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In this brilliant essay Ron Paul defends the elegantly simple and consistent philosophy of liberty, whose proponents do not impinge upon their fellow human beings’ freedom and self-responsibility under any circumstances (as long as they do not directly harm or attack others), while hypocritical opponents of all-encompassing liberty change their ideological position at will, depending on the issue at hand.

Personal Freedoms and the Internet

by Ron Paul

The most basic principle to being a free American is the notion that we as individuals are responsible for our own lives and decisions. We do not have the right to rob our neighbors to make up for our mistakes, neither does our neighbor have any right to tell us how to live, so long as we aren’t infringing on their rights. Freedom to make bad decisions is inherent in the freedom to make good ones. If we are only free to make good decisions, we are not really free.

Socialist ideologies blur this line between self reliance and government control because the mistakes of the individual are spread to everyone else. Thus the government becomes very interested in your decisions and way of life, with the justification that you could make a mistake others will have to pay for. The end result is, of course, that everyone loses privacy and control over their own lives. Whether they realize it or not, they are no longer truly free.

This week in Congress brought some examples from both sides of the aisle on these issues of freedom and personal responsibility. We talked about online gambling quite a bit with the markup of some legislation dealing with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Now, I am not someone who enjoys throwing money away, but I am someone who understands issues of freedom and self-ownership. As such, I strongly support the right of free people to do with their hard-earned money as they please. Gambling is ultimately a matter of personal choice, and some people find it entertaining. As long as I am not forced to underwrite their losses, it is none of my business what gamblers do with their time and money.

There are those that feel online gambling is morally wrong and financially irresponsible, which I do not argue with, but they also feel that because of this, the government should step in and prevent or punish people for taking part in these activities. This attitude is anathema to the ideas of liberty.

However, most of the same anti-gambling crowd sang an entirely different tune when we discussed giving away free birth control in schools. All of a sudden, they did not want others making decisions about their lifestyles and families, while the other side felt the need to interfere. It is interesting that the same group that feels parents have the absolute right and ability to control how and when their kids get birth control, are powerless to monitor their internet activity and must enlist government regulatory assistance to protect against gambling or predators. Which is it? Are parents the ones to parent, or not? Both sides switch their positions based on the subject at hand, but the philosophy of liberty is elegantly simple and consistent.

I can assure you of this – once the government gains a foothold into regulating the internet, even for benevolent reasons, the wonders of the free internet will soon be a thing of the past. Parents, with modern day technology, are quite capable of monitoring their children’s internet activity. The internet must remain a government-free zone to maintain its integrity and usefulness to modern society, and that is something for which I will continue to fight.

From “The Revolution: A Manifesto” by Ron Paul:

Judge Andrew Napolitano recently asked, ‘Why should government agents spy on us? They work for us. How about we spy on them? On cops when they arrest and interrogate people or contemplate suspending freedom; on prosecutors when they decide whom to prosecute and what evidence to use; on judges when they rationalize away our guaranteed rights; and on members of Congress whenever they meet with a lobbyist, mark up a piece of legislation, or conspire to assault our liberties or our pocketbooks.’

That quote sums up what this country needs: Transparency. But what we need and what we get are two vastly divergent things these days. The federal government already has the guts to give us “economic stimulus refund” checks that amount to taking a $50 bill and making you change but leaving you with two $20 bills. They are also suspending the release of M3, which is a report that was used to monitor currency and money in the country based on the Fed’s actions. And the list goes on and on and on.

Why do we need transparency? Because it will help the American people realize what the government is really doing to them, and, more importantly, what it is not doing for them. The federal government is not designed to take care of you and feed you and clothe you throughout your life. And the government does not do those things, although lately it seems people are under the impression that it is their right to receive such items as “free” health care or to have the government bail them out of a risky loan. In short, the government is not a provider of economic growth, all the government really can do is stifle economic growth and development.

There is no incentive for anyone in government to do anything except maintain and push the status quo to new levels of big government. Take the war on drugs. For years we have been fighting this uphill battle with little to no success. We have spent and spent and spent and drug use has not seen any real drop, nor is there any reason to believe such a drop is forthcoming. But try telling that to a DEA officer, cop, probation officer, jail guard, or coroner. They need illegal, underground drugs or they are basically out of a (well paying, taxpayer funded) job. So the status quo remains.

Same with education. For all the talk of “No Child Left Behind” and improving test scores, students are failing miserably. Most high schoolers can’t add or subtract, let alone balance a checkbook or figure out simple mortgage payments. I myself never learned any basic life skills in 12 years of government education.

