Ron Paul: Full of Crap and Venom
Stemming off the recent uncovering of newsletters that were either written by, or on behalf of, Ron Paul in the early 90s that reveal him to have been a racist, homophobic member of the conspiracy theorist lunatic fringe, (or at best, someone who pandered to racist homophobic lunatic fringe conspiracy theorists), there appears to be more.
Evidently, it may not have been Ron Paul himself who wrote those ugly and ignorant things. Reason Magazine says it was libertarian hero Lew Rockwell.
During the period when the most incendiary items appeared—roughly 1989 to 1994—Rockwell and the prominent libertarian theorist Murray Rothbard championed an open strategy of exploiting racial and class resentment to build a coalition with populist “paleoconservatives,” producing a flurry of articles and manifestos whose racially charged talking points and vocabulary mirrored the controversial Paul newsletters recently unearthed by The New Republic.
Reason explains the evidence that points to Rockwell and Rothbard, and adds:
The [newsletters] published between Paul’s return to private life after three full terms in congress (1985) and his Libertarian presidential bid (1988) notably lack inflammatory racial or anti-gay comments. The letters published between Paul’s first run for president and his return to Congress in 1996 are another story—replete with claims that Martin Luther King “seduced underage girls and boys,” that black protesters should gather “at a food stamp bureau or a crack house” rather than the Statue of Liberty, and that AIDS sufferers “enjoy the attention and pity that comes with being sick.”
and…
The populist outreach program centered on tax reduction, abolition of welfare, elimination of “the entire ‘civil rights’ structure, which tramples on the property rights of every American,” and a police crackdown on “street criminals.” “Cops must be unleashed,” Rothbard wrote, “and allowed to administer instant punishment, subject of course to liability when they are in error.” While they’re at it, they should “clear the streets of bums and vagrants. Where will they go? Who cares?” To seal the deal with social conservatives, Rothbard urged a federalist compromise in their direction on “pornography, prostitution, or abortion.” And because grassroots organizing is “plodding and boring,” this new paleo coalition would need to be kick-started by “high-level, preferably presidential, political campaigns.”
Rothbard wrote in 1992 that it would be a “dream” if the Presidential choice that year was between Pat Buchanan and David Duke. When confronted with all this, Paul acts like every other politician. He deflects and evades. He doesn’t address it head-on and accept responsibility for these writings. He claims not to know who wrote them. Bull. Shit.
Now, the Ron Paul “Revolution” which hasn’t amounted to much as a practical matter, is not based on racism or sexism or homophobia, nor do I wish to paint those supporters with such a broad brush. However, it reveals that Ron Paul and some other leaders of the so-called “paleolibertarian movement” had some extraordinarily ugly ideas not too long ago.
The problem today is that questions are being raised about those writings, and no one has had the stones to take responsibility for them, much less apologize for them. They were written on Paul’s behalf, so he owes his supporters and others an honest explanation and an apology. He may not have been an anti-semite, but he was quite satisfied to seek out their support. He may not have been a racist, but he was all to eager to use racist writings to earn money for his campaigns. I fail to see a distinction there, frankly. Lie down with dogs…
As this libertarian blogger writes,
This looks so bad, and stinks so high. In a sense, it’s worse than racism. It’s not caring about an issue enough to stick up for your own principles, and letting your friends get away with putting your name through the dreck of bigotry.
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” I suggest that you look for something deeper and more interesting ..”
Thats a funny remark. I’ve never seen so comments per minute at this site.
James, I am not normally anti-establishment and I support Ron Paul. I think it is just when the establishment is wrong, it needs to be corrected… by what, you may ask, by the Law itself, that’s what a Republic is.
You could label supporters “anti-establishment” or the those that support Bush just as well by saying “go with the flow” voters. Try looking at most of Ron Paul’s views and you will see that he is more Republican than any candidate.
“The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Should we dismiss these oaths? Should smiles, feel good talk and empty promises matter more?
