He is treated like a god by many on the web. A independent-minded Republican representative from Texas, Ron Paul is thought to be a potential wonder candidate of the 2008 presidential election. I have crowned Paul 'the web candidate' due to the fact that most of his support comes from the internet, and most of his supporters spend much of their lives in cyperspace.
Ron Paul is better than Bush (but that's not a very high standard, now is it?). However, he is an inexperienced paleo-conservative libertarian who wants to abolish everything from the IRS to FEMA — that's just not practical! He and his supporters seem to be living in their own dream world impervious to the reality that that kind of libertarianism doesn't work, especially in today's modern world. You cannot just shut yourself off from everything because of some bad experiences.
If you thought the response to Hurricane Katrina was bad, how would getting rid of FEMA help? Sure thanks to incompetence and a slew of negative traits associated with the Bush administration FEMA did a terrible job in the Gulf Coast, but getting rid of the organization all together is not the answer. Imagine: under Ron Paul's ridiculous vision for America there would be no federal response to something like Katrina, many more would suffer and the conditions there would be far more abysmal as they were following Katrina in 2005.
SO for all those praising Paul as the answer to America's political woes — he's not.
What's so special about Ron Paul? Well, according to this Salon article...
[Paul's] the only Republican candidate who wants to end U.S. involvement in Iraq and withdraw the U.S. Navy from the waters off the Iranian coast. He wants America to pull out of the United Nations, NATO, the International Criminal Court, and most international trade agreements. He wants to abolish FEMA, end the federal war on drugs, get rid of the Department of Homeland Security, send the U.S. military to guard the Mexican border, stop federal prosecutions of obscenity, eliminate the IRS, end most foreign aid, overturn the Patriot Act, phase out Social Security, revoke public services for illegal immigrants, repeal No Child Left Behind, and reestablish gold and silver as legal tender.
Which of those do I consider meaningful? Nearly all of them. NATO, the ICC, FEMA, DHS, the IRS, Social Security... the list goes on. Ron Paul would be fine in the 1800s, in fact, he sounds like a good ol' 1890s Populist with the gold and silver idea, but his ideas wouldn't work this day in age. He wants to turn America into an isolationist, closed-off, libertarian haven — that kind of system just won't work in a culturally and economically globalized world. Isolationism isn't too much better than neoconservative interventionism. Ron Paul would work years ago, but not anymore. Under Paul, and without income tax, homeland defense and security, and social welfare, the US would be going back in time more than it has even under the Bush administration. I don't want that.
Too all those hell-bent on rooting for Dr. Paul, I issue you this challenge: Explain to me how it would work if we got rid of FEMA, the IRS, the DHS, and other agencies that the United States would go to hell without?
Ultimately, we don't no government, we need a better government
9 comments:
This can't be serious!
The US would "go to hell" without the DHS???
WTF?!?!
The DHS has only been in existence for what, 6 years? And now it's unfathomable to think of a future without it?
Matt —
I am not talking about the agency, I am talking about its functions as America's homeland security. What, we're supposed to abolish the tax system, national security, etc. all together? That's absurd. Under the DHS are such departments as immigration and internal security. Paul has put forward no remedy that would fix the DHS; he has only called for its destruction.
----If you thought the response to Hurricane Katrina was bad, how would getting rid of FEMA help? -----
If there were no FEMA, Louisiani wouldn't have been lulled into a false sense of security, and would have better preparations in place, and would have been taxed less by the federal government and therefore able to afford better preparations.
Besides, the federal government providing disaster relief is completely unconstitutional. It is a state function.
----SO for all those praising Paul as the answer to America's political woes — he's not.----
You're so wrong. It is those that think upper level government that tries to provide uniform solutions for 300 million people that have brought in the politicians that have created America's political woes.
----Which of those do I consider meaningful? Nearly all of them. NATO, the ICC, FEMA, DHS, the IRS, Social Security... the list goes on. ----
NATO is useful for what? Preventing Russia from invading Europe? Give me a break. America is going bankrupt trying to be the police man of the world. An American economic collapse would be far worse for the world than America withdrawing its military from around the world.
