So, Ron Paul is the pro-Peace candidate for US President

[JimC]

I suspect that a platform of overseas troop withdrawals will appeal to many voters, both because they are sick of losing young lives in what must seem like futile endeavours, and a need to respond to the current economic reality.

[Tyrannical]

Ron Paul finished a close second in the Iowa straw poll, losing by only a 152 votes to Sarah Palin's evil twin
It's nothing more than a beauty contest, but it is a good indication of how a campaign can motivate and mobilize while keeping the size small, cheap and personable. It's widely covered, and you get to see the candidates speak in small venues and take questions.

I think Ron Paul would have a good chance against Obama

Perhaps you've heard stories about grumblings with the Left about Obama? They'd never abandon him and vote Republican
Except it is that anti-banking wing angry with Obama continuing the Bush banking bailouts. And the anti-war wing angry with Obama continuing the Bush middle east war policies.
Ron Paul would have let the banks fail and he wants to pull all US troops home. He could steal the most radical wing right out from under Obama

[MrJonno]

Pro peace isnt just withdrawing soldiers, its withdrawing them , then sacking them

Or if you do it British style, sack the while they in the battlefield then withdraw them (yes we have done that)

[Tyrannical]

A collection of Ron Paul segments, quite interesting

People like Ron Paul might be our best shot at peace, so even you people on the Left might want to think about what he says before you dismiss it.

Oh, and it's no surprise (to me ) that the UK BNP and French National Front have a similar non-interventionist leaning.
So, are you all or willing to listen

[tattuchu]

I need to learn more about Ron Paul. I already like quite a lot of what I hear from him, and I admire him because he's honest and tells it like it is whether people like to hear it or not. He cuts through all the bullshit like a hot knife through bullshit. If he were up against Obama, I would seriously consider voting for him. But as I say, I need to learn more about him.

One thing he's said in the past that got me thinking was, why do we have military bases in other countries? At this point, what purpose does a base in Japan or Germany serve, for instance? We need to get the fuck out of these countries. This having bases in other countries thing is something we take for granted because we're so used to it. But it seems a bizarre practice to me. Does any other country occupy other countries with military bases, or is this a U.S. thing? If it's just a U.S. thing, then just who the fuck do we think we are?
Another thing that struck a chord in me was his discussion of our foreign policy, and how other countries react to that. I remember him on the Bill O'Reilly show and Bill, as usual, going berserk. Bill said he didn't need a history lesson, didn't want to hear it. To Bill, and many other, even entertaining the idea for one second that maybe we might have done something wrong, and it's come to bite us in the ass, is un-American and traitorous. To me, examining our past mistakes and ensuring we don't make those same mistakes again, and ensuring that we actually hold to our ideals, is about American as you can get.
Ron Paul is the only politician I've ever seen that has real balls and is honest and has integrity up the wazoo. That's my immediate impression. Although he could be as crazy as a loon. I don't know.

[Tyrannical]

Ron Paul never compromises and never wavers.
It's just his supporters that have to compromise to support him

He has an unusual level of honesty, consistency, and integrity you don't often see.

[Cormac]

I need to learn more about Ron Paul. I already like quite a lot of what I hear from him, and I admire him because he's honest and tells it like it is whether people like to hear it or not. He cuts through all the bullshit like a hot knife through bullshit. If he were up against Obama, I would seriously consider voting for him. But as I say, I need to learn more about him.

One thing he's said in the past that got me thinking was, why do we have military bases in other countries? At this point, what purpose does a base in Japan or Germany serve, for instance? We need to get the fuck out of these countries. This having bases in other countries thing is something we take for granted because we're so used to it. But it seems a bizarre practice to me. Does any other country occupy other countries with military bases, or is this a U.S. thing? If it's just a U.S. thing, then just who the fuck do we think we are?
Another thing that struck a chord in me was his discussion of our foreign policy, and how other countries react to that. I remember him on the Bill O'Reilly show and Bill, as usual, going berserk. Bill said he didn't need a history lesson, didn't want to hear it. To Bill, and many other, even entertaining the idea for one second that maybe we might have done something wrong, and it's come to bite us in the ass, is un-American and traitorous. To me, examining our past mistakes and ensuring we don't make those same mistakes again, and ensuring that we actually hold to our ideals, is about American as you can get.
Ron Paul is the only politician I've ever seen that has real balls and is honest and has integrity up the wazoo. That's my immediate impression. Although he could be as crazy as a loon. I don't know.

If you want to have a think about the "bases overseas" strategy, and its ongoing purpose, read a bit about the Roman Empire, and client states.

Also, it is all very well to have weapons that can on 12 hours notice, drop a bomb anywhere in the world, to really project power, you have to put boots on the ground (or at least a naval fleet within firing range!).

I always find that reluctance to engage in a review of historical foreign policy as fairly pathetic. But American's aren't the only ones. French, Italians, British, and pretty much most former Empires will refuse to engage with the impact of historical foreign policy. (Although, in fairness, the British have certainly moved a long way in this regard!).

