Ron Paul: Time is Running Out
September 25, 2008 by Guest Author
Filed under Featured, Guest Articles
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Dear Friends,
Whenever a Great Bipartisan Consensus is announced, and a compliant media assures everyone that the wondrous actions of our wise leaders are being taken for our own good, you can know with absolute certainty that disaster is about to strike.
The events of the past week are no exception.
The bailout package that is about to be rammed down Congress’ throat is not just economically foolish. It is downright sinister. It makes a mockery of our Constitution, which our leaders should never again bother pretending is still in effect. It promises the American people a never-ending nightmare of ever-greater debt liabilities they will have to shoulder. Two weeks ago, financial analyst Jim Rogers said the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made America more communist than China! “This is welfare for the rich,” he said. “This is socialism for the rich. It’s bailing out the financiers, the banks, the Wall Streeters.”
That describes the current bailout package to a T. And we’re being told it’s unavoidable.
The claim that the market caused all this is so staggeringly foolish that only politicians and the media could pretend to believe it. But that has become the conventional wisdom, with the desired result that those responsible for the credit bubble and its predictable consequences – predictable, that is, to those who understand sound, Austrian economics – are being let off the hook. The Federal Reserve System is actually positioning itself as the savior, rather than the culprit, in this mess!
- The Treasury Secretary is authorized to purchase up to $700 billion in mortgage-related assets at any one time. That means $700 billion is only the very beginning of what will hit us.
- Financial institutions are “designated as financial agents of the Government.” This is the New Deal to end all New Deals.
- Then there’s this: “Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.” Translation: the Secretary can buy up whatever junk debt he wants to, burden the American people with it, and be subject to no one in the process.
There goes your country.
Even some so-called free-market economists are calling all this “sadly necessary.” Sad, yes. Necessary? Don’t make me laugh.
Our one-party system is complicit in yet another crime against the American people. The two major party candidates for president themselves initially indicated their strong support for bailouts of this kind – another example of the big choice we’re supposedly presented with this November: yes or yes. Now, with a backlash brewing, they’re not quite sure what their views are. A sad display, really.
Although the present bailout package is almost certainly not the end of the political atrocities we’ll witness in connection with the crisis, time is short. Congress may vote as soon as tomorrow. With a Rasmussen poll finding support for the bailout at an anemic seven percent, some members of Congress are afraid to vote for it. Call them! Let them hear from you! Tell them you will never vote for anyone who supports this atrocity.
The issue boils down to this: do we care about freedom? Do we care about responsibility and accountability? Do we care that our government and media have been bought and paid for? Do we care that average Americans are about to be looted in order to subsidize the fattest of cats on Wall Street and in government? Do we care?
When the chips are down, will we stand up and fight, even if it means standing up against every stripe of fashionable opinion in politics and the media?
Times like these have a way of telling us what kind of a people we are, and what kind of country we shall be.
In liberty,
Ron Paul
As excellent a man as I believe Ron Paul to be, I am glad he is not running for President any more. He and his ideas are needed in Congress, especially when what he has been saying for years now is finally proven true in an all to real and close to home example, not just in theory.
And, he’s always been better than Rudy Giuliani…
Unfortunately, Ron Paul’s standing for what he believes in seems to have the effect on others to want to keep him out of the communications where he can do the most good. I’m all for sovereignty for country, state, community and the individual. A ‘real’ dollar system is something I agree with, also. However, I believe his foreign policy ideas that might bring us the greater sovereignty he speaks of may pit us (spelled, U.S.) against the rest of the “collective” world (e.g. if we were to let the rest of the world take care of itself and focus too much on the home turf).
However, if he hadn’t run for Pres, I don’t know if I would have known who he is, and I enjoy reading his points of view and learning from him. It IS quite refreshing to know where a politician stands on something.
–/DC
Ron Paul has once again proven he is the right man in Congress at at the right time. I for one will be writing him in when I cast my vote for President of the United States. I will send my message that Constitutional principles will be the savior for this country. Congressman Paul has been advocating principled government for years (although I do not agree with every little thing he advocates), but he has outdone himself through this Presidential run- and I mean Presidential in the way he has carried himself and the principles of true Constitutional government.
Thanks, Ron, for keeping hope alive. It is great to be able to point at you and tell people I know “there is someone in Congress who has his act together and is telling it like it is.”
Disaster did strike. After the bailout, that we were convinced was required to avoid a total economic breakdown, the markets collapsed still, the Treasury got their money, they can now bailout their friends, Americans can pay for it via higher taxes and inflated currency, and the markets did not hold the value of our savings anyway. Talk about paying for the “new deal to end new deals” several times…………..and there goes our country.
There are two major philosophies at play here. One side believes that the those in charge of the government intended legislation to help those in need and that big business took advantage of it and destroyed the system abusing this charity. On the other side, are those who believe that the government has no right to be involved in business matters except to punish force; and that their meddling in the markets has caused the current collapse.
What’s important is really what the consequences of each mentality conclude. Socialism vs capitalism. To what end do each lead and which do you prefer?
Socialism:
Government knows what’s best and is responsible to make sure all are equally financed and have equal quality of life. It’s the government’s responsibility to take from those with ability and give to those in need. The leaders of the government control businesses and personal lives alike.
