Rod Dreher: Ron Paul, if only we listened

The Dallas Morning News ^ | 2008-11-25 | Rod Dreher

[rabscuttle385]

I didn't vote for Ron Paul in the Republican primary (I was a Mike Huckabee man), nor did I write him in on Election Day (I penciled in farmer-poet Wendell Berry). But no Texan this year did more good for conservatism and his country than the congressman from the coast.

Lord knows there was no Republican in the 2008 campaign who talked straighter.

Dr. Paul – he's a physician – never had a chance, of course. He is too peculiar in his opinions and doesn't know how to spin like a TV slick. What he had was ideas, integrity and authenticity. On the most critical challenges facing America, Dr. Paul was more right than the well-funded GOP regulars who bigfooted the campaign trail.

[arrogantsob]

That was why Hamilton’s conception of a National Bank was to be privately owned and run.

However, a form of fractional reserve banking has been in existence since the first banks were formed.

[randomhero97]

Ron Paul is just another clueless surrender monkey indistinguishable as regards national security from the Party of Treason.

Lmao, you people haven't got the slightest clue. How about use your Internent connection for something productive and do some actual research.

[arrogantsob]

Our Founders tried to avoid allowing too much democratic influence within the federal government in order to limit the impact of demogogues vying for the people’s vote with promises of milk and honey. Those protections have been systemically eroded.

We were to have only the House as the reflector of democratic sentiment through the popular vote. Now the Senate is elected that way as well.

Now what is possible is to clamp down on the money supply so tightly that there is little or no credit available. This, howeve, stifles economic growth and results in lower incomes all around not to mention political uproar and conflict.

I think we know that man being a fallen creature is incapable of forming on his own an honest society.

[mvpel]

Wars are sometimes necessary and Ron Paul’s conception of foreign policy is ludicrous and indistinguishable from that of your typical RAT.

Ron Paul understands that wars are sometimes necessary, he voted in favor of Afghanistan.

His main question in Congress is to wonder what's wrong with a Constitutional declaration of war, and why is the rest of Congress so afraid of making one?

[randomhero97]

If these posters are so gung-ho about going to war then they should be posting from in-theater shouldn't they?

It's easy to talk the talk when someone else's ass is on the line.

[ApplegateRanch]

nor did I write him in on Election Day (I penciled in farmer-poet Wendell Berry).

Well, fat lot of good that did...for Barabbas.

[ApplegateRanch]

Ron Paul doesn't seem quite so loony anymore..

He started taking his meds agian?

Or is he just keeping his mouth shut?

[Bokababe]

Sorry rabs, to be a little late to the party!

[Liz]

Anybody that knows anything is clueless about some things. PhD’s are clueless about some things. That does not disqualify the person from commenting........

[rabscuttle385]

Sorry rabs, to be a little late to the party!

It's all good.

Frankly, I'm disturbed to learn (only today) that McCain was a tool of the KLA (and by extension, al-Qaeda).

[RKV]

RR said it himself. Believe it or don’t. Meanwhile, the facts are against you.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Whatever happened to all that money he took in?

[Bokababe]

Ron Paul was right in opposing the 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia, and that was "a foreign policy decision". He was one of the few to be so vocal and active in opposing it.

Ron Paul was right about the economy and predicted the economic crisis.

Ron Paul is right about the corruption & cronyism in DC.

But some people here want Bush III, or McCain II.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

Yet you can never successfully argue with lunatics.

[dragnet2]

Ron Paul doesn't seem quite so loony anymore

No he doesn't. Of course, I never thought he did.

[PerConPat]

Thanks for your thoughtful and well-reasoned responses. My own thoughts on the matter are based on a belief that successful societies are dynamic and that their predominant attitudes are shaped by their experiences, in the aggregate. Your comments concerning the effect of the erosion of the founders' original intent are well taken.

IMHO, we descended to a point where the "milk and honey" you mention became available by merely printing money and recklessly lending it out at very low rates. Result- bubble. Now, we will see how long the leadership can keep this going. More importantly, I am now wondering whether the majority can learn from the pain that must follow this dishonesty and look for honest, non-collectivist solutions.

[traviskicks]

ping

[Bokababe]

"Frankly, I'm disturbed to learn (only today) that McCain was a tool of the KLA (and by extension, al-Qaeda)."

Oh yeah. McCain made his name nationally known by championing the Kosovo Albanians in the 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia -- and McCain wanted to go even further and invade the rest of Serbia with ground troops, but couldn't get the support for that in Congress.

Seventy-eight days of NATO Bombing of innocent Serb civilians was enough for McCain, he wanted more Christian blood (including ours) on behalf of Muslims. After all, that's what al Qaeda & the Albanian Mafia was paying him for -- to protect their drug, sex trade, terrorist and weapons trafficking routes

[dragnet2]

If these posters are so gung-ho about going to war then they should be posting from in-theater shouldn't they?

It's easy to talk the talk when someone else's ass is on the line.

I'd bet a cup of coffee, half these "gung ho" types never served a day in their life. Most of the vets I know are the last to start calling for war, and many combat vets just avoid the subject.

[rabscuttle385]

Too bad that DeMint forgot to mention McCain's implicit support of Osama bin Laden via his overt support for one of al-Qaeda's affiliates, the Kosovo Liberation Army.

FYI

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[Bokababe]

I'd bet a cup of coffee, half these "gung ho" types never served a day in their life. Most of the vets I know are the last to start calling for war, and many combat vets just avoid the subject.

Worth repeating. You have just said precisely what I have observed. All the gung-ho types are rarely ever Vets. Most Vets are much more reserved about going to war, because they know the real cost.