Mar

24

Ron Paul - On Five Years in Iraq

March 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Ron Paul’s Texas Straight Talk Column
March 24, 2008

Five years ago last week, the US military’s “shock and awe” campaign lit up the Baghdad sky. Five years later, with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and nearly four thousand Americans dead, we should pause and reflect on just what has been gained and what has been lost.

From the beginning, the march to war was paved with false assumptions and lies. Senior administration officials claimed repeatedly that Iraq was somehow responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001. They claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. They manipulated the fear of the American people after 9/11 to further a war agenda that they had been planning years before that attack. The mainstream media was complicit in this war propaganda.

Nearly ten years ago, long before 9/11, I requested the time in opposition to the fateful Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, where I then stated on the Floor of the House of Representatives, “I see this piece of legislation as essentially being a declaration of virtual war. It is giving the President tremendous powers to pursue war efforts against a sovereign Nation.” Less than five years later we were invading Iraq .

Five years into the invasion and occupation of Iraq , untold hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are dead; some two million Iraqis have fled the country as refugees; and the Iraqi Christian community – one of the oldest in the world – has been decimated more completely than even under the Ottoman occupation or the rule of Saddam Hussein.

On the US side, nearly four thousand Americans have lost their lives fighting in Iraq and many thousands more are horribly wounded. Our own senior military officers warn that our military is nearly broken by the strain of the Iraq occupation. The Veterans Administration is overwhelmed by the volume of disability claims from Iraq war veterans.

A study by Nobel Prize economist Joseph Stiglitz concludes that the cost of the war in Iraq could be at least $3 trillion. The economic consequences of our enormous expenditure in Iraq are beginning to make themselves known as we fall into recession and possibly worse.

Iraq war supporters claim that the “surge” of additional US troops into Iraq has been a resounding success. I am not so confident. Under the “surge” policy the United States military has trained and equipped with deadly weapons those Iraqi militia members against whom they were fighting just months ago. I fear by arming and equipping opposing militias we are just setting the stage for a more tragic and dangerous explosion of violence, possibly aimed at US troops in Iraq . There is no indication that the Iraqi government has made any political progress whatsoever.

The sooner we withdraw the better. The invasion and continued US occupation has strengthened both Iran and Al-Qaeda in the region. Continuing down the road of a failed policy will only cost more money we do not have and more lives that should not be sacrificed. Interventionism has produced one disaster after another. It is time we return to a non-interventionist foreign policy that emphasizes peaceful trade and travel and no entangling alliances. We can begin by withdrawing from Iraq immediately.

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Mar

22

McCain is for torture at the same time he’s against it

March 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Jim Bovard explains: “John McCain voted to uphold Bush’s veto of the latest anti-torture legislation to pass Congress.”

“McCain also voted against the initial version of this law that would ban waterboarding by U.S. government agents.”

“McCain also voted for the final version of the Military Comissions Act in September 2006.”

But don’t pay any attention to the facts, the MSM has told us John McCain, “The Maverick” is against torture. That’s all you need to know citizen, be on your way.

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Mar

22

Murray Sabrin’s opponent drunk on federal power

March 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Ron Paul Revolutionary candidate for U.S. Senate Murray Sabrin sure has a kook for an opponent. Earlier this week a 1991 94-page manifesto written by Joseph Pennacchio was exposed titled The Nationalist Agenda “A blueprint for the 21st Century”. Pretty strange and scary ideas this Pennacchio has. See Max Raskin’s summary on Lew Rockwell
Now we have Pennacchio’s alcohol problem, another symptom of his weird conservatism:

Pennacchio’s ‘conservatism’ could drive you to drink
Posted by Paul Mulshine March 21, 2008 6:51PM
Categories: Politics

Joe Pennacchio’s got an alcohol problem.

No, not a drinking problem. He’s got a problem with issues that involve alcohol.

I noted in a column the other day that the state senator and candidate for U.S. Senate is a bit of a lightweight as a political thinker. No sooner did I write those words than he proceeded to prove it.

Pennacchio’s opponent for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, Murray Sabrin, had put out a press release proposing to reverse the federal law that effectively mandates a drinking of 21 for every state in the union.

READ ON

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Mar

22

Coast to Coast with Ron Paul

March 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

On March 25, 2008, Ron Paul will be interviewed by George Noory on “Coast to Coast AM”, 1:00 - 2:00 AM ET
Word has it that they will talk about UFO’s (Unconstitutional Federal Ordinance).

HT Daily Paul

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Mar

22

The Last Straw—Vice President Cheney that is

March 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Former Republican Congressman Mickey Edwards, author of Reclaiming Conservatism: How a Great American Political Movement Got Lost–And How It Can Find Its Way Back denounces Vice-King Dick Cheny, his former ally.

