Ron Paul's New Primary Goal Is "Internet Freedom" 948
Charliemopps writes "Ron and Rand Paul are shifting the central focus of their family's libertarian crusade to a new cause: Internet Freedom. From the article: 'Kentucky senator Rand and his father Ron Paul, who has not yet formally conceded the Republican presidential nomination, will throw their weight behind a new online manifesto set to be released today by the Paul-founded Campaign for Liberty. The new push, Paul aides say, will in some ways displace what has been their movement's long-running top priority, shutting down the Federal Reserve Bank. The move is an attempt to stake a libertarian claim to a central public issue of the next decade, and to move from the esoteric terrain of high finance to the everyday world of cable modems and Facebook.' This seems like welcome news to me. Let's see if they can get more traction here than they did with the Fed."
Re:First thing... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Yeah (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Yeah (Score:5, Informative)
In the same interview, when asked whether he would vote for or against a state constitutional amendment like California's Proposition 8, he said, "Well, I believe marriage is between one man and one woman."
Paul has also said that at the federal level he opposes "efforts to redefine marriage as something other than a union between one man and one woman." He believes that recognizing or legislating marriages should be left to the states and local communities, and not subjected to "judicial activism."[143] He has said that for these reasons he would have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, had he been in Congress in 1996
Paul has been a cosponsor of the Marriage Protection Act in each Congress since the bill's original introduction. It would bar federal judges from hearing cases pertaining to the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.
The second quote is the best. Basically, "I don't think the federal government should preclude the states allowing gay marriage, so I support the federal law that bans gay marriage." WTF?
Re:are you new here? (Score:5, Informative)
Just because people disagree with you (and with the other people who unthinkingly agree with you) doesn't make them "groupthink". Spouting nonsense like "to the left" is groupthink. Calling him "Dr. Paul" when he's "Representative Paul" outside his cult is groupthink.
Re:who's internet freedom? (Score:5, Informative)
rainbows!
unicorns!
for a market to be truly free, as in just, a market must be highly regulated so large and small players operate on the same level ground
without such government intervention in the market, the largest players collude and squash the little ones, and there is no real market at all, just a few large rent seeking parasites and no consumer choice whatsoever
but don't listen to me, i only have the entirety of economic history to back me up
by all means, don't let reality interfere with what are basically religious myths you depend upon to think the way you do
Re:So what? (Score:5, Informative)
Ron Paul only GOP candidate to publicly denounce SOPA [slashdot.org]
“My campaign, and the entire freedom movement, would not be as strong as they are today without a free Internet, and that’s just one of the reasons why the establishment hopes to censor it with SOPA and PIPA. I’m proud to see so many taking a stand today. Contact your representative and senators and tell them to oppose these disastrous bills.”
I don't expect /. to suddenly fill with voluntaryists, libertarians, or (Ron) Paulbots, but it is truly sad to see the level of false and malicious and partisan attacks against him. His version of freedom will not be the same as yours.
By way of example, he opposes state licensing of professionals and the state control of the medical industry. He wants you to have more avenues to take care of yourself and even stating in one of the GOP debates he would legalize alternative medicine. Likely, you want to be free from making medical decisions and have it all predetermined by a panel of experts laying out your approved and legal options.
Different strokes for different folks but your failure to support the most pro freedom candidate to hit the scene is fucking pathetic. No doubt, we will get stuck with another pro-war progressive because that is what Obama and Romney both are. Hundreds of thousands will die in Iran and you'll piss a fit as more stories of the Paul's are posted.
Re:Friends (Score:5, Informative)
ITYM Tina Turner.
Re:So what? (Score:4, Informative)
The US elected W as their president. So I would say that Texas is good at churning out politicians that have a chance at the federal level.
Since when is W from Texas? I remember he moved there once for political purposes...
Re:So what? (Score:5, Informative)
He just signed our digital freedoms away without asking anybody
No he didn't, Obama can sign what ever treaty he wants (in fact it's common practice for a head of state to do that), however in most non-dictatorships this is simply an "in principle" agreement, it's not a done deal until it is ratified by congress/parliment. You do however have a good point with the transparency thing, I don't see why they can't develop the text of the treaty in public, the IPCC manage to do a similar feat for a much more complex and contraversial subject, and they do for a measly $5-6M/yr.
