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Rep. Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk- Monitor thy neighbor
Ron Paul's Congressional site ^ | 22 July 2002 | Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.)

Posted on 07/26/2002 6:28:10 AM PDT by radical4capitalism

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1 posted on 07/26/2002 6:28:10 AM PDT by radical4capitalism
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To: radical4capitalism
This is just more anti-government rhetoric from the hero of the libertarians. Ron Paul needs to get a new approach to politics and life. These current attempts by Paul, to undermine the Bush administrations efforts to fight terrorism is appalling and clearly his basic strategy isn't working. The Patriot Act was passed in non-partisan fashion and gives law enforcement agencies, the required latitude to hunt down and bring to justice criminals and terrorists who want to bring death and destruction to our great nation. It's also true, Ron Paul's support beyond the fringe extremists here on FR and his home district, is non-existent. Fact is, Paul couldn't get elected as a Libertarian, so he decided to deceive his constituency and run as a Republican. He would be better served if he became a Democrat. He certainly isn't a Republican and can't be considered a well rounded conservative either, in any true sense of the word.



2 posted on 07/26/2002 8:33:22 AM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: Reagan Man
Reagan Man wrote:
"This is just more anti-government rhetoric from the hero of the libertarians."
He is a hero to many of us. Is there anything he's saying that is untruthful, though?
"These current attempts by Paul, to undermine the Bush administrations efforts to fight terrorism..."
If opposing the TIPs (aka, the Nazi on every corner program) indicates that one is attempting to "undermine" the Bush administration, I guess I am guilty. And so is Dick Armey. And so is the National Review.
"The Patriot Act was passed in non-partisan fashion and gives law enforcement agencies, the required latitude to hunt down and bring to justice criminals and terrorists who want to bring death and destruction to our great nation.
Very little of the PATRIOT Act could be considered patriotic. What's patriotic about eroding judicial checks on wiretapping?
"He would be better served if he became a Democrat."
Applying that statement accurately would require Dick Armey to become a Democrat as well. Can you handle freedom? Do you know that Reagan was essentially a libertarian?
"If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals–if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is."-- Ronald Reagan
3 posted on 07/26/2002 8:44:29 AM PDT by radical4capitalism
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To: radical4capitalism
"If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals -- if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is."-- Ronald Reagan


Great quote! I remember that. He used it more than once. How fitting. . . .

4 posted on 07/26/2002 10:04:52 AM PDT by Doug Fiedor
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To: Reagan Man
"If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.

                                              ---Ronald Reagan
 
  Really?  Hey, reagan_man, I used to agree
  with you on a lot of things.  Now can you
  see how far out in the weeds you are getting
  as regards libertarians?  Just asking.

5 posted on 07/26/2002 4:05:16 PM PDT by gcruse
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To: radical4capitalism; gcruse
>>>Do you know that Reagan was essentially a libertarian?

That is a bold face lie!
Reagan never professed to being a Libertarian! You've pulled one small portion, out of context from an extensive interview.

I started posting segments from that 1975 Reason Magazine interview with Reagan here on FreeRepublic, long before most folks even knew it existed. I'd never seen anyone else ever post a single word, or remark from it. I'm very familiar with that particular Reagan interview. In fact, after having served on three Reagan campaigns for the Presidency, I'm very familiar with Reagan's positions on all the issues.

In that interview, Reagan was basically talking about his desire for a smaller and less intrusive federal government and how this conservative position he held, was mirrored by some libertarians, in their desire for they called "limited government". Many other Libertarians go far beyond the idea of "limited government". Many Libertarians are actually anti-government anarchists. Reagan wasn't anti-government, but he was pro America, all the way.

As a conservative Republican, Reagan wanted tax reductions and real tax reform, to reduce funding for the bloated federal bureaucracy, that eventually would reduce the size and scope of the federal government. Beyond Reagan's agreement on the issue of the overwhelming need for fiscal responsibility, Reagan never claimed to be a libertarian, nor did he support the libertarian agenda, philosophy and ideology. Never.

Reagan was a moral conservative above all else.

On many specific issues, Ronald Reagan's moral and political conservatism was obvious. Reagan never supported the legalization of drugs, or prostitution in America. Reagan did support a strong military armed forces, which is quite the opposite from what is espoused in the Libertarian Party platform. Reagan was a strong law and order conservative and supported America's criminal justice system. If ever given the opportunity, Libertarians would dismantle that criminal justice system and let criminals out to run wild on society. The Libertarians idea of victimless crimes is a moral outrage against our law abiding and orderly society.

Reagan also was a strong pro-lifer and supported the right to life for the unborn human child. The Libertarian Party platform supports the pro-choice, abortion on demand agenda. Reagan doubled the budget of America's National Drug Control Policy and made the federal governments overall effort against drug abuse a priority in his administration. Libertarians support across the board legalization of illicit drugs, like marijuana, heroin and cocaine. Most American's support interdiction and incarceration as the best ways to control the illicit drug problem in America, while at the same time they oppose decriminalization and legalization of these harmful substances.

Heres a passage form that 1975 Reason magazine article, you seemed to have left out and for good reason.

Now, I can't say that I will agree with all the things that the present group who call themselves Libertarians in the sense of a party say, because I think that like in any political movement there are shades, and there are libertarians who are almost over at the point of wanting no government at all or anarchy. I believe there are legitimate government functions. There is a legitimate need in an orderly society for some government to maintain freedom or we will have tyranny by individuals. The strongest man on the block will run the neighborhood. We have government to insure that we don't each one of us have to carry a club to defend ourselves.

