Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) must be used to bad press by now. It's certainly nothing new to him recently after the newsletter "scandal" and being attacked in the media about his supposed views on Israel. It is a bit surprising that a website tied to the Occupy Wall Street movement would slam Paul as "No friend of the 99%."
In what some are calling a "hit piece" on the congressman, "Fight Back! News" calls Paul "...pied piper of the Republican Party." They point out that he is getting attention from those in the Occupy movement for his thoughts on foreign policy and a bit because of his anti-war stance. They say that Paul supports "illegal and anti-democratic" assassinations and "covert action" acts against other countries. They also bring up Paul's stand on cutting payroll taxes and privatization of Social Security saying that it would be a "boon" for Wall Street. Do they feel it is unnecessary to do anything with Social Security? It says, "...the Social Security trust fund grew by some $70 billion last year, to almost $2.7 trillion." Somehow, they seem to have concluded that Social Security is not in dire straits.
Even though the article acknowledges that the congressman says he did not write the "racist" newsletters, they have the same question as many citizens do. How could these comments go on for years, in newsletters with Paul's name, without anyone noticing and stopping them? It says Paul's opinion of blacks is "especially ugly." It talks about additional slams against homosexuals, workers' rights, civil liberties, and more. It says, "The solutions Ron Paul is selling will not solve the problems of working people or create more equality. They will create more poverty and oppression, just like those of the other Republicans."
One comment, "Ron Paul's views on immigration are sure to appeal to the worst sort of racist," seemed pretty harsh and far-fetched. Because Paul wants tougher immigration laws, he is automatically labeled a racist. Some may disagree with the extent of Paul's wishes for stricter immigration laws, but most Americans believe in the Melting Pot. Come, but come legally. Regarding gay rights and women's rights, in some cases, it's not about bigotry, Paul wants states to return to making their own laws, not having the federal government run the show.
Paul makes no secret about being anti-Union, so Fight Back! deems his "anti-workers' rights." No mention of the fact that Unions continuing as they are is unsustainable. They point out that Rep. Paul is against the National Labor Relations Board. Again, what they don't point out is that it is not because he is anti-worker, it is because he is pro-Constitution.
Finally, they said, "Even with government regulation, working people continue to experience financial crisis, unemployment, poor living conditions, housing foreclosures and other problems. But Ron Paul's so-called solution—removing the government from the economy—will not solve anything. It will make things worse. It will give more power to the 1% and the corporations." Rioting in the streets, stopping trucks from delivering goods, blaming people who earn more money than others and sharing the wealth won't solve the problems, either.
The comments on the article read like Ron Paul talking points. His supporters are very vocal online. There are still many things that need to be examined when it comes to Ron Paul, but by looking at his history, it seems that he is not interested in making people suffer in poverty. It appears he still believes in the American Dream (hopefully for all races), the Constitution, and working hard for what you have. Regardless of the articles, a lot of OWS members have the same concerns as Paul. A lot of OWS members want the same things as Tea Party members, just don't tell them.
© Margie Wilson-Mars 2012
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Comments: 25
http://wwsmith1912.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/a-powerful-and-obnoxious-odor-of-mendacity-the-ron-paul-newsletter-controversy/
What? These are the exact things Dr. Paul has been fighting against for years. He brought the truth into the public that 9/11 was simply retaliation from the Muslim world for all of our covert operations over the years that screwed their countries up. These Occupy Wallstreet folks are obviously misinformed.
As far as this hit piece goes, it's taken from Fight Back News which is produced in large part from a Socialist organization called Freedom Road.
This was left out in many articles about the newsletters , why? it is not the only one either. Many of the comments in the letters ,were quotes made others yet they were attributed to Ron Paul. Comments were truncated or taken out of context to both the newsletters and the time period.
This from one of the newsletters about the first gulf war in 1991:
” Last year hundreds of Americans died
‘liberating ‘ Kuwait, and now we are getting more information about what they died for Foreign embassies in Kuwait are crowded with slaves–yes, slaves–who used wartime confusion to escape from their rich Kuwaiti masters.
The British government documented more than 1,000 cases of Filipino, Bangladeshis, and West Africans held in bondage by the ruling Kuwaiti tribe.
“Note the irony of Black Americans risking their live to return Kuwaiti slave owners to power.
