Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Don't go away mad, just go away
I've taken quite a few shots at Ron Paul over the past few months, and I'll continue to do so as long as he stays in the presidential race. Even though it's now mathematically impossible for him to win the GOP nomination (he needed at least 300 delegates following Super-Duper Tuesday), I anticipate him being around for a while as he burns through the six figures-worth of dollars in his campaign bank account.
There are quite a few things on which Ron Paul and I agree: taxes are too high; the federal government spends too much; property rights in America are eroding; entitlements need immediate reform; and the right to bear arms is an individual right.
On the other hand, there are a great many public policy "things" on which Ron Paul and I disagree. For starters, I think a feller has to be imbued with a great deal of economic naiveté to think that it's in America's best interest to abandon the world-wide system of floating exchange rates in favor of a single-country gold standard. And I fail to see the logic behind Ron Paul's crusade to abolish the Federal Reserve. I shudder to think what will happen if monetary policy is taken away from independent bankers and placed in the hands of partisan elected officials. (Indeed, the American economy was regularly plagued by panics, recessions and depressions prior to establishment of an independent central bank. Who the hell wants to return to that?)
My biggest beef with Paul, however, is his hopelessly misguided views on foreign policy. Paul seems to be laboring under the illusion that America can simply retreat behind its borders and the rest of the world will simply play the "we'll leave you alone" game. The United States has economic and military interests on every corner of the globe, all of which require constant protection. Leaving "over there," as Paul proposes, will only leave American interests - as well as the interests of its allies - exposed to the fiendish machinations of terrorists, demagogic dictators, and backward peoples who've not yet discovered the joys of indoor plumbing and the rule of law.
Finally, I couldn't close a rant about Ron Paul without discussing his supporters. Even if I agreed with Paul's politics 90 percent of the time, I don't think I could support him for president just 'cause of the way his ****in' supporters behave. When they're not calling talk radio programs to warn us about the looming danger of the North American Union, or to tell us that 9/11 was an inside job, the Paul "Revolutionaries" can be found spamming blogs and messages boards with tirades about, well, the North American Union, 9/11 "truth," etc.
I came face to face with several members of Paul's Nutbucket Brigade this past Saturday. I was walking toward the Sommet Center, at which the Nashville Predators were playing, when I spied about 50 pro-Paul folks waving signs, whistling and yelling at passing cars. Now, these folks weren't just standing on a street corner near the arena, they were practically standing in the door -- the better to accost sports fans as they entered. (Why security didn't pepper spray the bastards out into the street is beyond me.) One asshole was passing out Paul for President pushcards with this exclamation: "Here's a coupon for a free beer!" Not only was this guy an un-clever asshole, he was also incredibly stupid. It would've taken but one burly apolitical sports fan, who didn't cotton to receiving fake "free beer" coupons, for "free beer" guy to get his free ass kicked, several times over.
My greatest fear at this point is that Paul will not get out of the race, thus encouraging his supporters to become more shrill and nutty now that the decorum that's expected of serious presidential candidates is no longer necessary. Paul's Pissants will no doubt show up at every McCain/Romney function waving signs, shouting inanities, and generally making mischief. (I fully expect Rep. Paul to give them subtle, if not overt, encouragement.)
Since their guy is no longer a viable candidate - was he ever a viable candidate? - I have but one message for Ron Paul and Paulites: Don't go away mad, just go away.
There are quite a few things on which Ron Paul and I agree: taxes are too high; the federal government spends too much; property rights in America are eroding; entitlements need immediate reform; and the right to bear arms is an individual right.
On the other hand, there are a great many public policy "things" on which Ron Paul and I disagree. For starters, I think a feller has to be imbued with a great deal of economic naiveté to think that it's in America's best interest to abandon the world-wide system of floating exchange rates in favor of a single-country gold standard. And I fail to see the logic behind Ron Paul's crusade to abolish the Federal Reserve. I shudder to think what will happen if monetary policy is taken away from independent bankers and placed in the hands of partisan elected officials. (Indeed, the American economy was regularly plagued by panics, recessions and depressions prior to establishment of an independent central bank. Who the hell wants to return to that?)
My biggest beef with Paul, however, is his hopelessly misguided views on foreign policy. Paul seems to be laboring under the illusion that America can simply retreat behind its borders and the rest of the world will simply play the "we'll leave you alone" game. The United States has economic and military interests on every corner of the globe, all of which require constant protection. Leaving "over there," as Paul proposes, will only leave American interests - as well as the interests of its allies - exposed to the fiendish machinations of terrorists, demagogic dictators, and backward peoples who've not yet discovered the joys of indoor plumbing and the rule of law.
Finally, I couldn't close a rant about Ron Paul without discussing his supporters. Even if I agreed with Paul's politics 90 percent of the time, I don't think I could support him for president just 'cause of the way his ****in' supporters behave. When they're not calling talk radio programs to warn us about the looming danger of the North American Union, or to tell us that 9/11 was an inside job, the Paul "Revolutionaries" can be found spamming blogs and messages boards with tirades about, well, the North American Union, 9/11 "truth," etc.
I came face to face with several members of Paul's Nutbucket Brigade this past Saturday. I was walking toward the Sommet Center, at which the Nashville Predators were playing, when I spied about 50 pro-Paul folks waving signs, whistling and yelling at passing cars. Now, these folks weren't just standing on a street corner near the arena, they were practically standing in the door -- the better to accost sports fans as they entered. (Why security didn't pepper spray the bastards out into the street is beyond me.) One asshole was passing out Paul for President pushcards with this exclamation: "Here's a coupon for a free beer!" Not only was this guy an un-clever asshole, he was also incredibly stupid. It would've taken but one burly apolitical sports fan, who didn't cotton to receiving fake "free beer" coupons, for "free beer" guy to get his free ass kicked, several times over.
My greatest fear at this point is that Paul will not get out of the race, thus encouraging his supporters to become more shrill and nutty now that the decorum that's expected of serious presidential candidates is no longer necessary. Paul's Pissants will no doubt show up at every McCain/Romney function waving signs, shouting inanities, and generally making mischief. (I fully expect Rep. Paul to give them subtle, if not overt, encouragement.)
Since their guy is no longer a viable candidate - was he ever a viable candidate? - I have but one message for Ron Paul and Paulites: Don't go away mad, just go away.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, February 06, 2008 
