrets to the atomic bomb?
The “non-intervention” policy only works when BOTH sides agree not to exert influence.
Too bad there aren’t any freepers up to Jonah’s challenge.
Some of them are 9-11 truthers who believe that 9-11 was a US government attack on ourselves.
I just saw one of those today, here on Free Republic.
As long as its not the loons :)
Just kiddin'; have a good one!
Something either overlooked or completely beyond the realm of the typical PaulBot.
Very good, informative, educational article by Johah Goldberg. Thanks for posting.
As this article states, Ron Paul is closely affiliated with Rothbard. The Rothbard wing of the libertarian movement (Lew Rockwell, etc) believes that war is the instrument used by governments to expand their powers. The weak version of this argument is that governments only exploit a state of war to expand their powers. The strong argument is that all wars are insitigated by states to expand their powers. This is the basis of Ron Paul’s opposition to war. All else is a convienient figleaf.
The strong argument is why so many think that 9-11 was an inside job.
As would I. Bin Laden and his ilk are indeed a threat. But there's no way he and his bag of rag tag cut throats pose an existential threat to the United States.
Oh they can kill large numbers of Americans if we don't keep them off guard and kill them wherever possible. But they'll never be able to 'destroy' America.
This is not to say that I want to see a Paul Presidency, although I'd prefer him to Hillary any day of the week. I'm supporting Thomspon.
But as far as dangers to the US Constitution go, I consider Congress far more of a threat to my God given rights than Bin Laden.
L
The Rothbard-Paul vision was rightly defeated during the Cold War. Now that the Cold War is over, it seems not only fair but wise to give it another hearing—and if it can’t be defeated on the merits, it deserves to win.
‘This is quite interesting. They were proven wrong, so we should give them another chance.’
Amazing, isn’t it?
Facinating read. An article which both supports and bashes Run Paul.
There has always been a pacifist strain to libertarian domestic policy (government is violence). Why should foreign policy be different? One answer might be: because it is different. The international arena simply isn't a liberal polity where concepts such as contracts and property rights apply as they do in, say, Cleveland. To treat the world as just another sphere of liberalism is a category error.
Contracts and property rights enforcement is a legitimate function of government for all but anarchists and such. Because we really don't want a World Government (I think it is a strong consensus here), who is going to be an "enforcer" in the world? History developed the way that this role fell largely on the United States. Even when we do nothing a threat of our possible action has a pacifying effect. I see no alternative that has 1) muscles to do it and 2) I can trust. Maybe one out of two, but not two together.
Another 2 good articles on the non-interventionism:
“Ask any of the Paulies who they consider the greater threat, the terrorists or the US government. Most will answer the US government.”
____________________________________________________________
Who has more control over your day to day life?
Who taps into your “overhead” anywhere from 30% on up each year?
Who is currently hooking a sharp left turn culturally....imposing their will and way upon you, your culture, your church and your children?
Who is frontloading the garbage that is taught to your kids in K through 12?
Osama?
Saddam?
Penumbrae galore?
Bwahahahaha
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