Shame on you people. I live in the inner city, I saw what happened there in the late 80' into the 1990's. Many comments ring true.
Nothing but a race baiter looking for apologists. If you like the ghetto like it is today stick with the author. I vote with personal responsibility and empowerment.
Over recent years, he has called more attention to the harm of uneven prosecution of Prohibition than anyone else. See ThyBlackMan.com for a discussion of some of this.
Ron Paul has consistently opposed off-shore undeclared wars.
His call to health-care practitioners to step up could be likened to something going on in Oregon now for veterans, since many returning veterans no longer trust government pronouncements and do not sign up for official services.
http://www.returningveterans.org/
When you defame Ron Paul with information taken out of context, you harm hope for peace and prosperity. The NeoCons are doing everything they can to undercut Ron Paul, as they did to former NM Gov. Gary Johnson.
If they keep Ron Paul from the nomination, the L party is on the ballot in all 50 states. It is likely former Gary Johnson, who also opposes undeclared wars and the drug war, will get the L nomination, and people who desire peace will have a choice.
It may be that disenchanted opponents of big chemical and seed companies, big-war companies, and big banks will run candidates on other party lines as well. It will be an interesting election.
But what Ron Paul is selling is the idea that government is the problem, just like Reagan did. Despite Reagan's deification based on suspension of disbelief, he ran up a huge debt and started the stagnation of middle class incomes that have resulted in the too-wide gap in incomes and the current economic malaise. Paul's emasculation of government will not result in greater freedom and prosperity for Americans. For millions who now work for the government it will result in unemployment. For thousands who already pay too little in tax on their exhorbitant incomes it will result in an even bigger tax holiday.
If Paul were to be elected (won't happen, not now, not ever) Americans would end up even poorer and with a wider gap in their relative incomes and the vacuum in government power would be filled by corporate power-brokers. And that would mean much less freedom.
Ron Paul has been Right about everything ..from 1998 "our actions are going to put america in danger of terrorist attacks" 2002 "this policy is building a housing bubble that will burst and leave everyone hurting"
Ron Paul was right when he worked to save the Social Security Trust from newt Gingrich and Clinton "balanced budget" scam! Ron Paul has been swimming against the current to keep america alive .. and like he said.. you can keep denying he is right but why are things getting so bad?
Now is the operative word because what's left of it are just very radical types, many of whom belong to that segment that I linked to up above in my comment about Freedom Road.
Ron Paul has been pulling in donations from active military, more than the other candidates. They approve his call for the U.S. to concentrate on defense. Many in the military understand the under-cutting of true defense it is to maintain long supply lines to spread-out bases around the world.
If we leave North Africa, the people there will have to sort out their issues. Having our people stuck in the middle blamed by both sides has run its course.
When Ron Paul calls for an end to unfair prosecution in this country, he is speaking to end the embarrassing situation where the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate on the planet.
If we do not elect someone who has stood up for human rights, over and over again, we will get constant new efforts in congress to end any semblance of civil rights for ordinary people.
What passes for reporting in this country has become shameful name-calling designed to inflame cruelty rather than problem-solving. I remember this happened in 2008 as well.
In Portland, Occupy is setting up committees to examine different challenges. I believe the composition of these committees will cross boundaries. It is clear we have some people with surplus stuff, and some people who need stuff, and that we need to figure this out with our neighbors.
As for the assorted levels of governments, some of them invested working funds in MF Global. They thought they were investing in safe European bonds. Some of the money is gone, and things will have to be cut.
We are in for some change. I am sorry Ron Paul is getting dissed so badly. It does not contribute to problem-solving.
They do know how many people their actions effect. They like that a lot, it's a perk. They need to know your actions affect them.
What's depressing to me is Americans might have to choose between Coke and Pepsi in the next election when the had a cool drink of water called Ron Paul right in front of their eyes. Drug companies' days of hiding behind FDA immunity are over after he fires the whole useless department. Then big pharma gets the side effect of being sued into bankruptcy when they feed people poison. Now the fines are just taken out of massively higher profits, part of doing business.
I think welfare is a state issue. Someone from Montana having determination of special needs in Rhode Island? No thanks. The nation's bankrupt as it is. Imagine the horse trading at a Federal level. Well, you don't need imagination, just eyes. It's bad now. It'll get worse unless the money issue is taken in hand. No one but Paul has discussed this, or a plan to do so. No one.