*thanks wphelan*

i shall go read up on this, mate!

i shoulda been clearer on me interpretation on mr. paul's postion on this subject. he does indeed seem to be against free trade, as its bein' presently implemented.

lemme go read yur link, and i'll get back to you, me friend.

*waves*

AYE!!!!

-meadhallpirate

Sounds good. That's actually a great site for information on his stance on all the issues.

Anyway, I understand what you mean when you say he's "against free trade, as its bein' presently implemented," and I think that's true. I just think it's more accurate to say he would not call what is currently being implemented "free trade." It might sound nit-picky, but I think he emphasized that point in one of the speeches on the site I linked to.

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"Some years ago I had a sobering realization about women, which was that there are just too many nice ones. One simply can't fall in love with, sleep with, or marry all the nice women...One of the saddening facts of life is that there is always going to be a delightful woman somewhere who, for whatever accident of timing or attraction, simply slips by and recedes to return only in a dream."
-Larry McMurtry in Roads

My opinion is that Ron Paul is good on the issue of illegal immigration, ok on economic issues and not so good on moral values. I do see him as one who personally believes in moral values but not as one who will fight for them. I agree to a point on alot of his economic stances but I think that he is too libertarian for my tastes (I believe that there should be some government regulation on the economy, although I do believe that ii should be limited). I love his stance on wanting to get rid of the problem of anchor babies, even though I know that in order to get rid of anchor babies we would have to amend the Constitution (14th amendment to be specific).

All in all, I do definitely respect the man (although I have a hard time respecting some of his zealots on occasion) and I do want him to be in office because I feel that he is doing a good job (one of the few I actually feel that about). He is at least consistent on his stances and will work for what he promises (although the problem comes in when I disagree with what he promises). I was looking into him as a potential candidate for my vote for president but after seeing some of his stances I've decided that he isn't the man for the job IMO.

__________________
Serious Quotes:


Funny But True Quotes
Those who argue for complete secularism are funny. They see what government does and then argue that we don't need it to start with prayer.

Thank you for your rational and well reasoned contribution to the discussion. Please continue to inform us with more facts. I appreciate your ability to restrain from irrelevent ad hominem arguments. You have truely raised the level of discourse to a superb level.

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"Some years ago I had a sobering realization about women, which was that there are just too many nice ones. One simply can't fall in love with, sleep with, or marry all the nice women...One of the saddening facts of life is that there is always going to be a delightful woman somewhere who, for whatever accident of timing or attraction, simply slips by and recedes to return only in a dream."
-Larry McMurtry in Roads

Fair enough. It's nice to actually have someone critique a candidate instead of just complaining that they "whine" or are a "nutball."

Like you, I don't agree with him on several issues (though you and I probably disagree with him in different areas) but he gets my support because I think he is the only candidate that would actually begin to reduce the size of the federal government.

Some people think he is too extreme and would just come in and do away with the government, but he acknowledges that it doesn't work that way. Just as the government has grown step by step over the years, it would have to be reduced in a similar manner of transition.

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"Some years ago I had a sobering realization about women, which was that there are just too many nice ones. One simply can't fall in love with, sleep with, or marry all the nice women...One of the saddening facts of life is that there is always going to be a delightful woman somewhere who, for whatever accident of timing or attraction, simply slips by and recedes to return only in a dream."
-Larry McMurtry in Roads

As for his stance on moral issues, yes, he certainly does have his own personal moral values. The thing is, he will not try to impose those values on others. You, apparently, see that as someone not willing to "fight for moral values".

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There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.

That's the rub - a lot of the GOP's base, these days, views the government as a vehicle for legislating decency and morality, which makes libertarian candidates struggle with that same base. Personally, I get annoyed with the prevalence of "who cares" wedge issues like gay marriage and abortion - I'd rather vote for candidates based on things that actually affected everyone, such as economic policy or civil liberties. In this case "fight for moral values" seems to be a euphemism for "legislate my take on morality".

Should the federal government be in the business of mediating the domestic squabbling over such notions? I don't think so, personally - leave that to the states or local governments. I don't know a lot about Ron Paul, but I like what I've seen.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

I don't know if you saw this link when I posted it earlier, but if you are interested in finding out more about Ron Paul, this is probably the best link.

Ron Paul Library

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"Some years ago I had a sobering realization about women, which was that there are just too many nice ones. One simply can't fall in love with, sleep with, or marry all the nice women...One of the saddening facts of life is that there is always going to be a delightful woman somewhere who, for whatever accident of timing or attraction, simply slips by and recedes to return only in a dream."
-Larry McMurtry in Roads

Thanks for the link. I like his take on some of the things that I read so far, particularly his shrewd stance in the "war on drugs". I've often said the problem with ending prohibition is that it's political suicide, but he seems to have carved out a position designed to address this moronic policy without setting the hearts of soccer moms all atwitter. I'm impressed...

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

*blinks*

holy pirate hats!

wphelan matey, that sure is alot 'o reading. i was going through his carefully reasoned postion on abortion (i knows, i knows, 'tis a hot button topic, but its one that could potentially galvanize democrats and republicans alike).

whilst i meself sorta lean towards letting a woman have the choice o'er what she does with her body, i found his pro-life postion well thought out, and moreover, rooted very much in the constitution. i found it intresting how he often returned to the point 'o view that it is a state matter, also.

i really did like his way of looking at the illegal immigrant issue, and his insistence that, first and foremost, the borders be secured properly. he sounds very hard line, on this point, and i wonder what it would cost to truely secure our borders...it sounds like an undertaking that would cost alot 'o monies. i agree with his common-sense position on anchor babies also.

imma wading thru his thoughts on education, mate.

*sigh*

this is a bloody lot 'o reading, but imma still enjoying this link ya posted.

i find mr. paul kinda intresting, in at least one respect...

i look at him as kinda a "third party" candidate, though most 'o what ya linked seems to be in line with core conservative values from a slightly different era. mr paul, though, seems like an aberration, in that he'd be able to pull support from both dissatisfied democrats, and unhappy republicans. the votes that flow to him would not cripple one party or the other (am i mistaken here? thats my impression, mateys). 'least thats me impression after reading some responses here on USPOL.


aye, time to go to work now. avast!!!!

-meadHallpirate

ps - one last question, mighty wphelan. while i'm kinda liking mr. paul more 'n more, as i read up on him, don't you agree that he has no chance of winning the nomination as the republican who will face mrs. clinton (or whoever)? if you had to go "all in" and bet the house, would not yer monies be very, very, very far from mr. paul?

My Thread was Closed Thanks alot! I didnt get a chance to reply just what a nut Ron Paul is. I Rather have Hillary,Obama,Edwards,Kucinich and Gravel in the debates.

If you run for President, Steve and Meridious won't vote for you.. Just so you know.

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And who in the right mind would vote for Ron Paul?

Ah, steveox, I'd recognize that terrible diction anywhere. Buh-bye.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

People who want to see real Conservatism in American politics, and not the GOPs version of it.

__________________
There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.