Who has protected and preserved the rights of all people better while under oath regardless of what inaccurate preconceived notions they may or may not have had in their heart or mind in a past life? Does a 5o year commitment to one woman matter anymore? Does a willingness to risk life and limb to serve as a Vietnam veteran flight surgeon matter? Does it concern you that a Doctor worked for free or reduced rates to protect poor people of all races from harm? Why does Dr. Ron Paul have more support from our military and heroic veterans than any other candidate?
How is it possible they knew about him way before the rest of America?
“Now, the Ron Paul “Revolution” which hasn’t amounted to much as a practical matter…”
If it hasn’t amounted to much, then why are you wasting your time going to such great extents to try to give this non-story credence? Simple answer: you would not if you didn’t see this movement as a threat to the neoconservative cabal. Scared just a bit, are you?
My wife and I have been canvassing for Ron Paul for several weeks now. Out of hundreds of calls made, only three have mentioned the “racist newsletter” issue. All three of them saw it as a flimsy political attack… especially in view of the mega-tons of other shameful actions by the mainstream media to make Dr. Paul appear to be “fringe, racist, and unelectable”.
You make me sick. As a decorated veteran, I take great offense at your callous attempt to baselessly smear the only presidential candidate (Republican or Democrat) who would get us out of Iraq immediately. The blood of the soldiers who will die there as a result of the Occupation’s protraction will be, in part, on your hands. History will paint you as a traitor to your own country!
“Now, the Ron Paul “Revolution” which hasn’t amounted to much as a practical matter…”
If it hasn’t amounted to much, then why are you wasting your time going to such great extents to try to give this non-story credence? Simple answer: you would not if you didn’t see this movement as a threat to the neoconservative cabal. Scared just a bit, are you?
My wife and I have been canvassing for Ron Paul for several weeks now. Out of hundreds of calls made, only three have mentioned the “racist newsletter” issue. All three of them saw it as a flimsy political attack… especially in view of the mega-tons of other shameful actions by the mainstream media to make Dr. Paul appear to be “fringe, racist, and unelectable”.
You make me sick. As a decorated veteran, I take great offense at your callous attempt to baseless smear the only presidential candidate (Republican or Democrat) who would get us out of Iraq immediately. The blood of the soldiers who will die there as a result of the Occupation’s protraction will be, in part, on your hands. History will paint you as a traitor to your own country!
Mike in WNY – Did you see the Dallas Morning News article I quoted above (12:21 p.m.)? In 1996 Dr. Paul said (or seemed to say) that he himself wrote at least two of the articles in question.
“This is pretty unfounded; Ron Paul tries to distance himself from conspiracy nuts such as those in the 9/11 truth movement. Stop printing slander”
Since he’s been on Truther Alex Jones’ show something like 11 times, that’s pretty weak tea.
Mike,
The Pope does not have to pre-approve every sermon, homily or parish bulletin. However, if there’s a “Pope newsletter” I’ll bet he at least peruses it or has a trusted minion give it the once over.
BP got Ron Pauled. Ron needs to hire more competent bloggers to defend himself in my opinion.
Traitor? Neocon? Hillary/Romney/McCain are bad too? Is that the best you Paulists have?
Enjoy the libel suit.
TEFLON RON
You remember that, do your homework read his published books and then draw a line from what he says there to the the Newsletters in question. When you do this you will see that NO VENOM of racism exists in these books. There ought to be, right? As for what to do about the pandemic of AIDS that afflicted the Gay community many scientists and research pioners said much of what he allegedly mused. Callous now, but at the time no one had a clue how HIV could spread. Heck I know a young hemophiliac that contracted and died of AIDS just last year, even now people that knew were calous.
Dr. Paul books that have “racist and homophobic venom”:
Further Racist Rants and Homophobic Conspiracy Books by Dr. Paul:
•Evaluation of Renal Biopsy in Pregnancy Toxemia
•Gold, Peace, and Prosperity: The Birth of a New Currency
•The Case for Gold: a Minority Report of the U.S. Gold Commission
•Ten Myths About Paper Money
•Mises and Austrian Economics: A Personal View
•Freedom Under Siege: The U.S. Constitution After 200 Years •Challenge to Liberty: Coming to Grips with the Abortion Issue.
