"Government is the enemy of liberty" -- Ron Paul at CPAC

George H. Smith · February 22, 2010

I don't usually recommend political speeches, but Ron Paul's recent address at CPAC is outstanding.

It is worth your time to watch all three parts.

Ghs

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Selene · February 22, 2010

I don't usually recommend political speeches, but Ron Paul's recent address at CPAC is outstanding.
It is worth your time to watch all three parts.
Ghs
Part 1
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Part 2
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Part 3
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George:

Yes, even though he lacks the orator style and the timbre of his voice is distracting, the speech was excellent.

When I heard the results of the straw poll, I forgot how the Paul folks always win them because of their overloading of the votes, which, as you know, can easily be done. However, those political ground troops will be sorely needed this year.

Adam

George H. Smith · February 22, 2010

I watched Paul's speech again after starting this thread. The topic title should have been "Government is the enemy of liberty," since that is the correct quote. I couldn't find a way to change the title. Maybe Michael could help me out with this.

Ghs

Selene · February 22, 2010

I watched Paul's speech again after starting this thread. The topic title should have been "Government is the enemy of liberty," since that is the correct quote. I couldn't find a way to change the title. Maybe Michael could help me out with this.
Ghs

Christopher · February 22, 2010

Very nice speech by Ron Paul. I also like listening to his techniques. Brilliant to bring up Woodrow Wilson as a common enemy to set himself up against. I've got to use this technique!

Chris

George H. Smith · February 22, 2010

Adam,

When I first looked at the still frame from "So Let It Be Written," I thought maybe it was a clip from one of the "Star Wars" movies.

Ghs

Selene · February 22, 2010

Adam,
When I first looked at the still frame from "So Let It Be Written," I thought maybe it was a clip from one of the "Star Wars" movies.
Ghs

George:

LOL - never viewed it in that light, but you're right.

Adam

BaalChatzaf · February 22, 2010

How does the thesis: "Government is the enemy" differ from anarchism?

Ba'al Chatzaf

George H. Smith · February 22, 2010

How does the thesis: "Government is the enemy" differ from anarchism?
Ba'al Chatzaf

As I noted in an earlier post, Ron Paul said, "Government is the enemy of freedom." I was unable to correct the topic title, so I hope that Michael will do this for me. (Is there some way for the creator of a topic to change the title later on?)

Paul continued with a remark that is therefore necessary to "restrain" government.

Paul's comments are reminiscent of Rand's comments in "Man's Rights":

"Potentially, a government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims. When unlimited and unrestricted by individual rights, a government is men's deadliest enemy."

Over over 40 years ago, when governmental power was far less intrusive than it is now, Rand wrote in "The Nature of Government":

"Now consider the extent of the moral and political inversion in today's prevalent view of government. Instead of being a protector of man's rights, the government is becoming their most dangerous violator; instead of guarding freedom, the government is establishing slavery; instead of protecting men from the initiators of physical force, the government is initiating physical force and coercion in any manner and issue it pleases...," etc.

Ron Paul was saying pretty much the same thing. He is obviously no anarchist, but I would be delighted if we could scale back government to the point advocated by Ron Paul.

Ghs

BaalChatzaf · February 22, 2010

Ron Paul was saying pretty much the same thing. He is obviously no anarchist, but I would be delighted if we could scale back government to the point advocated by Ron Paul.
Ghs

Good luck. Government has been the enemy of liberty since George Washington put down the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794.

Under the Lincoln Administration men were being drafted and money was being counterfeited in the form of "green backs".

Under the Wilson Administration the railroads were nationalized.

Under the FDR New Deal we all know what happened.

And it has been worse than that since.

Ba'al Chatzaf

jriggenbach · February 22, 2010

Glenn Greenwald's very astute piece on the GOP, the tea parties, and Ron Paul.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/02/21/libertarianism

JR

George H. Smith · February 22, 2010

Glenn Greenwald's very astute piece on the GOP, the tea parties, and Ron Paul.
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/02/21/libertarianism
JR

On his radio program today, Rush Limbaugh commented on the straw poll victory of Ron Paul at CPAC. An exasperated Rush said that any convention where Ron Paul was voted the favorite was not attended by "true conservatives." Then Rush grunted.

Ghs

Selene · February 22, 2010

Glenn Greenwald's very astute piece on the GOP, the tea parties, and Ron Paul.
http://www.salon.com.../libertarianism
JR
On his radio program today, Rush Limbaugh commented on the straw poll victory of Ron Paul at CPAC. An exasperated Rush said that any convention where Ron Paul was voted the favorite was not attended by "true conservatives." Then Rush grunted.
Ghs

George:

Rush is a conservative who is also a Republican. He is no libertarian the way we define it. The "straw poll" stunned a few folks because of the third party scare. His argument is that a third party would only divide resources and votes.