Reagan also said, that same interview:

Well, third parties have been notoriously unsuccessful; they usually wind up dividing the very people that should be united. And then we elect the wrong kind-the side we're out to defeat wins.

People should never confuse Ronald Reagan's staunch conservatism, with the extreme agenda of the Libertarian Party. Reagan was a strong believer in individualism, as all conservatives are, but he didn't support allowing individuals to walk all over society and he didn't support the libertarian idea of upholding the principles of absolute and unrestricted liberty. That type of attitude and behavior breeds chaos which leads to anarchy. Ronald Reagan never supported chaos and anarchy. In fact, Reagan was a strong supporter of the federal government his whole life and said so on many occasions. Note the following passage from Reagan.

It is not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work -- work with us, not over us; stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.
First Inaugural Address, January 20, 1981

On the issue of political compromise, something Libertarian's are fundamentally opposed to, Reagan said the following:

"When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn't like it. "Compromise" was a dirty word to them and they wouldn't face the fact that we couldn't get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything.

"I'd learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. And I agreed with FDR, who said in 1933: 'I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.'

>I>"If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it."
Ronald Reagan, from his autobiography, An American Life

Stop trying to deceive people with lies and distortions about the fine conservative record of Ronald Reagan.

6 posted on 07/26/2002 5:11:34 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: *Ron Paul List; madfly; toenail
.
7 posted on 07/26/2002 5:33:52 PM PDT by Libertarianize the GOP
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To: Reagan Man
"Stop trying to deceive people with lies and distortions about the fine conservative record of Ronald Reagan."


No one here is doing so.

You might stop trying to deceive people with lies and distortions about the fine conservative record of most libertarian groups, such as the RLC.




8 posted on 07/27/2002 12:02:05 AM PDT by tpaine
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To: Reagan Man
The Patriot Act was passed in the middle of the nite without even being read. I don't consider that bi-partisan, I consider it ignorance.
9 posted on 07/27/2002 7:53:37 AM PDT by steve50
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To: Reagan Man
It looks like you're the designated jester for this forum.
10 posted on 07/27/2002 10:03:17 AM PDT by A.J.Armitage
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To: A.J.Armitage; Reagan Man
Jester? -- He's an absolute joke.

Get this bit of egomania from his post just above:

"I started posting segments from that 1975 Reason Magazine interview with Reagan here on FreeRepublic, long before most folks even knew it existed. I'd never seen anyone else ever post a single word, or remark from it."

Back in '98, DomOrgan [another swelled head rino] used to post the same Reagan sayings ad nauseum, from the same mistaken anti-libertarian viewpoint.
- Reagan liked the concepts of constitutional libertarianism, and said so.

11 posted on 07/27/2002 10:54:14 AM PDT by tpaine
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To: radical4capitalism
Sure, I believe that good citizens should report suspicious activities to the proper authorities, it's the right thing to do, but this TIPS program looks too much like Communist Cuba's Committees to Defend the Revolution to have my support.
12 posted on 07/27/2002 11:17:08 AM PDT by Commander8
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To: tpaine
Reagan liked the concepts of constitutional libertarianism, and said so.


Many times!

13 posted on 07/27/2002 11:19:11 AM PDT by Doug Fiedor
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To: tpaine
Jester? -- He's an absolute joke.


Yes. As he presents himself, he is quite obviously a big government loving Rockerfeller Republican. A typical, garden variety statist.

14 posted on 07/27/2002 11:34:00 AM PDT by Doug Fiedor
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To: Doug Fiedor; Reagan Man
Thanks Doug.

Yep, I think our Rman is a phony as a freeper also. - He's supposedly only been here since Nov '99, yet claims that NO one else has EVER posted about Reagans 'anti'-libertarian stance.

Is he DomOrgan reincarnated? - Weird fella.
15 posted on 07/27/2002 11:56:18 AM PDT by tpaine
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Reagan Man
This is just more anti-government rhetoric

Look, I don't agree with Ron Paul on everything, but how 'bout this famous quote from Reagan:

[T]oday, government is not the solution to our problems. Today, government is the problem.

Now if this isn't anti-government rhetoric...!

I loved President Reagan because he was against Big Government, and I think the Gipper would be glad to have a man like Ron Paul in Congress. Especially if the alternative would be a RINO or a Rat.

17 posted on 07/27/2002 1:21:27 PM PDT by Smile-n-Win
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To: tpaine; Jim Robinson
The RLC and this new RLC forum, is nothing but a Libertarian effort in futility. It has little to do with the original concept of FreeRepublic, which was promoting the conservative agenda. Just because Jim Robinson has decided to support this fringe extremism and give credence to a separate forum for the Libertarian agenda, doesn't mean the conservative memory of the great Ronald Reagan has to be damaged from dirty liars like you, tpaine.

18 posted on 07/27/2002 1:55:29 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: A.J.Armitage
>>>It looks like you're the designated jester for this forum.

The honor is all yours. You're the designated jester for all of FreeRepublic.

19 posted on 07/27/2002 1:57:04 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: tpaine
As I pointed out, Ronald Reagan wasn't a Libertarian and never had much to say about the fringe extremist politics of Libertarianism, outside of that Reason magazine article. You're attempts at historical revisionism is a total joke. Keep it up. Nothing new in any of your rhetoric. You've always been a liar and being a fool, seems to be another goal in life for you.
20 posted on 07/27/2002 2:01:35 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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