Ran Paul on the Bryan Suits Show

Ron Paul appeared on the Bryan Suits show yesterday. I know a lot of people like to picture him as a raving loon, but he actually comes off as a reasonable intelligent person and frankly I support him on some ideas such as:

• We must withdraw from any organizations and trade deals that infringe upon the freedom and independence of the United States of America. (although we disagree where that infringement begins)



• Working Americans like lower taxes. So do I. Lower taxes benefit all of us, creating jobs and allowing us to make more decisions for ourselves about our lives.
  
  Whether a tax cut reduces a single mother’s payroll taxes by $40 a month or allows a business owner to save thousands in capital gains taxes and hire more employees, that tax cut is a good thing. Lower taxes allow more spending, saving, and investing which helps the economy — that means all of us.



• I share our Founders’ belief that in a free society each citizen must have the right to keep and bear arms. They ratified the Second Amendment knowing that this right is the guardian of every other right, and they all would be horrified by the proliferation of unconstitutional legislation that prevents law-abiding Americans from exercising this right.



• I mostly agree with his position on immigration, although I still legalization.


1. Physically secure our borders and coastlines. We must do whatever it takes to control entry into our country before we undertake complicated immigration reform proposals.
2. Enforce visa rules. Immigration officials must track visa holders and deport anyone who overstays their visa or otherwise violates U.S. law. This is especially important when we recall that a number of 9/11 terrorists had expired visas.
3. No amnesty. Estimates suggest that 10 to 20 million people are in our country illegally. That’s a lot of people to reward for breaking our laws.
4. No welfare for illegal aliens. Americans have welcomed immigrants who seek opportunity, work hard, and play by the rules. But taxpayers should not pay for illegal immigrants who use hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and social services.
5. End birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the incentive to enter the U.S. illegally will remain strong.
6. Pass true immigration reform. The current system is incoherent and unfair. But current reform proposals would allow up to 60 million more immigrants into our country, according to the Heritage Foundation. This is insanity. Legal immigrants from all countries should face the same rules and waiting periods.


• We must stop special interests from violating property rights and literally driving families from their homes, farms and ranches.
  
  Our country’s founders would roll over in their graves if they saw the takings clause in the Fifth Amendment used to justify booting people out of their homes for the profit of private developers and tax-hungry local governments. The Supreme Court’s Kelo decision said government power could be used to condemn private homes and churches to benefit a huge pharmaceutical corporation and a large property developer.

I don't really care about abortion as an issue so for me his position on that is a moot point.

Here is where Dr. Paul and I diverge:

• Iraq - The intelligence on Iraq may have been faulty but at the time the prudent course appeared to be to take Saddam out of power. As is if we leave Iraq know we are setting up a perfect breeding ground for terrorists just like Afghanistan in the 1990's.



• Afghanistan - Dr. Paul would like us to pull out of Afghanistan. His rationale is well we haven't gotten Osama Bin lLadin and the Taliban may be in resurgence so let's leave Afghanistan to them and we can come back when we have another problem.



• NAFTA / North American Union



• PATRIOT Act - Dr. Paul is against it I support it. I assume that he is against the NSA Terrorist Surveillance Program too.

Except for NAFTA all of those are dealbreakers for me. I can't support a President who doesn't support them.

Earlier in my post I said that Ron Paul appears to be an intelligent, reasonable guy, I said appears, not is, because of this - Bryan asked Dr. Paul if he had been president in 1939 what would he have done to stop Hitler. Dr. Paul's answer - Nothing. When Bryan pointed out that it was generally accepted that if Hitler had been confronted in 1934 World War II would have been avoided. Dr. Paul replied that was the job of Britain and France. So basically what Dr. Paul is saying is "Sorry bout all those dead Jews and the fact that you are being stomped down by the implacable weight of Fascism (or Communism if Russia had still manged to win) but it's not our problem."

I'm pretty sure that all that talk about National Sovereignty would matter much if we had abandoned Europe to the Nazis or the Communists. Especially if Stalin had the A-Bomb.

It's that thinking that makes me seriously question Dr. Paul's judgment.

Update - How the hel did I forget this. His support for and from the "9/11 Truth" movement. That alone should be enough to keep him from being a viable candidate.

Ron Paul, President, Politics