This is a defense of Ron Paul I'm writing out of sheer frustration. I hope it appeals to a few of you.
I'm not a partisan guy. I don't get excited about "my team" winning. I don't care if it's politicians, sports, music--I am simply not the kind of guy who feels really happy about "his" group winning and gets really defensive and upset when "his" group is attacked by supporters of other groups. I don't care to attack or defend Justin Bieber, Barack Obama, or the New York Yankees. Now, if they do something wrong--if, say, Justin Bieber strangles a prostitute--I'd criticize him, but only because he did something wrong, not because he's on the other team.
Because of my lack of interest in teams and winning, I've never been excited about Ron Paul the way other libertarians are. Further more, I found myself skeptical of his motives (he's a politician, he'll sell whatever it takes to win) and doubtful that he could achieve his aims once in office (Obama does not strike me as a gun nut, yet he bends over backwards for the NRA). Yet I have explored a little of Ron Paul due to the current excitement over him, and I have observed something striking: Ron Paul wants to stop murdering people. Even when it's an unpopular message, he pushes it, which suggests that he really means it. He wants to end the war on drugs and the wars in the middle east. Furthermore, he doesn't want to start new wars!
The deaths caused by these wars have to be murder. Even if you think that drugs shouldn't be consumed, and even if you think that there are good reasons for the US government to be invading the Middle east, there is no way you can possibly think that all of those deaths, or even 90%, or even 50% of those deaths, are necessary to achieve those aims. That means thousands and thousands of those deaths are simply murder, and completely immoral. They must stop. Ron Paul wants to stop them.
That's why it makes me so furious to see things like this. I don't know much about Ron Paul, so he may be a racist for all I know. But let Ron Paul be a racist! He is the only candidate who wants to stop murdering thousands of people every year! Whatever the immorality of electing a potentially racist President, it does not compare to the immorality of electing a President who is known to be a killer and pro-killing whenever convenient!
As if the evil of one man's repugnant personal views outweighs the evil of the slaughter of thousands!
There's also the obvious irony that out of all the candidates' personal views, Ron Paul's are the least important. Under Ron Paul's ideal policies, Paul would lack the power to use his racism for evil. Only a powerful President, with the power to kill and regulate every aspect of society, needs to be an angel in order to be a good President. An economist like Brad Delong should understand this easily.
An economist like Brad Delong should understand this easily.
An economist like Brad Delong is insane:
The superrich command and control so many resources that they are effectively satiated: increasing or decreasing how much wealth they have has no effect on their happiness.
Oh boy, that means I can steal a couple thousand from my neighbors?
I think it would be more accurate to say that an economist like Brad DeLong is bought and paid for.
@OP: Excellent point. I think more people should drive the point home that any allegations of racism pale in comparison to the actions of killing scores of innocent human beings and other such barbarism as have actually ocurred in recent history.
The keyboard is mightier than the gun.
Non parit potestas ipsius auctoritatem.
Voluntaryism Forum
If that is so, then I am likely very much in the wrong. He's obviously not crazy, as he's got a cozy job telling people what to believe - much more than anything I have! In fact, he might be more of a rational egoist than I am :P
Ron Paul isn't a racist. I've refuted this.
he's a politician, he'll sell whatever it takes to win
Then why has he been saying just about the same damn thing for decades?
Also he continues to get more donations from military personel than all the other candidates combined.
Yeah, people shouldn't care if Ron Paul is racist as long as it doesn't effect his policies. But with Boobus Americanus (a phrase I stole from DiLorenzo), these kinds of sideshows and personality styles are important. I think it happens to be a bonus that Ron Paul is not racist.
It's pretty excellent work, that blog post from the Mobutu VICE mouthpiece, in accurately and observantly emulating an actual press release sent out by Mobutu's secret police via megaphone as they break down doors and set fire to villages. He has the 'rape-room' style on lock.
Tunk,
I naturally suspect all politicians of being willing to do whatever it takes to win. I think Ron Paul is sincerely opposed to war because he has opposed it for so long.
Also, nice graphs.
Someone who is opposed to the drug wars and the war on terror is a racist? What the hell? They're the most racist policies we have in place today. Of course who cares about important things like that- lets call ron paul a racist and go back to arguing over abortion and gay marriage.
Coase:I naturally suspect all politicians of being willing to do whatever it takes to win.
I think Tunk makes a perfect point that illustrates quite clearly that you are wrong. Again, if that is the case, why has Ron Paul been saying the same thing his entire political career, whether it helped him in the polls or not? I think it's quite clear if he would just support the warmongering and the establishment position on Israel, he'd be a shoo-in. Listen to them whine and all but admit that on Fox News. I think this was even more true last time around. He'd probably be President right now if he would have simply changed a few things to more "mainstream" rhetoric.
Also, on the racist issue, addressed by Ron Paul himself, here.
At first I thought you were joking due to your past posts - but even if you are, I agree 100% with your overall sentiments (even though I really doubt RP is a racist in any meaningful / worth considering sense)
The fact is, even if you disagree with his economics or whatever - where he will really count and make a difference is in foreign policy. He may be the only major canidate in a very long time to seriously challenge, and if elected, change the policy of US imperialism . If all the killing overseas makes you squeamish (and it does for me) - Ron Paul is the best viable political option anyone can consider.
And frankly, if one is going to think about "big issues" and care about global politicas, if there 1st concern is not stopping insane murdering (fuck "cold pragmatic realism") than there is nothing I think I can talk about to the person.
"As in a kaleidoscope, the constellation of forces operating in the system as a whole is ever changing." - Ludwig Lachmann
"When A Man Dies A World Goes Out of Existence" - GLS Shackle
I should note that I don't think Paul is racist or a political whore. But even if he was racist, he would still be the most moral candidate.