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| Home Front: Politix |
| Yep, it's official -- Ron Paul is a nutcase |
| 2008-01-08 |
| by Daniel Koffler James Kirchick of the New Republic has a devastating piece on Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) online today on the TNR website. Kirchick provides a meticulously detailed history of the “Ron Paul Political Report,” a newsletter Paul had circulated to a network of some 7,000 subscribers from the late 80s and early 90s. As Kirchick reports—whether describing post-apartheid South Africa as a “destruction of civilization,” alleging that Martin Luther King “seduced underage girls and boys,” warning of “tens of thousands of well-placed friends of Israel in all countries who are willing to wok [sic] for the Mossad in their area of expertise,” or urging white readers to arm themselves after “the first skirmish in the race war of the 1990s,”—virtually every historic trope of racism, anti-Semitism, anti-gay bigotry, or conspiracy theorizing has been featured in the “Ron Paul Political Report” in one way or another. For his part, Paul has alternately acknowledged writing some of the material that went out under his name, only to deny authorship when confronted with the most disturbing details. In any case, Paul has taken “moral responsibility” for the contents of the “Ron Paul Political Report.” What follows is a quick digest of some of his greatest, which is to say most disgraceful, hits. I might add, on a personal note, that as a libertarian with significant sympathy for Paul’s platform, I initially viewed claims of his past history of racism skeptically. But the evidence is so overwhelming that the defense of Paul is now, itself, indefensible. . . . A few points to add: 1. Yes, I know, it's TNR, but the primary source for the report is hard copies of actual documents authored (or at least published) by Ron Paul himself, not the fever dreams of wannabee Hemingways. 2. Opposing affirmative action is not, in and of itself, racist. Indeed, it's the most defensably non-racist position on the issue. However, Ron's comments (see quotes at the link) go 'way beyond principled opposition to racial preferences. 3. Given Ron's vigorous defense of al-Qaida and his followers' flirtations with 9/11 Trooferism, is anyone surprised by the Mossad paranoia? 4. If I were a libertarian, I'd be fuming that this nutcase is the public face of my movement. Nutcases can win converts, but they're not the sort of converts you want. |
| Posted by:Mike |
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| Posted by: M. Murcek 2008-01-08 17:36 |
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| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-01-08 17:34 |
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| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2008-01-08 17:19 |
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| Posted by: Steve White 2008-01-08 17:17 |
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| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-01-08 16:28 |
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| Posted by: Whomong Guelph4611 2008-01-08 15:49 |