Re:So what? (Score:5, Informative)
He wants you to have more avenues to take care of yourself and even stating in one of the GOP debates he would legalize alternative medicine.
It is neither the nefarious plots of Big Pharma nor the machinations of health-care officials that thwart naturopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic, etc, but objective reality. Besides, much of alternative medicine is already legal.
Re:are you new here? (Score:2, Informative)
Why? I'm a Romney supporter and I'd call him Dr. Paul. After all, he's done far more as an ob-gyn doctor than he's ever done as a legislator. Even he'd probably tell you that.
I'd love to ask him "Dr. Paul, have you ever turned away a patient because she wanted an abortion?"
The Hippocratic oath is an oath/EM., not a guideline to be bent for superstitious beliefs.
Re:Yeah (Score:2, Informative)
>how their locally-collected tax dollars should be spent
Yeah it's not like Congress is actually in charge of the District of Columbia... oh wait, yes they are. And while we're at it, imagine that, a conservative supports conservative ideals to govern a place his governing body has power over. Oh, the horror.
I don't support Rand Paul or Ron Paul. I just think people like you who get oh, the vapahs every time someone who disagrees with you voices their opinion are pretty much the worst thing ever. Present an alternative, you mincing, cleft-ass wimp! Instead of bitching about how awful their libertarian/conservative approach is, how about offering a progressive vision instead of being a whiny little bitch?
That is, you know, if you have any ideas.
Re:So what? (Score:5, Informative)
a lot of military reform (openly gay is a-ok
Using the military as lab rats for social-engineering experiments is bad defense policy.
Gee, looks like someone forgot to tell Harry Truman 'bout that... [trumanlibrary.org]
Re:Friends (Score:5, Informative)
A "free market" doesn't mean an unregulated market. A "free market" means a market in which prices are set by supply and demand. Free markets require laws and a functioning legal system. Those are sufficient and necessary to prevent monopolies, fraud, harm from products and pollution, and asymmetric info: when these things occur, you (or even the government) can sue the people who caused them.
A market stops being free, however, when the government decides to go beyond that and implement economic plans through subsidies, price controls, loan guarantees, bailouts, etc.
Re:You are so, so wrong (Score:3, Informative)
khipu put plenty of facts forward, and 2 minutes on google would confirm everything he says.
Here you go, some facts with references:
Cut a secret deal to kill the public option, while campaigning on its behalf
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/ny-times-reporter-confirm_b_500999.html [huffingtonpost.com]
Granted waivers for 30 companies, including McDonald's, exempting them from health care reform
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2010-10-07-healthlaw07_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip [usatoday.com]
Continued renditions of alleged terrorists to countries where they could be tortured
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/us/politics/25rendition.html [nytimes.com]
Blocked the release of photos documenting the torture and abuse of detainees by the US military
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/05/president-oba-5.html [abcnews.com]
Continued the practice of indefinite detentions for alleged terrorists
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/21/AR2009052104045.html [washingtonpost.com]
Extended the Patriot Act without making any reforms
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0301/Obama-signs-Patriot-Act-extension-without-reforms [csmonitor.com]
Pushed for mandatory DNA testing of those arrested for crimes, regardless of whether they have been convicted
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34097.html [politico.com]
Dramatically increased government secrecy, blocking more FOIA requests in 2009 than Bush did in 2008
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/16/obamas-broken-promise-fed_n_500526.html [huffingtonpost.com]
Cut a deal to exempt abortion services from health care reform
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/21/deal-struck-on-abortion-clears-path-for-health-care-passage/ [politicsdaily.com]
Announced a $60 billion sale of arms to the Saudi Arabian dictatorship, the largest arms deal in history
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20016181-503543.html [cbsnews.com]
About 6 minute's worth
Re:You are so, so wrong (Score:5, Informative)
That is for the first 10 years with the taxes kicking in years before the bulk of the benefits kick in.
It also involved taking a lot of money away from medicare.
But don't let that influence your thinking -- liberals are know for half truths with numbers to try to make their point (well all politicians do that but that last line was so condescending I felt the need to sink to your level.)
And seriously, even with your numbers, this is acting like adding a trillion dollars in new government spending is frugal.