Spring Break
Libertarian Ideas Are Unreasonable
Brandon Nadeau
Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Commentary
Last week the Republicans had another debate, this one on FOX News. Not much has changed in the last few months; Rudy Giuliani is still in the lead in the polls and Fred Thompson is still in second despite the fact he didn't announce his intentions to run until a few days ago. What has changed, and changed for the worse, is the surging popularity of a Texas Congressman by the name of Ron Paul. I've been running into normal, intelligent people who support Paul, and it really scares me.
The reason Paul is as popular as he is has to do largely with his sudden support from Democrats and I have to admit, when I didn't know much about him I thought he sounded like a good candidate. He wants to end the Iraq war, have tighter borders, lower taxes and decrease spending, what's not to like? The problem doesn't lie with his policies and ideas, but rather his execution of said policies. How to end the war in Iraq: immediate pullout not only from Iraq, but from the whole of the Middle East. Never mind the slaughter that will occur with our exit. Paul, by the way, denies that this will happen, as the people saying it will are the same that said it would be an easy win. It was a mistake and we never should have been there.
He has more than one unworkable policy. Who else here wants to abolish the FDA? Dr. Paul is your man. His case against the FDA is that they take taxpayer money and are supposed to regulate the food and drugs coming into the country and those produced here, but there are still cases that get by them. Obviously, he claims, we would be better off with no Federal regulation. Corporations should police themselves. Paul is a big fan of the free market and wants to see an end of just about every federal agency that does anything useful or helpful. DEA? Gone. Medicare/Medicaid? History. IRS? The government has no right to take your money.
Paul is such a fan of the free market and letting businesses do whatever they want that during a recent session of Congress he was the one dissenting vote when Congress decided to stop giving tax money to corporations profiting from the genocide in Sudan. It seems pretty cut and dry, companies are making money off of a genocide. Why would you give them money to keep doing that? Paul's answer: We shouldn't tie the hands of corporations by limiting their business dealings. That pretty much covers foreign policy for Paul.
The reason Paul is as popular as he is has to do largely with his sudden support from Democrats and I have to admit, when I didn't know much about him I thought he sounded like a good candidate. He wants to end the Iraq war, have tighter borders, lower taxes and decrease spending, what's not to like? The problem doesn't lie with his policies and ideas, but rather his execution of said policies. How to end the war in Iraq: immediate pullout not only from Iraq, but from the whole of the Middle East. Never mind the slaughter that will occur with our exit. Paul, by the way, denies that this will happen, as the people saying it will are the same that said it would be an easy win. It was a mistake and we never should have been there.
He has more than one unworkable policy. Who else here wants to abolish the FDA? Dr. Paul is your man. His case against the FDA is that they take taxpayer money and are supposed to regulate the food and drugs coming into the country and those produced here, but there are still cases that get by them. Obviously, he claims, we would be better off with no Federal regulation. Corporations should police themselves. Paul is a big fan of the free market and wants to see an end of just about every federal agency that does anything useful or helpful. DEA? Gone. Medicare/Medicaid? History. IRS? The government has no right to take your money.
Paul is such a fan of the free market and letting businesses do whatever they want that during a recent session of Congress he was the one dissenting vote when Congress decided to stop giving tax money to corporations profiting from the genocide in Sudan. It seems pretty cut and dry, companies are making money off of a genocide. Why would you give them money to keep doing that? Paul's answer: We shouldn't tie the hands of corporations by limiting their business dealings. That pretty much covers foreign policy for Paul.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 49
Mark G.
posted 9/11/07 @ 9:52 AM EST
The government which governs best governs least
whe you are willing to give up you liberties for safety you deserve neither.
This is only unworkable because we have come to depend so heavily upon big brother goevernment from cradle to grave that to actually be independant and able to pursue our own happiness is such a foreign concept that one who espouses it is considered fringe, some smells when this is the case. (Continued…)
Mike
posted 9/11/07 @ 9:53 AM EST
>>Overall, Paul has no workable ideas. He wants to return to a gold standard, which would destroy the US economy. He wants to cut nearly every government department and build a giant wall (not a fence) on our border with Mexico. (Continued…)
Michael G.
posted 9/11/07 @ 10:14 AM EST
I am a student at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. It is important that I point out several things this short article fails to mention about Dr. Congressman Ron Paul. (Continued…)
Tim
posted 9/11/07 @ 10:19 AM EST
Wow, I can't believe how ignorant both the author is and Mike is about Paul, and libertarian ideas, maybe you should both go read a couple books or something. (Continued…)
Mark M.
posted 9/11/07 @ 10:29 AM EST
Brandon,
Your idea of Libertarian ideas is uninformed at least, and you offer no alternatives. I do agree however, Ron Paul is the extreme opposite of what we currently have in office. (Continued…)
Dan Warner
posted 9/11/07 @ 11:08 AM EST
I do not believe that you have read Dr. Paul's positions. You should take the time to dig into each candidate and judge them by their actions.
On taxes, you are incorrect in stating that he wants a 23% sales tax. (Continued…)
Sean
posted 9/11/07 @ 11:38 AM EST
"but Paul wants to raise the sales tax to 23 percent at the least."
That is what Ron Paul is proposing ... other candidates have proposed this "fair tax". (Continued…)
James Peron
posted 9/11/07 @ 11:43 AM EST
As a former staff member of the Daily Campus, some years ago, I should note a few things. One is that Ron Paul has some libertarian sentiments and many sentiments that are most decidedly unlibertarian. (Continued…)
mgpthoc
posted 9/11/07 @ 12:08 PM EST
It is very clear the aurthor of this article has never read the Consitution or any of Ron Pauls writings.
Mike
posted 9/11/07 @ 12:11 PM EST
Paul does not want to raise the sales tax, that is what the advocates of the Fair Tax want to do. Ron Paul wants to get rid of the income tax and replace it with nothing. (Continued…)
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