That whole nonsense of "history is bunk" is nonsensical. History is never bunk to those on the wrong side of it.

[Hermit]

Ron Paul is the only politician I've ever seen that has real balls and is honest and has integrity up the wazoo. That's my immediate impression. Although he could be as crazy as a loon. I don't know.

I had a quick look at some of Paul's other policies, and found out that he is a mixed bag of nuts. Dead set against abortion and proposing the abolition of income tax and the IRS, he has no problems with homosexual marriage "or whatever you want to call it" or the legalization of heroin and other currently illegal drugs. In summary, I find him as crazy as extreme libertarians almost invariably turn out to be, and probably won't research his views any further until he seeks candidature for Australia's Prime Ministership.

[Tyrannical]

Is it worth going to war with Iran to prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons?

Ron says no, because North Korea, China, Israel, Pakistan, USSR/Russia had nuclear weapons and the world didn't end.
Maybe if we were not meddling so much with the Mideast, Iran wouldn't even care about nuclear weapons.

[Tyrannical]

Ron Paul is the only politician I've ever seen that has real balls and is honest and has integrity up the wazoo. That's my immediate impression. Although he could be as crazy as a loon. I don't know.

I had a quick look at some of Paul's other policies, and found out that he is a mixed bag of nuts. Dead set against abortion and proposing the abolition of income tax and the IRS, he has no problems with homosexual marriage "or whatever you want to call it" or the legalization of heroin and other currently illegal drugs. In summary, I find him as crazy as extreme libertarians almost invariably turn out to be, and probably won't research his views any further until he seeks candidature for Australia's Prime Ministership.

He is dead set against things being outlawed at the Federal level and believes it to be a State issue.

You probably could do away with federal income taxes and fund the government through corporate and excise taxes according to Paul. States would be free to set an income tax, but people would be free to move to a state with little or no income tax.

He's an OBGYN, so perhaps you can understand his opposition to abortion. He won his first Congressional election in part through the Mother's vote since he and his partner delivered all of the babies in his county

[Cormac]

Ron Paul is the only politician I've ever seen that has real balls and is honest and has integrity up the wazoo. That's my immediate impression. Although he could be as crazy as a loon. I don't know.

I had a quick look at some of Paul's other policies, and found out that he is a mixed bag of nuts. Dead set against abortion and proposing the abolition of income tax and the IRS, he has no problems with homosexual marriage "or whatever you want to call it" or the legalization of heroin and other currently illegal drugs. In summary, I find him as crazy as extreme libertarians almost invariably turn out to be, and probably won't research his views any further until he seeks candidature for Australia's Prime Ministership.

I see no conflict between his anti-abortion position, and him being pro-gay marriage and pro legalisation of drugs.

Just because a person is anti-abortion doesn't imply anything about their politics.

I am anti-abortion, pro-legalisation of drugs, and pro gay-marriage.

[Hermit]

He is dead set against things being outlawed at the Federal level and believes it to be a State issue.

His opposition to income tax is more encompassing than that. From the ronpaul.com site: "An income tax is the most degrading and totalitarian of all possible taxes. Its implementation wrongly suggests that the government owns the lives and labor of the citizens it is supposed to represent." (Original bolding)

Paul is a libertarian of the worst ilk. I really don't know how the likes of him even dare to step on the footpaths, let alone drive on the highways built with money raised by income taxes.

[Hermit]

Ron Paul is the only politician I've ever seen that has real balls and is honest and has integrity up the wazoo. That's my immediate impression. Although he could be as crazy as a loon. I don't know.

I had a quick look at some of Paul's other policies, and found out that he is a mixed bag of nuts. Dead set against abortion and proposing the abolition of income tax and the IRS, he has no problems with homosexual marriage "or whatever you want to call it" or the legalization of heroin and other currently illegal drugs. In summary, I find him as crazy as extreme libertarians almost invariably turn out to be, and probably won't research his views any further until he seeks candidature for Australia's Prime Ministership.

I see no conflict between his anti-abortion position, and him being pro-gay marriage and pro legalisation of drugs.

I said he's a mixed bag of nuts. Got it?

[Tyrannical]

What I think makes Ron Paul unique is that he can draw from some very diverse crowds politically speaking.

The far left likes his anti-war anti-rich banking stance, and the far right (some white nationals like at Storm Front) thinks he is standing up against world Zionism and the NWO.

[Tyrannical]

He is dead set against things being outlawed at the Federal level and believes it to be a State issue.

His opposition to income tax is more encompassing than that. From the ronpaul.com site: "An income tax is the most degrading and totalitarian of all possible taxes. Its implementation wrongly suggests that the government owns the lives and labor of the citizens it is supposed to represent." (Original bolding)

Paul is a libertarian of the worst ilk. I really don't know how the likes of him even dare to step on the footpaths, let alone drive on the highways built with money raised by income taxes.

Corporate and excise tax is how he prefers to raise money. Under his small spending small government plan that is feasible.
States would be free to have their own set of taxes.