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Ron Paul, Elitist Pig - How the Chicken-Hawk Argument Stifles Intelligent Debate
Red State ^

Posted on 01/09/2012 9:51:16 AM PST by mnehring

I’ll bet you’ve never personally performed open heart surgery. You haven’t? Really? In that case, I don’t want your stinkin’ opinion on how the government should best distort the health insurance markets with artificial incentives. You probably also haven’t dropped acid in the last ten years. Given that painful deficiency on your CV, I don’t want to hear any of your sanctimonious blithering about The War on Drugs.

I assume, furthermore, that you’ve never been behind enemy lines, staggering home through the bad guys’ wire with your small intestine in one your canteen cups.* If such is the case; then you, like Newt Gingrich, have no right to have an opinion on issues of international military involvements.

So argues Dr. Ron Paul, who has the unique moral authority to decide whether John Huntsman really has American values. As Devine Emperor of Truth and Logic; Dr. Paul hath (self)-righteously decreed that Newt Gingrich has no right to an opinion on matters of war and peace.

“I think people who don’t serve when they could and they get three or four or even five deferments aren’t — they have no right to send our kids off to war, and not be even against the wars that we have, (My bolding)” Paul, a former Air Force flight surgeon, said. “I’m trying to stop the wars. But at least, you know, I went when they called me up.”

– Congressman Ron Paul.

The entire reason people serve in the US Military is to defend and uphold the US Constitution. The entire reason that politicians and their enemies make arguments based upon “Chicken-Hawking” is to deprive people who have not been under enemy fire, of the right to participate in the vital national conversation involving war and peace. It’s a way for great and courageous defenders of the US Constitution like Dr. Ron Paul to strip others of their rights under the 1st Amendment.

This would make Dr. Paul a smug and arrogant elitist pig. He is as revolting on the issues of war and peace as President Obama is with regards to social issues. It makes me think that Dr. Paul is a bitter clinger who desperately holds on to his 9-11 Conspiracy Theories and his Racist literature and his proposed Fed audit.

As one who wore the uniform briefly, I can understand a teaspoon’s measure of Ron Paul’s frustration over the civilian leadership of the armed forces. It has to be one of the more vexing aspects of the entire US Constitution when Von Clausewitz of the 9-11 LIHOP Theories ponders the document. But that’s exactly the point. You and I don’t have to like Mr. Gingrich’s resume on military issues in order for him to have a right to express his views.

Ultimately, “Chicken Hawking” is the revolting logical inverse of the argument that a former military person would make a great foreign policy president. I doubt there is a single opponent of the Iraq War who spent all of 2005 thinking “Ya know what? I don’t like this whole Iraq War thing. However, George W. Bush and John McCain have landed fighter jets on an aircraft carrier before. Based upon that, I have no valid point of view on whether the GOP has a correct policy via-avis the Iraq War.”

That’s the astonishing thing about the entire “Chicken Hawk” branch of logical fallacy. Not a single practitioner of it will ever admit that a more experienced member of the military that holds a diametrically opposed point of view on some defense-related issue has a God-Given right to serve the Ron Pauls of the world a big, steaming cup of STFU. This situation sends them appealing to all-important bastions of authority like Gen Wesley Clark.

Thus, Ron Paul’s use of the “Chicken Hawk” smear to demean one of his opponents in the GOP Primary reminds me of what is wrong with American Democracy. Here we have a former military member, sworn to uphold and defend the US Constitution, attempting to deprive an opponent of his right to speak based on pure CV snobbery. This is not courageous libertarian constitutionalism. It is post-modern feudalism instead. Elitist Pigs like Ron Paul, who use their resumes and life experiences as a weapon to silence the points of view they don’t want to hear, are an enemy of American Democracy.

* – If any members of our rich and vibrant RS community have done all three, than what in the heck are you doing wasting time on the Internet? Get out there and fix all the world’s problems!


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: chickenhawk; cino; demagogue; draft; newtgingrich; obama; rino; ronpaul; ronpaulsucks; vietnam
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To: Utmost Certainty

There has always been a special draft for medical doctors, the armed forces can not fight wars without doctors.


21 posted on 01/09/2012 10:27:19 AM PST by jpsb
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To: mnehring

“He volunteered. He lied about being drafted...”

And if he had stated, “I volunteered to serve my country” you would likely be calling him a liar because he was served with a draft notice.


22 posted on 01/09/2012 10:29:31 AM PST by running_dog_lackey
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To: mnehring

So now pointing out the “lack” of something in an opponents record is “chicken hawking”? It’s like red state telling us that presidential eligibility is a “non-issue”. I’m sick of political bias news bloggers telling us how to think and vote based on their biased opinions and lack of respect for the US Constitution.