•The Ron Paul Money Book.
. A Republic, If You Can Keep It.
•The Ron Paul — Liberty In Media Awards — 2001. Jersey
•A Foreign Policy of Freedom. Lake Jackson
•Pillars of Prosperity.
Once you compare the writerly style and prose you will come to the conclusion that Dr. Paul is an honest man and did not author the newsletter.
TEFLON RON.
Ralph, CA
Funniest thing ever. Keep it coming, zealots.
I guess everyone wants to pretend that Paul didn’t admit writing at least two of the articles in question, including the one about 95% of black men in DC being criminal or “semi-criminal” (whatever that means).
Here are 10 years of Ron Paul’s writing! I found them for you. Ron Paul is exposed. Just look here!
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/
Man, these people are looney. This has been some very entertaining reading, though.
I love people whose defence is to attack others. It’s sophomoric and just proves their man can’t stand on his own merits.
I can’t understand why so many people are getting so worked up over someone that doesn’t matter.
As a semi-regular reader of and commentor on this site, this thread was interesting and mildly amusing in a tin-foil-hat, I-see-black-helicopters sort of way until I read this from USAF Vet Dan: “As a decorated veteran, I take great offense at your callous attempt to baseless smear the only presidential candidate (Republican or Democrat) who would get us out of Iraq immediately. The blood of the soldiers who will die there as a result of the Occupation’s protraction will be, in part, on your hands. History will paint you as a traitor to your own country!”
Dan, thank you for your service to our county. But, if my conscience and reason tells me to vote for someone other than Ron Paul — for whatever reason — I am somehow a traitor?
Just. Freakin’. Scary.
Rob, you have used two quotations taken out of context in order to distort their true meaning. That hardly supports a charge of racism.
LC, Ron Paul has been on Bill Mahr’s show several times, does that make him a center-left liberal?
I just want to know why the other “mainstream” candidates are getting a pass from the media regarding their many proven indiscretions and scandals. Other candidates have been caught uttering racial slurs, but nothing has been said about that. What do you think about the lack of coverage on their scandals and slurs? Nobody has proof of Dr. Paul saying anything like that. It is the inconsistency in the media that bothers me. Support Ron Paul or not, his treatment by the media as well as by the “pundits” during debates is shameful, showing a total lack of respect and maturity. Then again, maybe not too surprising seeing as how most of the electorate haven’t the first clue about the policies their candidates atually espouse. We are a soundbite nation. See you in the soup line.
Dance puppets, dance!
Hey guys,
Here’s the newest of the rehashed article.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080117134400558
These guys are tireless. They keep posting this BS a couple of times a day. I’m wondering who is in charge of coordinating this effort. Is it another Republican? I don’t think it would be a Democrat at this time.
It appears that they will post an article, get a lot of response from the blogs and then repost in another form.
The questions are: Who’s coordinating these attacks? What is their source of funding? What is their ultimate agenda. It has nothing to do with racism or the content of the newsletters at this time.
I didn’t say he was a racist; I was responding to your (and others’) posts saying that he’s not responsible because he didn’t write the articles in question. For these two at least, that isn’t true – he did write them.
Steve,
I’m active duty military, and I see things from a different perspective. The climate of fear for the past eight years has created the perception that if you DON’T support these endless wars, that you are somehow less American, or not patriotic. These wars are unique in that for the first time, the public isn’t sacrificing along with their warfighters, as the did in WWII. There isn’t a draft (yet) like Vietnam. The public verbally supports the military without having to share the sacrifice. Contrary to what McCain, Graham, and the others say…the troops don’t just “want to win”. They want to come home. This war has already lasted longer than WWII, and the conditions for victory haven’t even been elaborated on. How can you win a “war on terror”? I cannot support anyone already willing to obligate my children’s and grandchildren’s lives to these adventures which are not truly in the interests of the American people, and which are un-Constitutional. I wish that people would take the time to read and understand that we are in large part simply reaping the results of decades of extremely poor foreign policies. The only candidate I can see who will end this is Dr. Ron Paul.