But for all the money we spend on education, the war on drugs, Social Security, etc etc, why don’t we at least get some kind of report on where exactly this money is going? And not just “old people” or “schools.” The American people deserve to know where every dollar is spent, and what goal it accomplished or is working towards. Of course this can never happen, because, similar to the illegal drug example above, the entire government as we know it today depends on being shady and mysterious with regard to our money. That’s right, our money. The people’s money. Remember, in the words of Napolitano, who “they” work for.

In a passionate appeal to Congress Ron Paul unmasked the real causes of rising energy prices: inflation, and fear about a possible attack on Iran by Israel and/or the US. He went on to criticize Israel’s massive war propaganda effort which is based on what may well turn out to be lies, and warned against a coming resolution (S.RES.580) which, if passed, is going to basically “shut down” Iran by hitting it with massive sanctions, boycotts and embargoes.

History shows that choking and all-encompassing embargoes such as this one might well be designed to provoke a desperate response (like Pearl Harbor or 9/11) which could then be used to shore up public support for a forceful counter attack.

This may well be our last chance to stop the propaganda and the devastating war that a small group of people is trying to force upon our country against the will of the vast majority of Americans. Spread the message and join Ron Paul in his courageous struggle to restore peace, prosperity and freedom.

Congressman Ron Paul comments on the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates and raises concerns about inflation on June 25, 2008.

by Ron Paul

I am pleased to report that last week we received notice that the Texas Department of Transportation will recommend the I-69 Project be developed using existing highway facilities instead of the proposed massive new Trans Texas Corridor/NAFTA Superhighway. According to the Texas Transportation Commissioner, consideration is no longer being given to new corridors and other proposals for a new highway footprint for this project. A major looming threat to property rights and national sovereignty is removed with this encouraging announcement.

Public outcry was cited as the main reason for this decision. I was very impressed to learn that the TxDOT received nearly 28,000 public comments on this matter, and that some 12,000 Texans attended the 47 public hearings held earlier this year. They could not ignore this tsunami of strong public opinion against the proposed plans. I was especially proud of how informed my constituents became on the subject, and how eloquently and respectfully they spoke and conducted themselves, considering how upsetting the plans were for our communities in Texas .

This is a major victory for the people of Texas, and a reminder of what we can accomplish with civic involvement. The informed and active citizen truly is a force to be reckoned with, as we have seen with the defeat of this proposal. We must keep fighting the good fight, and remain ever diligent against the encroachments of big government. We must do this if we wish to maintain our traditional standard of living in this country. As tempting as it may be to simply live our lives with no regard to government, apathy will inevitably be punished by ever more government intrusion. That is what this fight was all about. We can win if we stick together.

However, now is not the time to rest on our laurels. The bittersweet aspect of this victory is that we had to fight at all. We took time away from family and friends, doing other things, to attend these meetings, inform others, write letters, post signs and submit our complaints, and we should not have had to. Government should let us be, if we are peaceful citizens, harming no one. In a perfect world, government could be trusted to act in the best interests of the people without overwhelming pressure of this kind. This is not a perfect world. Constant pressure is needed to keep government in check, and we succeeded this time. But this will not be the last time citizen efforts and involvement will be required. We still face many unreasonable encroachments of big government today, from confiscatory, economy-strangling taxation to creeping disregard of the right of habeas corpus and other Constitutional rights, to thousands of nuisance bureaucratic regulations interfering with our every day lives. We have drifted far from what the founding fathers envisioned for this nation. Last week was just one victory towards getting back on the right path. We must continue to hold politicians’ feet to the Constitutional fire. If I had to guess, they will probably try to implement the NAFTA Superhighway again sometime in the future.

It is a never-ending battle, but it must be fought, and can be won. I am proud to stand with my constituents in this fight, and in the other fights we have ahead of us.

Subsidies, tax breaks, tax hikes, government run monopolies, the list goes on and on.  It seems like the government simply doesn’t want people to prosper, given that (partial) list of disincentives towards growth they constantly are pushing for and enforcing every day.

The real reason the government hates free markets is that, unlike most voting Americans (who, it should again be noted, PAY THEIR SALARIES), free markets cannot be fooled for any real period of time.  You might get someone with insider information who makes a quick hit, but that practice is illegal and subject to penalties.  Or you might get the occasional “speculative” run up in stocks, commodities, housing, or any other product or service for purchase.  But in the end, things tend to settle as they should.

This “markets can’t be fooled” approach works better as the market in question gets deeper and deeper.  The more money moving around between investors and buyers and sellers, the more accurate the reading (price) will be.  Take the sports betting market.  Anyone who thinks they can do better than the point spread at picking winners over any significant period of time is on another planet.  The reason is simple: a whole lot of knowledgeable people are risking lots of money on the outcome.  Every detail is analyzed impartially, and any mistake can be capitalized on by someone else, be it a rival bettor or the sportsbook itself.  Same with the stock market.  Do you really think Exxon or General Electric stock is priced very far from its “true value?”  Of course not.  The price of widely held stocks is very accurate, taking into account all relevant information about the company’s history, current and future profits, potential for buyout, etc etc.