Facts are facts and when facts are no longer pertinent, then it’s lights out folks for the Decalration of Independence & the US Constitution, FOREVER!


23 posted on 01/09/2012 10:31:28 AM PST by patlin ("Knowledge is a powerful source that is 2nd to none but God" ConstitutionallySpeaking 2011)
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To: patlin
So now pointing out the “lack” of something in an ...It’s like red state telling us that presidential eligibility is a “non-issue”. I’m sick of political bias news bloggers telling us how to think...

I think you missed the point, they are calling out a political candidate (Paul) for doing exactly this. The author isn't doing it other than the tongue in cheek first paragraph. The author is basically agreeing with you.

24 posted on 01/09/2012 10:39:54 AM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehring

Ahhh, that Ron Paul joker again. He is indeed the Man of the Year.

Unfortunately that year is 1901.


25 posted on 01/09/2012 10:42:34 AM PST by mkjessup (Jimmy Carter is the Skidmark in the panties of American history, 0bama is the yellow stain in front.)
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To: mnehring
Thank you for the courtesy however, I did not misunderstand the author's point/biased opinion. What RP pointed out is no different than the govt hiring desk jockey to write laws for those of us in the long haul transportation industry. Just because someone walks around a base and hangs around military personnel & equipment, doesn't make them fit for command based on those personal encounters.

It reminds me of the laws/regulations we are fighting now. Just because some desk jockey rode in a semi from DC to Cleveland,Oh and then got on a plane back to DC, that desk jockey thinks they have the where with all to write laws as to when & how we operate.

The simple fact that Gingrich gets all defensive and never actually tells us exactly HOW & WHY he never served should be a BIG RED FLAG to all voters.

26 posted on 01/09/2012 11:12:24 AM PST by patlin ("Knowledge is a powerful source that is 2nd to none but God" ConstitutionallySpeaking 2011)
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To: mkjessup
Ahhh, that Ron Paul joker again. He is indeed the Man of the Year.

Unfortunately that year is 1901.


Given Dr. Paul's highly questionable foreign policy notions, I would have said "1801," considering it's clear that he's about the only living American (other than his supporters) who has not yet learned the crystal-clear lessons of the Barbary Wars.
27 posted on 01/09/2012 11:21:06 AM PST by Milton Miteybad (I am Jim Thompson. {Really.})
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To: mkjessup

Ron Paul served a couple of years on active duty, a couple in the Air National Guard. He was a flight surgeon. For anyone that doesn’t know what a flight surgeon is I will tell you. It’s a medical doctor that gives pilots their physicals and makes sure they are ready to fly an airplane.
Other than that they drink alot of coffee and play alot golf.

Ron Paul never served overseas, had a desk job, and was never in harm’s way.

His attack on Newt Gingrich was pathetic. If he had also let Romney have it for not serving in the military, maybe I wouldn’t be as hard on the old man as I am. Romney was worse than Gingrich. Having connections in the Morman Church got his weasel his deferment. For three long years Americans, less privileged than Mitt Romney, fought and died in Vietnam, while he was overseas pretending to be a “morman minister”, which is a joke. It burns me up that Ron Paul has became Romney’s biggest cheerleader and never says a disparaging word about him. Ron Paul was also never drafted in the Air Force. The Air Force has never had a draft. He was also never drafted into the Army. Now he might have thought he was going to get drafted in the Army and joined the Air Force. Technically, that would make Ron Paul a draft-dodger himself. He served from 63-65 in the Regular Air Force, then when Vietnam was building up, he joined the very safe Air Force National Guard. He knew he would never have to serve in Vietnam. I don’t like hypocrites and Paul is a hypocrite. An Audie Murphy he aint!


28 posted on 01/09/2012 11:37:26 AM PST by NKP_Vet (creep.)
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To: patlin

He did tell us how and why. He wasn’t drafted. He was over the age that people were being drafted when the draft was run and he was married with kids. Paul lied that he applied for deferments. He didn’t need to, he was already exempt.


29 posted on 01/09/2012 11:40:58 AM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehring
If you like Newt I don't know why you bring up the issue of Vietnam, it clearly is not in Newt best interests.

But since you insist in his own words

""Given everything I believe in, a large part of me thinks I should have gone over," Gingrich told Jane Mayer in 1985. "Part of the question I had to ask myself was what difference I would have made," adding that "there was a bigger battle in Congress than Vietnam." As Gingrich put it, "no one felt this was the battle-line on which freedom would live or die."

30 posted on 01/09/2012 12:46:09 PM PST by jpsb
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To: NKP_Vet

Well said FRiend and BRAVO.

Now if Ron Paul had volunteered to GO to Vietnam to provide his surgical skills for our wounded troops, that would be a different situation.