Right now, today, he is absolutely correct.

The difficulty in getting on the ballot in all fifty states needs:

1) money;

2) field forces' and

3) expertise.

I do not believe we have sufficient time to run a wave of third party candidates.

This year, we have to basically dig in and get rid of as many incumbents as possible.

You do not get these types of opportunities very often.

Lesser of lots of evils, but this year that is the way it is in my opinion.

Adam

jriggenbach · February 22, 2010

Glenn Greenwald's very astute piece on the GOP, the tea parties, and Ron Paul.
http://www.salon.com.../libertarianism
JR
On his radio program today, Rush Limbaugh commented on the straw poll victory of Ron Paul at CPAC. An exasperated Rush said that any convention where Ron Paul was voted the favorite was not attended by "true conservatives." Then Rush grunted.
Ghs
George:
Rush is a conservative who is also a Republican. He is no libertarian the way we define it. The "straw poll" stunned a few folks because of the third party scare. His argument is that a third party would only divide resources and votes.
Right now, today, he is absolutely correct.
The difficulty in getting on the ballot in all fifty states needs:
1) money;
2) field forces' and
3) expertise.
I do not believe we have sufficient time to run a wave of third party candidates.
This year, we have to basically dig in and get rid of as many incumbents as possible.
You do not get these types of opportunities very often.
Lesser of lots of evils, but this year that is the way it is in my opinion.
Adam

As Glenn Greenwald says, "The very idea that a political party dominated by neocons, warmongers, surveillance fetishists, and privacy-hating social conservatives will be a party of 'limited government' is absurd on its face."

As is any suggestion that such a political party represents a "lesser of evils" for libertarians.

As Robert Higgs put it over on History News Network today, "conservatives will be ever ready to spill the blood of any and all foreigners, for any reason or none at all, and . . . they will always support the invasion of their neighbors' personal affairs, to make them 'virtuous' at gunpoint. No alliance between libertarians and these uptight, bloodthirsty people is conceivable."

JR

Edited February 22, 2010 by Jeff Riggenbach

Brant Gaede · February 22, 2010

Glenn Greenwald's very astute piece on the GOP, the tea parties, and Ron Paul.
http://www.salon.com.../libertarianism
JR
On his radio program today, Rush Limbaugh commented on the straw poll victory of Ron Paul at CPAC. An exasperated Rush said that any convention where Ron Paul was voted the favorite was not attended by "true conservatives." Then Rush grunted.
Ghs
George:
Rush is a conservative who is also a Republican. He is no libertarian the way we define it. The "straw poll" stunned a few folks because of the third party scare. His argument is that a third party would only divide resources and votes.
Right now, today, he is absolutely correct.
The difficulty in getting on the ballot in all fifty states needs:
1) money;
2) field forces' and
3) expertise.
I do not believe we have sufficient time to run a wave of third party candidates.
This year, we have to basically dig in and get rid of as many incumbents as possible.
You do not get these types of opportunities very often.
Lesser of lots of evils, but this year that is the way it is in my opinion.
Adam
As Glenn Greenwald says, "The very idea that a political party dominated by neocons, warmongers, surveillance fetishists, and privacy-hating social conservatives will be a party of 'limited government' is absurd on its face."
As is any suggestion that such a political party represents a "lesser of evils" for libertarians.
As Robert Higgs put it over on History News Network today, "conservatives will be ever ready to spill the blood of any and all foreigners, for any reason or none at all, and . . . they will always support the invasion of their neighbors' personal affairs, to make them 'virtuous' at gunpoint. No alliance between libertarians and these uptight, bloodthirsty people is conceivable."
JR

So far from Coolidge, so close to the Bushes.

--Brant

Selene · February 24, 2010

Unfortunately Brant makes a comparison that is tragically true.

Fiscal Year 2010

The newest TCS earmark database is now available for download

Complete TCS FY2010 Earmark Database: Download Here

TCS FY2010 Earmark Analysis: Apples-to-Apples Increase in Earmark Totals Download Here (pdf) | HTML

We've also taken the many questions that have poured into our office about earmarks and our earmark database, and answered them all in one document we call our "Earmark FAQ"

Check out our new Earmark FAQ Here

Here’s a comment about the FY10 earmarks from TCS President Ms. Ryan Alexander:

“The increased earmark transparency in recent years reveals a troubling pattern during difficult budget times. High levels of special interest spending remain and powerful lawmakers are hoarding cash for their districts while the rest of the Congress fights for table scraps. Spending should be a meritocracy. Instead of simply rewarding the constituents or campaign contributors of the politically powerful, our taxpayer dollars must be spent on only the most critical and important projects nationwide.”

