by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
As an establishment site, the warmongering Politico has always hated and feared Ron Paul. Here is their latest attack, within the context of a broader article. First, they associate Ron with traditional libertarianism, which they describe as "pro-pot, pro-porn, pro-pacifist." Needless to say, Ron has never used pot nor porn, but he does believe in the individual's right to decide what goes into his mind and into his body. The state seeks control over both, of course.
Nor is Ron a pacifist – an ancient charge against those who oppose constant war. He believes in the right to self-defense, but he does not believe in the initiation of violence, whether by private criminals or the state. The state has recently taken more than a million lives in its imperialist anti-Muslim wars. Ron Paul has opposed them with all his heart and soul. He is a man of peace and the golden rule, in his private life and his policy.
Next, Politico tells us that "Ron Paul epitomized to a swath of voters the caricature of a goofy grandpa who invests in gold, stockpiles guns, sees black helicopters whirling overhead and quotes Friedrich Hayek."
Of course, Ron Paul is the most ungoofy guy you could know. He is thoughtful, careful, serious, well read, eloquent, an important public intellectual. It's true he's patiently invested in gold over many years, and made a good deal of money. Hurrah for him!
Ron does not "stockpile guns," unlike the government, though he supports gun rights for private citizens. And if they want to collect guns, that's their business. He doesn't see black helicopters, though he does deplore the drones that spy on us for the police state, and which can kill us, too, on presidential whim. And yes, he quotes the great Austrian economist Hayek, and Mises, Rothbard, Sennholz, and the others, too. He has also read the works of these men.
However, I do like this quote: Ron "recounted Richard Nixon’s infamous declaration as president that 'we’re all Keynesians now'" – “'We’re all Austrians now,' Paul pronounced with a sense of looming triumph, a reference to the school of economics that most values the free market."
Then Politico refers to Ron's "ride into the sunset." They wish! Ron can barely keep up with the flood of speaking invitations from universities and financial groups. He is hot. And he has just announced the extraordinary Ron Paul Homeschool Curriculum, to educate children K-12 in real economics, real history, and everything else they need, including public speaking, writing for publication, and social media. Talk about building for the future! He also has a new homeschool manifesto coming out to join his list of bestsellers, and he has other books in the works.
He is founding a new institution that will especially bug the bad guys. More on this later. And he is involved in television production, a new website, and a host of other ways to reach Americans by circumventing the regime. Riding into the sunset? It's morning in Ron Paul's America!
Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. former editorial assistant to Ludwig von Mises and congressional chief of staff to Ron Paul, is founder and CEO of the Mises Institute, executor for the estate of Murray N. Rothbard, and editor of LewRockwell.com. See his books.
The above originally appeared at LewRockwell.com and is reprinted with permission,
Like many individuals, Ron Paul was an early influence in moving me towards the philosophy of liberty. I, too, remember seeing his bumper stickers on cars and thinking, "that goofy politician who the potheads vote for." Then, I read End the Fed and immediately knew that his clear, level-headed reasoning and peaceful disposition had something deeper and more meaningful behind it. He truly is a shining example of how to conduct oneself in this overly-intellectualized, morally relativistic world we live in.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, it is always Hayek's name who is bandied about by the establishment when they need a "typical" libertarian philosopher. This in spite of the fact that any libertarian worth his salt would put Mises and Rothbard before the more centric Hayek. I think it's because they are afraid that even if they portray Mises and Rothbard as kooky or dangerous, they don't even want to expose people to the names due to what happens when semi-literate, non-violent people are exposed to their ideas, which entails thinking for oneself and all the dangerous consequences that ensue.