Basically, it boils down to: Do you really think you can outsmart thousands and thousands of other people (and entire institutions) who have more knowledge, information, money, guts, and history than you?  For some odd reason, the government thinks it can.  It tries to set prices, manipulate entire industries, and basically defy the laws of supply and demand.  This can work for short periods of time, but eventually the cream rises and we find out the true value of whatever we have in question, be it an asset, a service, a stock, a sports team, or anything else.

How does this relate to the politics of today?  Well, let’s take the price of commodities.  Gold and oil are soaring to new highs it seems every day.  Is this a coincidence or something else?  I would tend to trust the markets and what they are telling us, namely that the US dollar is heading for steeper and steeper lows, and thus there is a “flight to quality,” or assets with actual value beyond paper currency backed by nothing more than empty promises.

The government cannot stop the huge demand for such goods and services as “illegal” drugs, gambling, prostitution, guns, alcohol, pornography, and cigarettes.  People demand these things the same as they demand baseball tickets, hamburgers, books, and new tires.  If anyone bothers to notice, there is no “street crime” or violence associated with buying cigarettes or pornography or alcohol.  Honestly, to me it looks like the government wants underground crime to flourish.  How else can you explain it?  If we simply make drugs, prostitution, and gambling legal, the underground demand for these would disappear immediately. Do you see people in Las Vegas calling their bookie to place a bet?  Why would you, with the risk of getting killed or stiffed on a payment, when you can do it legally in a state run, licensed casino?

It’s the exact same logic with drugs and prostitution.  Why would someone buy heroin or marijuana from a shady person on the street when they could get something that at least is safe from potentially fatal added ingredients at the store?  Why would anyone shoot anyone else over a drug deal when you can just do it in a store?  Why are we wasting billions every year when we could be taxing these products and bringing in more money to the government?

Common arguments in favor of the “war on drugs” are that everyone would start using drugs and it would legitimize the activity.  Also “drugs are dangerous.”  That is precisely why we need (limited) government regulation of them!  Anyone who wants to use drugs now certainly can do so.  Any high school or college student who wants marijuana, heroin, pills, cocaine, etc. can get it fairly easily if they want it.  I would also tend to strongly disagree that all drugs are as dangerous as the feds would have you believe.  Long term, marijuana is no more harmful than smoking cigarettes.  Cocaine and heroin are addictive, but so are cigarettes.  Where exactly do we draw the line between what is “too dangerous?”  And when did the government all of the sudden become a de facto God, able to decide your lifestyle just because it deems it “dangerous?”  If people want to use heroin, they are going to do it, and the system as it is set up will not stop them.  So why don’t we look at other alternatives?  Maybe because that would involve a rational, full debate of the issue?

Ending addictive drug habits is a noble goal to be sure.  Drugs can ruin entire families.  They are potent and have a dangerous allure to them.  But the way we are going about the so called “war” on drugs just isn’t working.  We need to make up our mind, and it comes down to a choice of personal freedom or complete knowledge.  If we really want to get rid of all illegal drugs, we should simply test everyone in the country once a week.  That would end it once and for all, right?  Of course not, which is why a plan like that is absurd.  It’s just another case of the government lying to the people.  “Drugs are a horrible problem and need to be stamped out completely” really means no such thing.  Fact is, drugs can’t be stamped out completely.

A quick aside, today I realized that Barack Obama actually does have a leg up on John McCain, but not for the reason anyone is mentioning.  I think Obama’s lack of government experience is actually a huge plus, given the way the federal government operates.  Less time around it would maybe make Obama a bit immune to its perils.  Alas, he won’t take advantage of this blissful ignorance, as he is proposing all sorts of tax hikes, health care reforms, and who knows what else, all in the name of an ever expanding government.

by Ron Paul

What is the importance of the war in Iraq relative to other current issues? This is a question I am often asked, especially as Americans continue to become increasingly aware that something is very wrong with the economy. The difficulty with the way the question is often asked relates to the perception that we are somehow able to divide such issues, or to isolate the cost of war into arbitrarily defined areas such as national security or international relations. War is an all-encompassing governmental activity. The impact of war on our ability to defend ourselves from future attack, and upon America’s standing in the world, is only a mere fraction of the total overall effect that war has on our nation and the policies of its government.

