"The only voice that has spoken up at all is Ron Paul. Why are we so interventionist he wants to know. What are we doing with all these wars? How are we safer?"
Phil Donahue on Ron Paul
By StillLooking Follow Sat, 7 Jan 2012, 11:08am 4,594 views 23 comments
Watch (1) Share
Quote
Permalink Like Dislike Viewing Comments 1-23 of 23 Last » See most liked comments
|
StillLooking is moderator of this thread. |
Follow
Befriend (8)
204 threads
4,416 comments
Davis, CA
Simple, it's the "rifle over the fireplace in Act I" principle.
If you see a rifle over the fireplace commented on in a play in Act I, you can be pretty certain it will be used later in the play.
Similarly, we've built a large standing army post WWII, and it WILL get used.
America LIKES having the Big Stick.
There is no public support for reducing military to 5% for purely coastal defense to disable this capability. Sure Ron Paul may TALK about bringing them home and even making some cuts. However he's not going to have support for turning the swords into plowshare from Congress or the populace even if he were really serious about it. Even when we talk about shrinking it the first thing that is trotted out as needing to be independent of cuts is Rapid Deployment Forces, so we can most effectively interfere when we want to. You're really going to tell a generation of ROTC students and current military, hey we're closing all your bases and turning you boys out go find jobs. Support for that will last about 3 seconds when the THEORY meets reality of not having a guaranteed paycheck any more.
Follow
Befriend
3 comments
its funny cause the top 3 contributors to Ron Paul's campaign:
US Army
US Navy
US Air Force
weird huh?
Follow
Befriend
78 comments
Black Mountain, NC
Not weird at all...... The people who actually fight the oil wars for the U.S., the ones who are in Iran, Iraq. Afghanistan, etc. know how immoral and bogus it is, and want it stopped.
The children of the Senate members, House members, Wall Street creeps and Banksters don't fight our wars. They stay safe at home and make profitable trades on the whole sickening set-up. Sweet.
Follow
Befriend
3 comments
i know, i was being sarcastic, in reply to Vicente, who is not far off from the truth im sure, but, seems to have given up already on the only peace candidate there is for 2012.
Follow
Befriend (14)
764 threads
2,601 comments
63 male
Las Vegas, NV
bgamall4's website
Premium
Phil has always been anti war. But Ron Paul stands for a lot more than just anti war, and it isn't pretty.
Follow
Befriend
1 threads
78 comments
bgamall4 says
This next election is going to be Fabian socialist vs. Libertarian, essentially. Anti-Constitution vs. pro-Constitution.
Why do you like Fabian socialism so much, despite its long history of human suffering and that it will put unelected, corrupt central bankers in an even greater position of power?
Follow
Befriend (14)
764 threads
2,601 comments
63 male
Las Vegas, NV
bgamall4's website
Premium
Jason M. says
Libertarianism has already failed with the deregulation of the banking system in the UK. That same deregulation came to the United States in the form of the repeal of Glass-Steagall. You have already FAILED.
Follow
Befriend (1)
12 comments
San Diego, CA
Incorrect analysis on the failure of liberalism. Liberalism will let banking systems fail, as has happened throughout history, however, it was the goverment intervention that didn't allow for the collapse of banks and the prosecution of perpetrators of fraud. Banks should have failed, the banksters should have gone to jail, all of which would be replaced by new banks with good balance sheets and new, conservative and trustworthy leadership. I agree with Glass-Steagall, but I think your analysis on Liberalism is incorrect. It was cronyism and regulatory capture that repealed Glass-Steagall and contrinbuted to the crisis.
Follow
Befriend (14)
764 threads
2,601 comments
63 male
Las Vegas, NV
bgamall4's website
Premium
epinpb says
Liberalism was fooled, defrauded. It will happen again and again and again. The banksters will get deregulation to run their casino, but they will strap derivatives to their bodies and implode the entire financial system in order to survive.
Libertarians were instrumental in deregulating dangerous default swaps. Thanks boys. YOU FAILED.
Follow
Befriend (13)
52 threads
2,639 comments
Premium
I agree that Glass-Steagal should be reintroduced without modification immediately.
But I notice that large money center commercial banks are skating. There is enough evidence out in the public domain already to easily get some convictions and win some civil trials. IE Linda Green.
The Admin seems more concerned with ramming a 50-state settlement through that gives a wrist-slap for widespread fraud and doesn't compensate the states for massive losses in court filing fees, much less administer punishment for all the widespread, endemic, not just a few rotten apples but the whole barrel, predatory lending.
Compare this to the much smaller S&L crisis where hundreds of individuals went to the slammer and several substantial operations were wound down forcibly by the state and federal government - in a much shorter segment of time, too.
They aren't even trying. The DOJ lawyer appointed to oversee Wall Street cases is a premier White Collar Criminal defense attorney from a notorious law firm. His claim to fame is defending Enron executives. He was interviewed on 60 Minutes and made it clear that the public could not expect prosecutions of the big boys. He'll probably go after financial advisors with 100 clients over some $25 grey-area annual fee and put him out of business, while BoA (Countrywide) and GS walk.
If the democrats aren't giving me results on some issues, I'll vote for a guy who seems to have a chance of getting me results on other issues I care about.