Dick Cheney’s Error
It’s Government By the People

By Mickey Edwards
Saturday, March 22, 2008

For at least six years, as I’ve become increasingly frustrated by the Bush administration’s repeated betrayal of constitutional — and conservative — principles, I have defended Vice President Cheney, a man I’ve known for decades and with whom I served and made common cause in Congress. No longer.

I do not blame Dick Cheney for George W. Bush’s transgressions; the president needs no prompting to wrap himself in the cloak of a modern-day king. Nor do I believe that the vice president so enthusiastically supports the Iraq war out of a loyalty to the oil industry that his former employer serves. By all accounts, Cheney’s belief in “the military option” and the principle of president-as-decider predates his affiliation with Halliburton.

READ ON

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Mar

19

Impressive Ron Paul 3D Animation

March 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment

HT: ConnieTalk

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Mar

18

Ron Paul - Making a Recession Great

March 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Ron Paul’s Texas Straight Talk Column
March 17, 2008

House Democrats recently adopted a budget with massive tax hikes, many of which are directed at those Americans who can least afford them. By allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire in 2010, this budget will raise income taxes not only on those in the highest income brackets, but raises the lowest bracket from 10% to 15% as well. Estates would again be taxed at 55%. The child tax credit would drop from $1000 to $500. Senior citizens relying on investment income would be hurt by increases in dividend and capital gains taxes. It’s not just that the Democrats want to raises taxes on the rich. They want to raises taxes on everybody.

The problem is, policing the world is expensive, and if elected officials insist upon continuing to fund our current foreign policy, the money has to come from somewhere. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have already cost us over $1 trillion. The Democrats’ budget gives the President all the funding he needs for his foreign policy, so one wonders how serious they ever were about ending the war. While Democrats propose to tax and spend, many Republicans aim to borrow and spend, which hurts the taxpayer just as much in the long run.

Supporting a welfare state is expensive as well. Over half of our budget goes to mandatory entitlements. The total cost of government now eats up over half of our national income, as calculated by Americans for Tax Reform, and government is growing at an unprecedented rate. Our current financial situation is completely untenable, and the worst part is, as government is becoming more and more voracious, the economy is shrinking.

The bottom line is that Washington has a serious spending addiction. While both parties debate how to raise the revenue, both parties seem happy to spend over $3 trillion of your money in various ways. While some in Washington criticize the war in Iraq, very few are criticizing the interventionist mindset that got us into the war in the first place. Many so-called “Iraq War critics,” criticize this administration rather than truly opposing the decades old policies that led to war. They claim they will eventually get the troops out of Iraq, but the danger is that they simply plan to move them around to other countries, not bring them home. The American people want peace. Minding our own business is the best way to achieve it. Not only is it also a whole lot cheaper, but free trade and friendship with other countries benefits all involved.

This spending spree is exactly the wrong policy for an economy on the brink of recession. History has shown that all empires eventually crumble under a worthless currency and with an exhausted military. Since too many of our nation’s leaders haven’t taken the time to learn from history, we are seeing mistakes repeated through recently enacted policies such as the new House budget.

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Mar

18

RIP - Kenneth R. Gregg

March 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Sad news. Kenneth Gregg, of the CLASSical Liberalism blog passed away last Friday of congestive heart failure. Ken was also a frequent contributor to the Liberty & Power Group Blog at the George Mason University’s History News Network.
Jesse Walker at Reason Hit and Run broke the news this Monday morning.

My prayers and condolences to his family. I’ve read Ken’s blog from time to time and as he described, he was very “Interested in intellectual history focusing upon liberty, fundamental beliefs and freethought.” His insightful writing will be missed.

More thoughts from Karen De Coster at LRC..

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Mar

15

Ron Paul on Eliot Spitzer: Two Wrongs Do Not Make A Right

March 15, 2008 | 3 Comments

The Politico provided this transcript of Ron Paul addressing the House about the Eliot Spitzer debacle.

“Madam Speaker, it has been said that ‘he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.’ And in the case of Eliot Spitzer, this couldn’t be more true. In his case it’s the political sword, as his enemies rejoice in his downfall. Most people, it seems, believe he got exactly what he deserved.

“The illegal tools of the state brought Spitzer down, but think of all the harm done by Spitzer in using the same tools against so many other innocent people. He practiced what could be termed ‘economic McCarthyism,’ using illegitimate government power to build his political career on the ruined lives of others.

“No matter how morally justified his comeuppance may be, his downfall demonstrates the worst of our society. The possibility of uncovering personal moral wrongdoing is never a justification for the government to spy on our every move and to participate in sting operations.

“For government to entice a citizen to break a law with a sting operation — that is, engaging in activities that a private citizen is prohibited by law from doing — is unconscionable and should clearly be illegal.