Capitalism:
Individuals know what’s best for themselves. We are capable of governing ourselves and government punishes those who use force or deception. Ideas are property and belong to their creator. Those with good ideas prosper and provide prosperity for those who will work to help those great ideas succeed. More wealth is created overall and very little is lost in government inefficiencies. Those who do not create value in some form are poor and rely on (voluntary) charity to survive, those who create value are rewarded with prosperity.
Which system do you prefer? Government equalization or Individual opportunity? For me personally, give me liberty or give me death.
–EW
The people in government create the problem then they are going to fix the problem. If they have the intellegence to fix the problem why didn’t they use this intellegence before they created the problem. Ron Paul understood and been warning us for years but unfortunately his message always falls on deaf ears.
Unfortunately, In government we have human beings (although on some levels that is debatable) and as a result they have a finite understanding of the world around them. In listening to their discussions, it seems to me that there is a miring of thinking in issues or pet projects, partisanship and selfishness rather than a principled discussion of whether a particular proposal is in the proper role of government.
On an individual level, do we always understand what the long term consequences are going to be of every decision we make? No, Of course not. Now magnify that by millions and you are starting to look at the grand scale that the folks on the Federal level are dealing with. There is no possible way that they can foresee nor understand clearly what all of the consequence of their actions will be, especially the unintended consequences. The “best” minds have been applied to their proposals. But there is often a huge critical missing element, the principles that govern the proper role government.
For generations, we have elected individuals to positions of responsibility and they work the governing to their liking and aptitude, for good or ill. Sometimes we choose wisely, sometimes we choose poorly. We are living with the results of generations worth of our poor choices. Such is the tragedy of voting for party, personality, or name without regard to whether that person actually understands the proper role of government (or looking inside to see if we do ourselves).
The only way to accurately predict the consequences of our actions, is to base those decisions on principle. You can never go wrong with freedom, individual stewardship, and personal responsibility for one’s own actions. Force and deception destroy freedom and prosperity. And that includes self deception.
Good men like Ron Paul can have the effect of a Gnat buzzing in someone’s ear in the political climate in which we live. They, by themselves, can become an annoyance rather than a catalyst for change, or a return to principled government. In talking with many people, the name “Ron Paul”, has become synonymous with waco. (unless you are talking to a thinking principled individual or a Ron Paul supporter–these are not always synonymous terms either). But, that is oftentimes related to the above mentioned self deception or ignorance. I, myself, am more likely to have an influence for change by discussing, persuading and sharing ideas with friends, family and people I meet because of who I am, rather than because I invoke the name of Ron Paul or any other celebrity.
I am with Brad, give me liberty or give me death. I personally have chosen to be involved on the local level and have served in the Precincts wherein I have lived. And I try to practice what I preach. There are challenges on every level to freedom, and it requires “eternal vigilance” and a deep concerted effort. We must also recognize that there are many also who don’t want to be free. And that is their choice. We are free to choose liberty and eternal life…or captivity and death. The choice is ours.
As citizens we have taken it upon ourselves to seek after knowledge so that we can make informed decisions based on our perspectives. How do we influence those around us to do the same? How do we get a society so wrapped up in soaps and friday nights interested in the wellbeing of their true nature and their country? This is the unseen war that is destroying our country. How do find the elete of the elect?
The proper solution is not to find the elite, but to become the elite.
I agree with Ammon. With Ron Paul in congress he still has the opportunity to express his opinions and ideas. I’ve noticed that since his campaign for presidency, he has had many more interviews on cable news network shows. I think it gave him increased exposure and now they regularly interview him to discuss things like the Federal Reserve, the economy, and the bailout.
This simply makes it painfully evident how ignorant the general public is on this issue..
Robert, I believe that I agree with your sentiment. However, I was wondering if you could expound on what you mean. What is it about this article that makes it painfully evident how ignorant the general public is on this issue?
After integrity, the other major thing that separates Ron Paul from all other politicians in Washington D.C. is his understanding that principles govern – whether we believe in them or not. Many now consider Ron Paul to be a “prophet” since he predicted the current economic meltdown back when everybody else was enamored with our supposed prosperity. Ron Paul simply understood that principles were being violated and that consequences were sure to follow. He also predicted coming terrorist attacks all through the 1990’s due to a foreign policy in violation of principle – though most conservative commentators continue to ignore this fact since it doesn’t line up with their views of 9/11. It’s so refreshing to read his books, articles, and speeches since they are based upon principle.
With the passing of the bailout it would be more appropriate to say “Uncle Lennin bless the USSA.” Maybe that should be Lee Greenwoods next big hit. I am glad Ron Paul is telling it like it is. We all need to speak our minds as he does. The time for being afraid to stand up for truth because of the risk of being politically incorrect has passed. If we don’t we literally may never be able to say, “God bless the USA” again. “The times ahead are ominous indeed.”
For me, I would like to answer Ron Paul. Yes, I do care that we are subsidizing the obese cows of Wall Street that intertwined themselves with big government. I care that freedoms are being eroded more rapidly and swiftly than ever before. Standing up for truth can no longer be a passerby activity, it is to be integrated, cultivated into our lives, leading by example in word and deed.