Ron Paul vs. sane libertarianism
Posted by Richard on May 18, 2007
I didn't watch the last Republican debate (or the first, for that matter), but I've seen the video of Ron Paul saying 9/11 was America's fault for bombing Iraq. I'd like to point out that although Paul's perspective is admired by quite a few libertarians (and quite a few 9/11 Truthers), there are also plenty of libertarians who dispute his explanation.
I think Paul's "analysis" is shallow and ahistorical. It's rooted in ignorance of the origins and nature of the Islamists, and it's woefully ignorant of the breadth of Islamist violence. For a much deeper libertarian analysis of why the Islamic fascists hate us, I recommend Mark Humphrys. For a powerful statement of why we must fight, see anarchist libertarian Eric Raymond's Anti-Idiotarian Manifesto (also linked at right). For some evidence that Islamofascist rage is not just aimed at America and is not just about our intervention in Iraq, see here and here and here and here … and a score of other places I don't have time to link to.
According to Nathan Nelson at RedState, one libertarian — former Paul campaign coordinator Eric Dondero — was so disgusted by Paul's blame America riff that he decided to run against Paul for his congressional seat. Nelson approved:
Back when I was in the process of leaving the Democratic Party and deciding whether or not to become a Republican, Eric Dondero commented on my old blog and left me information about Republican libertarianism. This information was a major factor in my decision to indeed leave the Democratic Party and become a Republican. To this day, I consider myself a Republican who seeks to balance conservatism and libertarianism. I don't believe that these two ideological systems are mutually exclusive, nor do I believe that either system is incompatible with the Republican Party. I think that Republican libertarians are a valuable part of our coalition and will only become more valuable in the years to come, because libertarianism is growing and our party can grow with it.
With that said, Congressman Ron Paul is like a sore on the behind of Republican libertarianism. He makes it seem as though Republican libertarianism is nothing more than Buchananesque defeatism and isolationism. Eric Dondero is a positive alternative to Ron Paul: unabashedly Republican, unabashedly conservative, unabashedly libertarian, and unabashedly willing to balance these three systems. Perhaps most importantly, he is unabashedly willing to vote in favor of defending our country. He is a better choice for Texas' 14th District and for America.
Dondero is a founder of the Republican Liberty Caucus. He has a website called Mainstream Libertarians and a blog called Libertarian Republican. Check them out.
Dana said
There is something I like about Ron Paul, but I read somewhere something about him bringing an nd to “New World Order politics.” Now, I’m not sure if those were Paul’s words or the blogger’s, but it made me a tad uncomfortable.
There are thought out reasons for opposing the war, or the invasion of Iraq (which I disagree with), but to say it was our fault?
Actually, maybe it was. We put up with them for too long. Back when they were planting bombs in the World Trade Center and messing with our embassies, we should have done as Reagan did and just bombed them. Quick, targeted and deadly. Then waited to see if we needed to go into an all-out war, or if a sort of peace could be achieved for awhile. You don’t hear much from Libya anymore, after all.
rgcombs said
Dana, I know what you mean about the uncomfortableness. I don’t think I’ve seen or heard anything by Rep. Paul that I’d call crazy conspiratorial talk, but he does talk about the Federal Reserve, fiat money and banking, the North American Union, the superhighway from Mexico to Canada, and other stuff like that that’s red meat to Birchers, conspiracy theorists, anti-Semites, and related wackos. He has to know that he’s appealing to such people.
There’s a video on YouTube of 9/11 Truthers talking to Paul at a fund raising event, urging him to join with Rep. Kucinich to “uncover the truth” about the 9/11 attacks. Paul is friendly, but doesn’t say anything explicitly supportive of their paranoia. It’s just how you’d expect a politician trolling for support to behave, and it doesn’t mean he thinks 9/11 was an “inside job.” But …
I’d like to think that if it was me, it would make me uncomfortable to be supported by people who think the Bilderbergers control the world, who whisper about Trilateralists and Jewish bankers, who speak of “controlled demolitions” at the World Trade Center. I like to think that if it was me, I’d re-examine my campaign and rethink my message. But that’s just me.
Maybe the tin-foil hat crowd are generous campaign contributors.
Dana said
You know, he can’t possibly believe in the conspiracy theories, or he’s a part of the conspiracy. ‘Cause if he did, he’d never have gotten elected to Congress, right? I mean, if Bush can pull off 9/11 and steal elections, certainly he could silence Paul, right?
Sorry, but sometimes the very fact this stuff is all over the place seems to show its falsity. Someone on an e-list was telling me about all this stuff and how he had these “shocking” underground videos, etc. All stuff I have…it was a free download. No men in black suits showed up at his house or mine. And you can still get the stuff. And Alex Jones still goes on and on.
“The truth is best hidden in plain sight.” and “Hitler did it.” That is the best answer I can get.
rgcombs said
There you go again, trying to apply logic. 🙂
Remember, the same people who believe that Bush stole two elections, faked all the intelligence about Iraq, orchestrated 9/11, planned the depopulation of New Orleans, and fooled Congress and the American people time and time again — those same people are also convinced that he’s a stupid simpleton who barely managed to get through college, thanks to family pull.
And they see no contradiction in those beliefs.
Rich Paul said
Ron Paul never said that 9/11 was “America’s fault”. He said that some of the hatred of the Arabs toward us was due to our foreign policy.
Imagine that you decide that you hate Ron Paul so much that you kill him. I could say “he hated Ron Paul because Ron Paul didn’t want to go to war with Iraq due to an attack that originated in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan”. This does not mean that you are justified in killing Ron Paul, but it does increase our understanding of what inspired your madness.