“Though Spitzer used the same tools to destroy individuals charged with economic crimes that ended up being used against him, gloating over his downfall should not divert our attention from the fact that the government spying on American citizens is unworthy of a country claiming respect for liberty and the Fourth Amendment.

“Two wrongs do not make a right. Two wrongs make it doubly wrong.

“Sacrifice of our personal privacy has been ongoing for decades but has rapidly accelerated since 9/11. Before 9/11, the unstated goal of collecting revenue was the real reason for the erosion of our financial privacy. When 19 suicidal maniacs attacked us on 9/11, our country became convinced that further sacrifice of personal and financial privacy was required for our security.

“The driving force behind this ongoing sacrifice of our privacy has been fear and the emotional effect of war rhetoric — war on drugs, war against terrorism and the war against Third World nations in the Middle East who are claimed to be the equivalent to Hitler and Nazi Germany.

“But the real reason for all this surveillance is to build the power of the state. It arises from a virulent dislike of free people running their own lives and spending their own money. Statists always demand control of the people and their money.

“Recently we’ve been told that this increase in the already intolerable invasion of our privacy was justified because the purpose was to apprehend terrorists. We were told that the massive amounts of information being collected on Americans would only be used to root out terrorists. But as we can see today, this monitoring of private activities can also be used for political reasons. We should always be concerned when the government accumulates information on innocent citizens.

“Spitzer was brought down because he legally withdrew cash from a bank — not because he committed a crime. This should prompt us to reassess and hopefully reverse this trend of pervasive government intrusion in our private lives.

“We need no more Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act! No more Violent Radicalization & Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Acts! No more torture! No more Military Commissions Act! No more secret prisons and extraordinary rendition! No more abuse of habeas corpus! No more Patriot Acts!

“What we need is more government transparency and more privacy for the individual!”

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Mar

15

Ron Paul on Fox Business: The Chickens Have Come Home to Roost

March 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Mar

14

Abolish the Fed and No Socialism for the Rich

March 14, 2008 | 3 Comments

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke should resign and the Fed should be abolished as a way to boost the falling dollar and speed up the recovery of the U.S. economy, investor Jim Rogers, CEO of Rogers Holdings, told CNBC Europe Wednesday.

Asked what he would do if he were in Bernanke’s shoes, Rogers, who slammed the Fed for pouring liquidity in the system and accepting mortgage-backed securities as guarantees, said: “I would abolish the Federal Reserve and I would resign.”

READ ON

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Mar

14

Ron Paul - Intervening Our Way to Economic Ruin

March 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, March 13, Rep. Ron Paul addressed the House of Representatives on the costs of intervening around the world.

I am pleased to address the House tonight about the budget because there has been a lot of concern expressed here today on both sides of the aisle about the kind of financial trouble we’re in. And there’s no doubt about that. But sometimes I think we go back and forth spending more time blaming each other rather than dealing with the real problem.

One of the contentions I’ve had about the budget is that we look at it as an accounting problem rather than a philosophy problem because the spending occurs because of what we accept as the proper role of government. And right now, it’s assumed by the country as well as the Congress that the proper role of government is to run our lives, run the economy, run the welfare state, and police the world. And all of a sudden, it puts a lot of pressure on the budget.

READ ON

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Mar

10

Ron Paul on CNN: The Campaign is Never Over

March 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Mar

8

Update on the Global Warming Canard

March 8, 2008 | 3 Comments

This morning in Western New York we are expecting blizzard-like conditions, the Weather Channel is in Buffalo and I hear also Cleveland, Ohio at the other end of Lake Erie to report on the storm. No big deal really for the Great Lakes region, occasional snow storms happen here after all.
I turned on C-Span this morning and I hear some carbon concerned folks talking about Global Warming a.k.a. Climate Crisis. (Boring!)
Contrary to what the alarmists who are invested in the Global Warming canard say, The Bearing Drift Blog reported this from an a recent article from the Canada Post:

• Snow cover over North America, much of Siberia, Mongolia and China is greater than at any time since 1966;
• The average temperature in January was -0.3 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average;
• China is surviving its most brutal winter in a century;
• The Arctic Sea ice that had melted to its lowest levels on record . . . is back and, according to the Canadian Ice Service, “is actually 10 to 20 cm thicker in many places than at this time last year;”
• Respected scientists from Canada and Russia are now predicting a long period of severely cold weather if sunspot activity does not pick up soon.

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Ludwig von Mises: "Modern tyrants have things much easier than their predecessors…. No Phillip II could paralyze freedom of thought more severely than a modern censor. How much more efficient than the guillotine of Robespierre are the machine guns of Trotsky!" - Nation, State, and Economy

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