The only way the Democrats will become a left-wing party again is to receive discipline from voters. When moderate, business friendly democrats routinely lose but left-wing democrats win, the party will shift leftwards. If moderates (who are now well right of center) keep winning, the Third Way "neofeudalism but with gay marriage and legal abortion" buffoons will continue to dominate.
The public is becoming more left-wing, not less. Have some faith: The era of culture war infighting is ending. A poorer yet educated population swings to the left, count on it.
Follow
Befriend
3 comments
i guess this post was just asking for these arguments.
in my opinion:
I don't beleive in in this "true free markets" crap will solve all our problems. BUT Ron Paul is thee only Peaceful Candidate. and for that he gets my vote.
Noam Chomsky on Adam Smith Wealth of Nations and Markets. Check it out:
Follow
Befriend (13)
52 threads
2,639 comments
Premium
Thanks Vnny for that video.
Follow
Befriend
21 threads
581 comments
South Pasadena, CA
bgamall4 says
Of course, US military is the world top stimulus package. R.P. definitely wants to cut ALL stimulus packages.
But do not worry, its quite clear by now, Americans want stimuli packages. We'll have an election between Obama and Romney.
Either before the elections or just after we'll have a huge war in Middle East. Soon after American Empire will crash and China will sweep the floor.
Follow
Befriend
21 threads
581 comments
South Pasadena, CA
Vnny says
All this is fine, but we have a simple choice today: Ron Paul or a huge war and simultaneous occupation of Iran, Iraq, about half of Syria and Lebanon with genocide of Shiites there. (The rest of Syria will be handled by Turkey).
The whole thing will be financed with inflating the $US Ponzi scheme to its natural collapse. After its collapse we'll have the single World superpower (Not USA).
Yes, R.P. means a recession. There is no known way to convert a centrally managed economy to a kind of free market without a recession.
Follow
Befriend (28)
171 threads
4,225 comments
Premium
Ayn Rand is nuts but there's a terrible biopic about her starring Helen Mirren in which you get to see Helen rutt face to face in the semi-nude and take it doggy so at least Rand has indirectly contributed to the arts.
Follow
Befriend (14)
764 threads
2,601 comments
63 male
Las Vegas, NV
bgamall4's website
Premium
michaelsch says
Ron Paul wants to crash main street. 66 percent reduction in food stamps. Seniors begging for social security because he says he supports it but doesn't. He said recently you should be angry about paying someone else's social security.
He built a political base surrounded by racists. At the least, he believes racism should be a civil right. Very dirty politics. He is sincere in what he believes, but what he believes is very dirty.
Follow
Befriend
7 threads
187 comments
Pacifica, CA
"This next election is going to be Fabian socialist vs. Libertarian, essentially. Anti-Constitution vs. pro-Constitution"
No, the next election will be one wing of the Business party versus the other. Industry will be safe and secure.
Follow
Befriend
16 threads
4,426 comments
marco says
We have a all volunteer armed forces, who are very motivated and eager to enlist. Your not going to see many coming home stating it was an immoral or bogus war. Only the idiot Pacifists think that way.
Follow
Befriend
3 threads
2,499 comments
thomas.wong1986 says
http://ivaw.org/
yep idiot pacifists all the way
Follow
Befriend (5)
7 threads
228 comments
Belgium, WI
Premium
Just as it isn't a democracy if the people are deluded or ignorant, it isn't a "volunteer" military if the members of the military don't have a viable alternative. No money for college, no jobs that pay a living wage, no community organizations to turn to that can help: you don't "volunteer", you "settle".
It is NOT the same thing.
Follow
Befriend (14)
764 threads
2,601 comments
63 male
Las Vegas, NV
bgamall4's website
Premium
thomas.wong1986 says
I suppose you know that the BBC reported the taliban went to Texas in 1997, and when Cheney and the others did not get the pipeline they wanted to the Caspian Sea through Afghanistan, Cheney had motive as vice president to facilitate 911 and to invade Iraq for oil and Afghanistan for the pipeline. Google: taliban went to Texas 1997
Follow
Befriend
1 threads
78 comments
bgamall4 says
So your solution is to put the individuals who very intentionally corrupted capitalism into positions of greater power by creating a 100% Fabian socialist government and letting these same central bankers run the show behind the scenes?
Doesn't sound like you thought this plan out too well... you do realize that for the last 300 years, the central bankers have been funding both sides (and profiting off the interest) of every war, thus causing endless human suffering and misery? This is just the first item on the list...
Why does it make sense to you to put the most profoundly corrupt people on the planet in charge of a worldwide/regional socialist system that greatly reduces the citizens' power to keep the central bankers in check?
You do realize that Saul Alinsky, in his "Rules for Radicals," explains that one of the key Fabian socialist strategies is to corrupt capitalism from within, and use capitalism's own rule book to denounce capitalism and state that it fell by its own hand? This strategy is specific to destroying capitalism to pave the way for Fabian socialism.
Follow
Befriend (5)
7 threads
228 comments
Belgium, WI
Premium
monkframe says
The 'next?' one? I'm pretty sure that covers the last 5 or 6 at least.