Flada Blog

In a previous entry, I posted an article by Ron Paul. Currently, he is considering a run for the Republican nomination for President. I believe that he’s the best candidate in any party for people who like freedom, liberty, and limited government. I’d like to write a lot more about him, but I’m not sure I’d do him justice. So, I’ll just give a synopsis of his views as well as a few links to more information about him.

First, a very brief biography:

Biography

Dr. Paul is a former US Air Force flight surgeon and a civilian OB-Gyn. He formerly ran for President with the Libertarian Party and has now served since 1996 in the US House of Representatives as a Republican. And, although he votes procedurally with Republicans, his votes on policy are often diametric to the Republican mainstream. His frequent dissents on otherwise unanimous votes have irritated other Republican representatives and have earned him the nickname “Dr. No.”

Now, for some of his views:

War

The Iraq war (and war in general) is going to be a huge issue in the upcoming elections. Unlike almost every other candidate, Rep. Paul voted against the Iraq War Resolution in 2002. Hillary, McCain, and most other front-runners, despite what they claim now, voted in favor. He currently speaks out against the “dangerous military confrontation approaching with Iran and supported by many in leadership on both sides of the aisle”. He has broken with his party in the past by voting against the Patriot Act in 2001 and again in 2005. He is very opposed to a military draft.

Economic views

Like Milton Friedman, Thomas Malthus, Adam Smith, and David Ricardo, Rep. Paul believes that the government should not be in the business of managing the economy. For this reason, e supports the abolition of the income tax, most Cabinet departments, and the Federal Reserve. He is committed to a pro-small-business agenda of affordable health insurance, lower taxes, tort reform, and the elimination of burdensome mandates; and realizes that all of those things develop naturally when there is less government interference.

Other issues

On every other issue, Rep. Paul is on the side of liberty and small government. To read more specifics, the Wikipedia article about him is a valuable resource.

Links

• Wikipedia article
• Support Ron Paul at his Exploratory Committee website
• Rep. Paul’s official U.S. House website
• Ron Paul for President 2008 Blog and Links

There are many other links and resources available through these links. I encourage all of my readers to become familiar with and support Ron Paul. As I said in my note to him through his blog, we need people like him if we are to find a peaceful method to restrain the ubiquitous arm of the Federal monstrosity.