Or at least, he said in 1996 that he did. I guess now he disavows them, which makes the story even stranger.
@roots:
I’m so glad you asked!
The attacks are being coordinated by the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations, who are being funded secretly by the Israel Lobby through its various and sundry front organizations. The metal anti-counterfeiting strip embedded in the New Money in my wallet alerted me through the government chip in my head to this particular issue, and I commanded the folks at Reason to print it, so that I and my many minions could spread it through blogs.
Once I had posted it early this morning, I noticed a large deposit in my secret numbered Swiss bank account. I checked the balance after the black helicopter flew overhead, which was the pre-arranged signal with my Big Brother masters in Washington and Brussels, who are running the One World Government.
If you have any questions in addition to that concerning this planned and coordinated attack, please feel free to contact my handler whose name I don’t know, but whom I reach at — oh no. The FBI is here with their AK-47s! Gotta go!
You guys need to give it a rest about RON PAUL. Everyone knows RON PAUL
is a real threat to the establishment. It dosen’t take a rocket scientist
to figure that out. I can see the way for example Fox News censors RON PAUL. As you can see, Ron Paul supporters boycotted Fox’s advertisers. News
Corp. stock is lower too. Oop’s, could it possible his supporter’s were also dropping News Corp.(Murdoch) stock??? Let’s face it, all the news media is Israel owned. Israel even tells the U.S. to go to war with Iran.
But anyway, I sure hope Ron Paul does well. He put’s all the other IDIOT
candidates to SHAME!!!!!!!!!!! go RON PAUL…………
Hey Buffalopundit,
Thanks for your reply. Now I know that you aren’t part of a coordinated attack. You just take other’s ideas and post them on your website.
I honestly can’t tell if Tara is doing a BP-style parody, or is serious.
Don’t you know everybody can see thru your lies. Ron Paul is the Patriot! You are a traitor first class!
TOTALLY X-TREME!
The vehemence and certitude of Dr. Paul’s admirers remind me of the followers of another Ron: no, not Reagan.
L. Ron!
FOX NEWS reportedly deleted Ron Paul’s key debate response from the last debate in a LIVE REBROADCAST they recently aired. How is it a LIVE REBROADCAST if you splice out that which you don’t want the voting public to hear? Like Ron Paul or not, this should disturb you in my humble opinion.
CAMERON: Congressman Paul, yet another question about electability.
Do you have any, sir? There’s always the question as to whether or not…
(LAUGHTER)
… you are, in fact, viable. Your differences with the Republicans on the — with the rest of the Republi-cans on this stage has raised questions about whether or not you can actually win the Republican nomi-nation, sir.
PAUL: Well, we’ve only had two little primaries so far. So it’s pretty premature to decide which one is going to be the candidate.
But, you know, when you think about it, if you measured everything I’ve ever said, every vote I’ve ever taken against the Constitution, you know, I’m a strict constitutionalist.
Are you suggesting the Republicans should write me off because I’m a strict constitutionalist? I’m the most conservative member here. I have voted, you know, against more spending and waste in govern-ment than anybody else.
(APPLAUSE)
So you’re suggesting that I’m not electable and the Republicans don’t want me because I’m a strict fiscal conservative, because I believe in civil liberties? Why should we not be defending civil liberties and why should we not be talking about foreign policy that used to be the part of the Republican Party?
PAUL: Mr. Republican Robert Taft didn’t even want us to be in NATO and you’re saying now that we have to continue to borrow money from China to finance this empire that we can’t afford?
Let me see if I get this right. We need to borrow $10 billion from China, and then we give it to Mushar-raf, who is a military dictator, who overthrew an elected government. And then we go to war, we lose all these lives promoting democracy in Iraq. I mean, what’s going on here?