These people should be dragged out of the chamber.

Adam

Michael Stuart Kelly · February 25, 2010

I watched Paul's speech again after starting this thread. The topic title should have been "Government is the enemy of liberty," since that is the correct quote. I couldn't find a way to change the title. Maybe Michael could help me out with this.

George,

I only got around to looking at this thread now. The title is now changed.

btw - I listened to the speech. Ron Paul said all the right things, but there is something that bothers me about him. It's almost visceral.

He takes important issues like tolerance and freedom of expression and preaches it across the board. Why? Because we have the right of freedom of speech? No. Because without doing that, "We can't win."

Of course, I know he believes that we have that right. But to punctuate his speech with something like that the way he did it comes across as saying we need liberty so we can win elections. It's weird.

Isn't that just another way of saying that the Republican party needs a "big tent" and that liberty is just one of the goods being sold in it?

Also, his praise of Warren G. Harding for pardoning Debs--it's a sour note in the symphony. I agree with him that Debs should not have been jailed. But instead of using Woodrow Wilson's crap to illustrate the principle of freedom of speech, he used it to show how "a conservative" (or Republican, I can't remember which he said) was the one who kinda undid the damage to Debsby pardoning him. Implying that a Democrat or liberal would never have done that. More weird.

He made a principle of freedom a partisan issue.

And he mentioned how Bush (the younger) ran and won his election on not being the world's policeman. But he didn't blast Bush for betraying that promise. Weird, weird, weird.

I get a bad feeling from all this. Not because I don't like Ron Paul or think the principles he preaches are wrong. It's that the contexts he puts the principles in, and the contexts he leaves out, are all over the place.

I get the feeling (from the way he talks) that he is a rule follower, not a conceptual thinker. If the rule says it, then you gotta follow the rule. Even if the rule is wrong. You can try to change the rule, but so long as it is the rule, you are bound by it. You go down with the ship if necessary if throwing water overboard is against the rule, but you don't waver from the rule.

That way is sooooooooooooooo not me.

Michael

EDIT: Let me be clear on one thing. Despite my reservations, I am glad Ron Paul is in Congress and is speaking about these issues in public. He's not my cup of tea, but he is doing a lot of good for a lot of people in getting the pro-individual rights anti-big-government word out.

DavidMcK · February 26, 2010

He's blasted the Iraq War so often he probably didn't feel the need to do it again, especially since his main point was that you can win elections being anti-empire building. Yes, he somewhat tailors his message (or re-emphasizes) according to whom he is speaking, but he understands the gold standard (not just as a rule, but conceptually), he ran first as a libertarian with the LP, and he is still the most libertarian person (that I know of) in all of government.

Michael Stuart Kelly · February 26, 2010

David,

The first time I got that clunky cognitive dissonance feeling about Ron Paul was when I was researching a book called Without a Prayer by John Robbins. This is a book devoted to blasting the hell out of Ayn Rand and Objectivism (although some of the criticism deserves more attention than it gets), and promoting a Calvinist religion instead. Ever since then, I have noted the intellectual clunkiness I complained about in his pronouncements.

See for yourself. Here is Ron Paul's message on the praise section of the book:

John Robbins is as stalwart a defender of a free society as I have known. His love of freedom—religious, political, and economic—motivated him to write Without a Prayer, a brilliantly insightful analysis of Ayn Rand's influential philosophy. Without a Prayer deserves to be read by everyone who loves freedom—everyone who wants to advocate freedom with arguments that cannot be refuted. Robbins furnishes the indispensable ideas—the intellectual ammunition—required to defend freedom successfully.
Ron Paul (R-TX)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.

"Love of freedom" motivated Robbins to write that book?

It is intellectual ammunition?

Required to defend freedom successfully?

Robbins's book does not even deal with freedom...

Clunk.

Just one more politician kissing a baby in front of the camera...

Michael

9thdoctor · February 26, 2010

Here’s a couple youtubes about Ron Paul:

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type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="

name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="

type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

I think the most important point about Ron Paul is that he’s 75 now, and will be 77 come time for the next presidential election. He’s too old, he can’t get elected, even if his health is perfect for his age. Maybe he will be an inspiration for someone better, but who will that be?

George H. Smith · February 26, 2010

I watched Paul's speech again after starting this thread. The topic title should have been "Government is the enemy of liberty," since that is the correct quote. I couldn't find a way to change the title. Maybe Michael could help me out with this.
George,
I only got around to looking at this thread now. The title is now changed.
btw - I listened to the speech. Ron Paul said all the right things, but there is something that bothers me about him. It's almost visceral.

I get the same feeling sometimes, but I chalk it up to my innate distrust of politicians.

Ghs

"Government is the enemy of liberty" -- Ron Paul at CPAC

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