By Robert Wenzel
On Saturday, I gave Rand Paul a break. I posted a story with the headline, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday !!!!, supporting his announced effort to stop passage of the NSA bulk collection program.
Sure, such an effort would at most last 5 days, until Senate members could use procedures to reverse the Rand stoppage and, yeah, even if a stoppage was somehow successful long term, the NSA would have plenty of workarounds.
But, hey, this is Ron Paul's son. And even if it was mostly a grand money raising event for Rand, at least it was a move in the right direction in slowing the state, though a very minor move in the right direction.
Then came Sunday and what did Rand do as part of his effort to stop passage of NSA bulk collection? He called for 1,000 more FBI agents!
Yes, the same FBI that led the investigation and arrest of Ross Ulbricht. The same FBI that investigated antiwar.com.
In otherwords, Rand demonstrated that he is simply an advocate of tweaking the state and its operations. He's a beltarian technocrat. His call for 1,000 more FBI agents demonstrated clearly that he has no concern at a fundamental level about the expansion of the state.
At best, Rand demonstrated, yesterday, that he has no libertarian instincts in his body, at worst, he showed us that he is as evil as the rest of them.
I'm through supporting Rand Paul on any issue. Pure and simple, he can not be trusted.
Robert Wenzel is Editor & Publisher at EconomicPolicyJournal.com and at Target Liberty. He is also author of The Fed Flunks: My Speech at the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Follow him on twitter:@wenzeleconomics
It sounded like a speech from Ron himself, all the way until he called for more State, with 1,000 more FBI agents. I've had several dozen of those goons at my door armed to the teeth, scaring my family to death. We don't need more of them, we need to out right abolish the FBI. Screw the FBI.
ReplyDeleteDown with the State.
http://patriotslament.blogspot.com/2011/12/it-wont-happen-in-america-yeah-well-it.html?m=1
The issue of freedom to Rand Paul is like a coat he puts on when the political weather warrants, and tosses in the basement closet at the earliest opportunity.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Down with Rand!
ReplyDeleteWhat professor Block doesn't understand is that it isn't the people that that it is people that distort the liberty message that are truly dangerous for the liberty movement. These people impose and opportunity cost on liberty that regular open statists do not.
Robert, for heaven's sake keep the pressure on professor Block. Perhaps Justin Raimondo could be excused as having a crush on Rand, but what is professor Block's excuse?
Yes, his corruption of libertarian principles is dangerous, but people are calling the radio this morning asking "Do we really need bulk surveillance?"
ReplyDeleteNo one else is even raising the issue. The neocons hate him. Murray said "Lord give us radicals!" Well, Rand is not a radical, but he's better than nothing.
Rand was simply pandering to the Nazis who control the US Govt. Do you actually think Rand would increase FBI agents if elected? There's a reason the Nazis are attacking him from all sides now. It will be painfully obvious this fall once the debates start. The Nazis vehemently don't want Rand, and even though he's far from perfect, he should be everyone's man.
ReplyDeleteHe has to try to hide his libertarian principles because he is infiltrating the government. Once in, he will try to repeal laws, and block government expansion on all levels.
DeleteHow do you know?
Deletelimelemon, if he has to lie to get elected, will he then just stop lying? That's what republicans always say about their anointed candidates: "Oh, nevermind that little thang he just said. He HAS to bullshit his way into office, then he'll show'em". You ain't, by chance, a republican, are you?
DeleteBTW, presidents can't repeal laws.
EdD - If he's honest, he will end up like Ron Paul, because the media and Republican party will ridicule him. He has to play the game to even have a shot at getting elected. I'm not a republican, I'm a Rothbardian anarcho-capitalist.
Deletelimelemon, it's too late for him to start being honest. As it is, he's going to end up in obscurity to a greater degree than his father, without having had a 25+ year career in Congress. Randy is obviously on his way out. Senators don't become headless nails until their 3rd terms. Randy will never get that far, despite all his duplicitous pandering because the people he's courting aren't the voters who elected him.
DeleteGlad to hear you ain't a republican. Randy and his dad are both republicans, a fact generally ignored by many liberty minded people. It's one of the main reasons I can't understand the fascination with them as politicians.