(APPLAUSE)
And you’re saying that this isn’t appealing to Republicans? Where did this come about? I think this is the Republican message. I defend the platform. It used to say we’d (inaudible) the Department of Education. It doesn’t say that now.
We, as Republicans, went and doubled the size of the Department of Education, so where have we gone? I think we’ve lost our way. And then the insinuation that I am less Republican because of that?
HUME: Congressman, thank you very much.
In response, the official Ron Paul 2008 Campaign blog asks,
“…how could any semi-reputable news source cut a presidential candidate’s answer in a debate? And how could a network that hundreds of thousands of conservatives trust delete the most forcefully conservative, Constitutionalist, anti-statist answer that any candidate gave that night?”
John Splett, you wrote:
“I seriously have never laughed so hard at a blog comment in my life.”
Good to hear you have a sense of humour and can laugh at dots of ink on a computer screen – that is some kind of basic form of intelligence. I would have laughed at your comment but it wasn’t funny or even sad. It was just pathetic.
Perhaps you’ve never heard the name ‘George Orwell’ or possibly you have, and like Rudolph Guiliani, have never read the important books that would inform your commentary. So go on being a silly little human being laughing at ink dots.
Eons from now you may evolve into a being who values freedom over ridicule and truth over lies. But until then, enjoy reactive life with the spineless forms of life and enjoy your meals. Someday something will make a meal of you and your fellow worms frankly won’t give a damn.
http://www.letsroll911.org
http://www.runcynthiarun.org/
Please convince Ron Paul to listen to Cynthia. I know he is not a 911 truther. Has publicly stated he is not on numerous occasions. My friend Cynthia is though.
Dots of ink???? on a computer screen?
And we are worms.
I have read Orwell. And we have had his works thrown in our face on a fairly regular basis as the sign of what we will experience under one candidate or another ever since 1984 came out.
I do not Agree with Dr. Paul, but I did not see the need to cast aspersions on him since I do not consider him evil personified. But after seeing some of the responses from his followers, well, as they say:
“The nuts don’t fall far from the tree”
I do not support Ron Paul. I support my friend Cynthia. Vote for her Pauldub.
http://www.letsroll.org
http://www.runcynthiarun.org
OK, I am done here. Time to collect a paycheck. See ya!
are we still beating this dead horse?
PLEASE FIND SOME OTHER DIRT ON PAUL
I BEG YOU!!!!
oh wait you cant…
because this is the best you got…
i believe the term is… ‘conjecture’
no facts…
no sound bites of him being racist…
no video of him saying racist things…..
no record of him voting for racist legislature……..
nothing……
nothing at all…….
but look at the dirt you can get on all the other candidates…
embarassed that you’re still supporting someone other than paul?
thats what i thought.
Pauldub Says: not much.
What’s your point Pauldub? ‘I judge people by the people that associate with them’? Is that it? If so, is it a co-incidence how all these ‘nutjobs’ as you call them seem to keep surrounding you wherever you go online? Are you then a ‘nutjob’ too?
If you want to jump to conclusions please do not ignore the rules of logic. According to your own testimony, one must conclude that you too are a ‘nutjob’.
Of course your logic might be flawed and this conclusion false. If that is the case of course then something is wrong with your assumptions. In the interests of truth (you do value that don’t you?) please go back and see if they are false.
Moral of the story: ‘False assumptions lead to false conclusions. So don’t make assumptions. Instead ask questions. Research. Investigate. Value truth over opinion.
This post was one of the most brilliant executions of blogosphere LINKBAIT I’ve seen recently. Nice job, Alan.
Drudge would be proud.
“Rapidly increasing—to a 5th in Iowa, in NH–5th, or was it 4th, or does it matter? He did no better in MI. But the only way he’ll leave the race is in a strait-jacket. So he has a devoted group of followers. So did Pastor Jim Jones. I think Goebbels,Goehring,Streicher and Bormann would be considered a devoted group of followers too. So perhaps we shouldn’t slap the Paulians a light one on the tushy just yet.”