The cost of this particular war is enormous, and therefore it is of great importance. There is no single issue that is more important at this particular time. The war has, of course, made us less safe as a nation and damaged our credibility with allies and hostile nations alike. Moreover, years of growing deficits have been spurred on by the high price tag of war, and the decision to pay that price primarily by supplemental spending rather than traditional “on-budget” accounting.

War takes what would otherwise be productive economic capacity and transfers both that capacity, and the wealth it would generate in normal, peaceful, times into far less economically viable activities. It also impacts budget priorities in ways that are detrimental to our nation. I have often pointed to the fact that we are building bridges in Iraq while they are collapsing in the United States.

All war, but most particularly war funded by monetary inflation, bleeds a country in multiple ways. Obviously, many of the young people who are in the military literally give their blood, and sometimes their lives, fighting in wars of this type. Meanwhile, those who do not fight the war, but fund it, are forced to pay both the immediate costs, as well as seeing their long term purchasing power erode, as the twin pillars of debt and inflation are foisted upon the backs of current taxpayers and future generations. Neither conspiracy nor coincidence explains steep increases in the price of gas as the war drags on. No, this is simply a reality of the inflationary policies that, among other things, make this war possible.

As people are continually asked to choose whether our nation’s teetering economy or the failed foreign policy of the past several decades is most important as we look forward, it is well for those of us who understand that these two issues are closely linked, to continue to explain this fact to our fellow citizens. To fix the problem requires a proper diagnosis.

“Change” means nothing. It’s just a word, and it’s a cliché. If you just repeat it it has no meaning. You have to say, what are you going to change, and I would argue, you offer no change. You have the same foreign policy, you want more troops in Afghanistan, you’re not talking about only going to war with a declaration, you don’t want to deal with the monetary/financial crisis in this country, you want to keep the system together for the benefit of the banks and the big corporations and the politicians. What kind of change you have on social policy? Do you care about sick people using using Marijuana, have you come out for that? [...]

[Obama] doesn’t want change, he wants the status quo. [...] If you want change, what you need is someone who’s going to make sure you’re never going to have a draft, and we’re going to bring our troops home, we’re going to balance the budget, we’re going have sound money… [Obama] never talks about any of that.

Watch the full speech here.

June 14 Moneybomb! Please help us turn the Revolution March into reality by donating $50 or more at FiftyForFlagDay.com.

What is the Revolution March?

The Revolution March is a peaceful march for freedom, peace and prosperity. It is scheduled to take place on July 12 in Washington D.C., and it culminates in a Revolution Rally at the West Side of Capitol Hill with the following confirmed speakers:

• Ron Paul - to speak about the future of the Revolution.
• Chuck Baldwin – Constitution Party Presidential Candidate, Pastor, and radio talk show host to speak about hope for America and a new breed of politician.
• G. Edward Griffin – founder of Freedom Force International and author of The Creature from Jekyll Island, shares his in depth research and analysis concerning the Federal Reserve System and the forces behind its inception.
• Charles Goyette – syndicated talk radio host based in Phoenix, Arizona to discuss a return to the country’s constitutional traditions of sound money and limited government, the foundation upon which a viable economy can be rebuilt.
• Marcy Brooks – Forewoman in the tax trial of Whitey Harell v. State of Illinois (featured in Aaron Russo’s America: From Freedom to Fascism will talk about the responsibility of being a juror in tax evasion cases.
• Thomas E Woods Jr - author of “Who Killed the Constitution?: The Fate of American Liberty from World War I to George W. Bush” to discuss how the federal government has circumvented the Constitution and is systematically dismantling the rights and freedoms that are the foundation of a Constitutional Republic.
• Naomi Wolfe – advocate of progressive politics and author of “The End of America: A letter of warning to a young patriot”. Ms. Wolfe will take a historical look at the rise of fascism, outlining the 10 steps necessary for a state to take control of individuals’ lives.
• Jack McLamb – Military Veteran, retired police officer, and radio talk show host to discuss to potential for martial law to come to America.
• Jeff Lewis - co-founder of Fire Coalition to discuss the economic impact illegal immigration has had on the country as well as the tie between the lack of enforcement of our immigration laws and the NAU, as well as discussing why we are fighting a war on terrorism when our borders are still not secured.
• Michael Scheuer – 22 year veteran of the CIA and bestselling author of ‘Imperial Hubris’ to discuss American foreign policy and its implications on terrorism, security, and Iraq

Donate now at FiftyForFlagDay.com.

Ron Paul kicks off the next phase of the Revolution and makes the campaign to restore the Constitution permanent (that is, until its goals are achieved)!

Watch the video announcement above and read more about Ron Paul’s exciting plans at the new Campaign for Liberty website!

Let’s all work hard and get together July 12th in Washington D.C. and September 2nd in Minneapolis.