To start off, more than five years ago, before any of the current slate of GOP hopefuls or prior , contenders, he saw and said what would happen if government continued on its fatuous ways. Even before Obama, he described the current state of America’s Federal government as a philosophical danger that only represents the status quo. He described it as immoral because both republicans and democrats in the executive and legislative branches of government were destroying our personal and economic liberties. Five years ago he stated that they believe in internationalism over the constitution and that banking, the military industrial complex, the prison industrial complex, medical industry, the insurance industry and pharmaceutical industry interest are placed before the interest of the American people in the name of profits.
Many of us, as ill-informed as we are, forget that the austerity measures via stimulus as pronounced by Bush and Obama, and countries in Europe, are not what is needed to deal with the problems resulting from the financial crisis of 2007 but instead aid the speculators who brought the crisis in the first place. Paul is the only person who addresses this.
He speaks openly how the UN uses America to act against its own interest and how they took us to war after WW II in Korea and that we have been there ever since. He points out how our major trade agreements including NAFTA and our involvement with the IMF, WTO and World Bank drain US economic resources for other nations and not ours. He is against internationalism and believes most government should be local as well as speaks openly how democrats and republicans alike are weak on immigration and do not care about the nation’s borders based on past inaction.
To bring our budget under control he notes we needs to stop spending. Unlike Republicans, he will not cut domestic programs to do this but rather stop all foreign aid abroad, close all of our military bases abroad, and bring home all of our troops. If we don’t take such measure, not only will our sovereignty be questionable, but we will have an even bigger financial crisis and a collapse of the dollar is his view.
His observations are well supported as both democrats and republican administrations amass massive deficits that continue to grow annually. He attacks republicans for when Bush was elected, he doubled the size of the Department of Education, increased entitlements and implemented a prescription drug program, none of which were paid for.
He says that the federal government spends too much, tax too much, borrow too much and print too much. This has resulted in a currency and sovereign debt crisis. He would end the IRS and not replace it with anything using history as a framework saying that the nation lived without an IRS until 1913 when it was established (16th amendment). He would prefer tariffs and similar fees.
What makes him different from the Republican candidates and Obama is his understanding and approach to foreign policy. A common example of his is showing how Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein used to be our allies and then became our enemies. Our aid t these nations and our presence in Saudi Arabia for example fuel their hate. We give billions to Israel annually and three times as much to Arab states because of our global policeman stance and desire to want in roads to Middle Eastern oil. Cutting foreign aid alone would save hundreds of billions annually and would be sensible foreign policy if taking care of America was more important than policing the world putting military lives at risk. For as Paul ask, who do US troops in Germany and Japan help America’s defense and protect our national interest? As it stands, the US military is in 130 countries and have more than 700 bases around the world at a staggering annual cost.
He believes we should become energy dependent, drill at home and develop alternative fuels here in our own backyard. Government from his perspective should not give any global multi-national corporation loan guarantees because it fosters malinvestment and obviates free-market. Why because from his perspective, welfarism and corporatism create more and more poor and hungry people.
Last but not least, unlike Obama or the GOP, Paul believes in legalizing freedom of choice to the extent of legalizing marijuana. His position is that it should be obviated from the jurisdiction of the federal government and that states should be left to decide to regulate it as was the case before 1937. This is both a 10th amendment and free market issue from his perspective.
Bottom line is based on policy and position alone, Dr. Paul is what I desire in a President more so than any of the GOP fanatics and President Obama. I do not select a person because he looks like me or is the same color or race. The way I see it a rapist, black or white is still a rapist. Unlike many black folks in America, I study the issues and do not vote based on trivial pursuits or because someone tells me I should. I am no Uncle Tom but for me it is Dr. Paul over Obama any day. Im just saying – so call in tonight and let us know what you think.- torrance stephens, phd.