Hank cuts and pastes from Redstate again.
Strange bedfellows..Hank and Pundit..don’t want to hear the truth….or can’t accept it because their political opinions are based on emotion rahter than logic….
Wow!! Looks like you write about yesterdays news.
You should get facts straight and be on the up and up
about these issues before you slide into the media scum
like the rest of the neo-cons. I hope you choose to carve
a name for yourself via truth and justice rather than pandering
and slaughter.
Before I ever actually read anything about Ron Paul’s positions on various issues or his dubious congressional record, I knew he must be a piece of garbage because of the sort of supporters he had here on the Niagara Frontier.
Many of those have obligingly weighed in on this thread, and I would urge anyone who might be undecided about Paul’s “candidacy” to give them a read.
The hits keep coming from James D. “Dots of ink on a computer screen”? Reminds me of when Jonah Goldberg (a/k/a The Doughy Pantload) advised one of the Republican candidates to “buy up a U-haul truck full of paper and start faxing out” some newspaper article or something. Yeah, because faxes actually shoot pieces of paper through the cables – somehow . . .
@Pundit
“I’m so glad you asked! The attacks are being coordinated by the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations….”
That was damn funny.
Rob says: sarcastic things that don’t have much value.
Dear Rob (that’s sarcasm for the literal-minded),
I’d suggest you put some energy into seeing beyond the surface of things. Computers and robots get things wrong because they take what is said literally. Sometimes people act like robots and accept communication in a literal way. Sometimes people read the Bible and the Koran and do the same.
Intelligent people (like you) look beneath the surface of words and focus on what is being communicated. If you think about the electorate today you may find millions of voters believing the words of the candidates instead of focusing on their actions.
Ron Paul has a 30 year history of consistent principled action. Compare that with the other candidates who flip and flop and pander to whatever will get them votes. An intelligent guy like you might choose principled action over expedient words.
But then the choice is yours (and don’t put any ink dots on your computer screen – they are very hard to get off).
Alan, I’m disappointed. Go watch some youtube on Ron Paul and his response to this issue.
Buffalo Pundit,
Do you actually disagree with any of Dr. Paul’s platform?
If so, why not write about that?
For someone who is racist, he seems to be the only candidate offering solutions that would help minorities. Dr. Paul is the only one willing to end the ‘Drug War’ noticing that there is an inordinate percentage of minorities in prison for drug usage.
So, let me get this straight, if you are a Republican who does not agree with invading sovereign countries who pose NO threat to our national security…you are cultish? Interesting.
Really, what are the main differences between Dr. Paul and the others? Obviously, he has a much stronger grasp of the economy and monetary policy being the ranking member of the House Finance Committee. He disagrees with our occupation of Iraq. He voted for going after OBL in Afghanistan.
Is it possible to make it about the issues?
Wow. Nice way to stick that ‘911 truth’ poster in there with the Ron Paul stuff. Trying to associate the brunt of his supporters and the man himself with conspiracy theorists still? How touching.
Forgive me if just looking at the image at the top fails to move me to give a flying three donkey asses about the ‘crap and venom’ YOU are apparently full of.
I am half Cherokee. I am a lesbian. I support Ron Paul. Suck my clit.
My question is who coordinated the attacks on this blog, ranging from 9-11 conspiracy theory post to attacks without logical sense to (mostly) red herring after red herring after red herring. The only argument that even holds a drop of water is that he didn’t write it himself; regardless, he still authorized it.
Old News? The guy’s running for president; absolutely nothing is old news. Period. We’re talking about Guiliani’s 3 divorces, Romney’s flip-flops, and Hillary’s entire career.
How’s the Kool-Aid taste, cultists?
There is a much better defense of Paul than you can find anywhere in the comments posted here by his supporters, here.
(Link via Free NY blog.)