The US is not part of the ICC (International Criminal Court) right now, so this is non-point. In any case, right now US does torture, and the Democrats condone it just as much as the Republican, so a Ron Paul administration at least would end that gross violation of ethical behaviour.
Social Security is going bankrupt very soon, and Ron Paul's plan of saving money on foreign military engagements is the ONLY chance of extending it long enough to take care of the elderly who are dependant on it right now, so again, a non-point.
The Department of Homeland Security is completely useless. It is the wrong approach to the problem of terrorism. The answer is to give people their second amendmnet freedom to protect their private property. It was the federal government's intrusion upon the Second Amendment when it said that there were no guns allowed on airplanes, that allowed terrorists to take down an easy target. If private property rights and the Second Amendment were respected, airlines would likely have had better security measures in place, like for example letting their pilots be armed, and 911 couldn't have happened.
----Ron Paul would be fine in the 1800s, in fact, he sounds like a good ol' 1890s Populist with the gold and silver idea, but his ideas wouldn't work this day in age.-----
The late 19th century, early 20th century is when America saw its greatest boom in history. Life expectancy increased by 20.8 years from 1900 to 1950 because of the laissez faire economic boom of the late 19th/early 20th century. Life expectancy only increased by 8years from 1950 to 2000, when things like government funded health care and social security came about.
---Ultimately, we don't no government, we need a better government---
You need to learn the proper role of government in society. Government is supposed to be a judge, a jury, a referree, to keep the peace and protect people's rights. Government is not supposed to use coercion (taxation) to collect resources from people to provide social services.
Ron Paul is a Republican mirror of Howard Dean is my guess. It will be interesting come Friday morning to see if any of his die-hards were willing to set their computers aside for an evening and actually venture outdoors to caucus in Iowa. My bet is a weak trun out... Although compared to anybody else the right is offering his luncacy seems less threatening.
According to kinetic reactions logic, we should also get rid of our police force and just buy more guns, since weve proven anyone who owns a gun has the logic and clear thinking to use it in an appropriate manner. We should also get rid of the firemen and firestations and each of us set up a safety bucket of water and ladder for saving our own children. We should also understand that there will be no such thing as a State of Emergency, where a declaration brings the full force of our military to help. So, pretty much, the forest fires of California would finally do away with the whole state, wed lose about 5 southern states to poor levies and we can also invite every terrorist organization to a little dual on any airplane with our quick draw pilots.
Please. Your logic may seem wonderful on the surface, but when you actually take the time to see what youre saying, youll realise youre a moron and youll stop following Ron Paul.
Furthermore, you may not like our military, thats fine. But plese remember that its their actions over there which allows you to sleep peacefully here without a gun under your pillow.
Finally a voice of reason!
Some of the agency can stay, but the IRS has to go. The only income they need to manage is the federal emplyoee. Not the private sector. So u all believe the private sector should be taxed on their labor. Do u believe the first Americans lost their lives for freedom. How can u not defend the fact that social security and Medicare is deducted from ur check , and then we r told that it won't b available when u retire. He'll I can piss my own earnings away my self. Do u not believe that all the taxes that are collected will not pay for all that bull crap.
I contacted the United States tresury office, they told me they don't speak to the public. America is weak a-- country.
We allow these politicians to dictate control over use. I would mind paying a these damn taxes , if all our goods ,and services were paid for with the tax. Health care should be free, energy should be free, he'll it already is. Solar, wind. The power company's r starting 2 get their energy from the sun , and the wind, but then they r going charge us ,and increase the rate. Until we stand up as a people like they did in the 1800's we r going to continue being dumped on.
I contacted the United States tresury office, they told me they don't speak to the public. America is weak a-- country.
We allow these politicians to dictate control over use. I would mind paying a these damn taxes , if all our goods ,and services were paid for with the tax. Health care should be free, energy should be free, he'll it already is. Solar, wind. The power company's r starting 2 get their energy from the sun , and the wind, but then they r going charge us ,and increase the rate. Until we stand up as a people like they did in the 1800's we r going to continue being dumped on.
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