Deadliest Year, Impeachment & Bush at lowest approval ev

[TheBearcatHimself]

vote ron paul, only way our troops will be back in the US... he is that radical

Ron Paul is most certainly a radical in conservative's clothing.

He also wants to reinstitute the gold standard which is 100% economically unfeasible. There aren't enough gold molecules in the known universe to back this inflating currency!!

[BucLax13]

vote ron paul, only way our troops will be back in the US... he is that radical

radical... or principled

I don't think he blows smoke up...

[BucLax13]

actually you could implement the gold standard... because you can set the currency rate how ever you choose... most people don't like that idea because with gold you can't spend or print money you don't have... also it is really hard for developing nations to obtain inflated gold or silver to set their currency to... i.e. keeping them third world

I understand that the U.S. has twice as much imprint currency than the gold in the world... do remember though that the fiat money only works if you believe the money is worth something... you think the fluxuations on the gold standard were hard wait wait until our bankers accidently cause a little "hyperinflation" once or twice

... I know that we haven't had an increase of .8% or higher since reagan... but milk costed 89 cents a when I was born... now it's 3 whatever... what next, is it going to take 10 million to retire comfortably????

[OAKS]

I think there's a big difference between believing in something and implementing it.

But on the subject of currency, how much do people on here know about the Federal Reserve? Do you know who sits on the board or how they make policy? Can you or Congress get access to the transcripts of Fed meetings?

Does anyone have a good deal of knowledge about the Fed around here? From where I sit it looks like a pretty strange, mostly private company in charge of our nation's money.

[OAKS]

Ron Paul is most certainly a radical in conservative's clothing.

What things do you see make him radical? I'm genuinely interested.

I'm not going to be voting for him, but he is a strict constitutionalist. Seems to be as radical as the founding fathers.

[Gvlax]

Ron Paul is most certainly a radical in conservative's clothing.

What things do you see make him radical? I'm genuinely interested.

I'm not going to be voting for him, but he is a strict constitutionalist. Seems to be as radical as the founding fathers.

well radical to the point where he is outside the norm... lets see get rid of the IRS as well as post ww2 federal programs. I just wonder if he did get in office what he would do with all of those federal employees he would have to fire?

I believe he also wants to eliminate income tax as well. I agree that he is a strict constitutionalist in the sense that he wants the states to have more power than the federal gov't, how the founding fathers wanted it to be, which in my eyes wouldnt be that bad of an idea. Damn commerce clause!

[Gvlax]

One thing i do agree with him on is that he wants to pull the US out of the UN. I truly believe that we are putting too much money (more than any other country) and getting too little out of it. This was version 2.0 (league of nations was 1.0) and something new needs to be created.

[laxfan25]

One thing i do agree with him on is that he wants to pull the US out of the UN. I truly believe that we are putting too much money (more than any other country) and getting too little out of it. This was version 2.0 (league of nations was 1.0) and something new needs to be created.

Yeah, that's the problem with a democracy of nations - they won't always do what we want! The dollars we spend supporting the organization is a pittance compared to what we're spending elsewhere in the foreign policy arena.
As Churchill said: "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried. "

And as Voltaire said: "So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men."

[Zeuslax]

One thing i do agree with him on is that he wants to pull the US out of the UN.

Why? I'm just curious.

[Gvlax]

One thing i do agree with him on is that he wants to pull the US out of the UN.

Why? I'm just curious.

well U.S. pays more money to the UN. UN is supposed to be a group of countries that works together to stop other countries from abusing powers. With relation to nuclear power, the IAEA under the UN is supposed to stop countries who signed the non proliferation treaty from obtaining nuclear weapons. So if Iran is really making nuclear energy for civilian purposes only, why hasnt the IAEA stepped up its searches of Irans nuclear reactors and if they are not allowed in why has the UN not brought sanctions on their own. U.S has made their own sanctions but shouldnt this nuclear weapons debate be a UN deal? We got into the UN for a purpose, if that purpose is not being met we are not requried to stay in. I also have issues with the 5 permenant veto power countries. but that is another issue all in itself.

[TheBearcatHimself]

Ron Paul is most certainly a radical in conservative's clothing.

What things do you see make him radical? I'm genuinely interested.

I'm not going to be voting for him, but he is a strict constitutionalist. Seems to be as radical as the founding fathers.

I would argue back that the Founding Fathers were the most radical radicals of their time, otherwise we wouldn't have this great country of ours. I'm not complaining about radicals, in reality radicals make the world go round.

You are very correct, he is a strict constitutionalist, but he is also very libertarian in many of his viewpoints wanting to limit government whenever he can along Constitutional lines. He also is an isolationist in denial, he wants to remove us from the UN and NATO (because what good to international forums do us?). Also he opposes birthright citizenship and amnesty which have been critical core values of our society for over 200 years.

Don't get me wrong, he is a very smart man, but he is reaching out to college students very hardcore (trust me my campus has been ASSAULTED in the past view weeks with Paulist Propoganda) and he doesn't really represent a college student's best interests (i.e. staunchly opposing ALL abortion rights and opposing same-sex union adoptions). I guess he thinks college students will like him because he wants to leave regulation of illegal drugs to the states.

He is very smart, but I question his intentions and feel we don't really know what he fully stands for if elected.

[ineedmorecowbell]

i'm sorry if this topic has already changed to ron paul, but i just wanted to put my two cents in about the troop surge.

one of my best friend's brothers just got back from iraq. he's basically been there from the beginning, and has seen it all. he is one of the first people to any area, because he is in the giant tank/truck things that drive around the roads to find road side bombs and detonate them. he operated the robotic arm thingy.

his opinion on the troop surge is this: it's stupid. the people being sent out aren't qualified. they had troops sent to them with no training specific to what they were sent to do. his troop was sent a bunch of mechanics, he said. they didn't know the first thing about detonating IEDs. they were just sent there to be sent there.

he has been all over iraq (since they basically clear any area for other troops to come in) and seen all the major areas of combat/occupation. he thinks it's pointless for us to be there. we're just delaying what's going to happen. they just hate each other. there's nothing we can do about it. under hussein, they were separated. now, they want to blow each other up. we're just getting in the way and making it harder for them to accomplish that.

it's just a really unfortunate situation we've put ourselves in. there's no winning this "war." that whole area is just a clusterfudge of crappiness. his feelings are that we should just get out of there. i tend to agree. it's an immoral war and we had no business being there in the first place. i hate to think that any innocent people are being killed or will be killed by us pulling out. however, there's really nothing we're going to be able to do about it short of giving anybody who wants it refuge in the states. it's really just a terrible, hopeless situation.

[BucLax13]

He is very smart, but I question his intentions and feel we don't really know what he fully stands for if elected.

Don't know what he stand for... he is the most consistent voting representative in the house

He does have a website which has what he believes on it... it is the same thing he has said in every debate... he doesn't change because different words change the focus group numbers


troop surge, it has a very "search and destroy" feel to it. hmm

[Jac Coyne]

This debate we are having here will certainly be the key to who wins the Presdidential election in '08.

Right or wrong, the Democratic nominee will be opposed to the war and will be pledged to end it.

Right or wrong, the Republican nominee will be supportive of the war and will be pledged to continue to support it.

Anybody care to bet me that the Democratic nominee will therefore win the popular vote, and in a landslide of at least 10 percentage points?

Yes. Please reply with your wager.

[sohotrightnow]

I really wish Kucinich wasn't 4'8. He would win hands down if he was average height. How can anybody not like his one-liners?

"I didn't vote for the Patriot Act because I read it."

That's gold Dennis! Gold!