Your description however, more than suffices.

Thanks.


31 posted on 01/09/2012 12:52:28 PM PST by mkjessup (Jimmy Carter is the Skidmark in the panties of American history, 0bama is the yellow stain in front.)
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To: mnehring
He did tell us how and why. He wasn’t drafted

He gave an emotionally defensive answer using a couple of reasons that were not backed by the facts of the law at the time. Period.

32 posted on 01/09/2012 1:03:56 PM PST by patlin ("Knowledge is a powerful source that is 2nd to none but God" ConstitutionallySpeaking 2011)
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To: SaraJohnson
Since it is the President is the Commander and Chief of the military, I agree with Paul in the case of the President, only. Our Presidents should have military experience. Had we respected that qualifing standard, we would not have the vapid anti-American Muslim in the White House who has mandated homosexuality on the military.

Would the founders ever have disagreed with you, they were big fans of civilian control of the military.

We'd rewrite our list of Presidents as

George Washington

John Adams

Thomas Jefferson

James Madison

James Monroe

John Quincy Adams

Andrew Jackson, finally, a true Democrat.

33 posted on 01/09/2012 4:12:51 PM PST by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do !)
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To: distressed
If that's what Paul said, then I'll take him at his word. Just like I'll take Newt at his word when he says that he never asked for a deferment

I don't believe either of them, though people can forget. I had a college deferrment, 4 years. Obviously I "asked" for it, how else would my draft board know I was in college. Whether it was one "request" or four, I haven't a clue, but they knew when I was a senior and informed me early in the year the month I'd go 1A.

And despite the articles explanation that Paul wouldn't have been a prime draft candidate in the early 60s, I very seriously doubt Paul went through college and med school with a 1A classification. My guess he did the same thing Newt did, got a deferrment.

34 posted on 01/09/2012 4:24:31 PM PST by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do !)
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To: mnehring
He volunteered. He lied about being drafted just like he lied about Newt’s deferments.

Wish I had the links to some of the 2008 threads handy. I distinctly remember this issue coming up regarding both Giuliani and Paul. And Pauls supporters position was quite different, he stood up and volunteered. I recall attacks from some of the paultards because I volunteered only late in college, which they let me finish, when I knew I'd be drafted otherwise.

35 posted on 01/09/2012 4:27:30 PM PST by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do !)
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To: patlin
What RP pointed out is no different than the govt hiring desk jockey to write laws for those of us in the long haul transportation industry. Just because someone walks around a base and hangs around military personnel & equipment, doesn't make them fit for command based on those personal encounters.

You mean LBJ's military experience didn't qualify him to task bombing missions from the White House?

36 posted on 01/09/2012 4:29:40 PM PST by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do !)
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To: Milton Miteybad
I would have said "1801," considering it's clear that he's about the only living American (other than his supporters) who has not yet learned the crystal-clear lessons of the Barbary Wars.

Don't forget the undeclared quasi-war with France which had just ended, and had led to the construction of our Navy and restablishment of the Marine Corps, our prime weapons against the Islamists. Some things never change

37 posted on 01/09/2012 4:33:22 PM PST by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do !)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

38 posted on 01/09/2012 4:48:42 PM PST by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do !)
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To: mnehring
The observation that sometimes leaders who haven't seen real combat are too quick to send troops to war is a valid one backed up by experience.

I wouldn't express it as "not having a right" to be president or to make policy choices as president, but the observation is worth making.

It doesn't shut anyone up, but it does raise the threshhold a little when we go to war, asking us to be sure that a leader who didn't serve or didn't see combat really understands what's involved.

The article writer goes too quickly to name-calling and is certainly perverse: when the country gears up to go to war there is so much pressure on those who might not agree that it's bizarre to argue that those who argue the negative are trying to "shut people up."

39 posted on 01/09/2012 4:48:57 PM PST by x
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To: SJackson
What I am saying is serving “IN” the military in NOT the same as HANGING AROUND the military with no 1st person stake in it. No one military personnel, enlisted or officer, has quote “personal” experience every single minute aspect of all military branches however, being an active duty member and actually serving under oath does lend to the ability of the person to effectively serve as the commander in chief of the military. That is just plain fact which has been proven time and time again.

And that is all I am saying, how can one possibly stand up and say they are ready to command a post that they have no 1st person knowledge of. A father's stories are not 1st person knowledge, that is what a court would call hearsay. And can we drop the ‘army brat’ already, it's doesn't help his public perception when he refers to himself as a ‘brat’ all the time.

40 posted on 01/09/2012 5:03:03 PM PST by patlin ("Knowledge is a powerful source that is 2nd to none but God" ConstitutionallySpeaking 2011)
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