Guest Post by Ron Paul
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden spent most of last week’s first Presidential debate trading insults and interrupting each other. The result was a debate with very little discussion of actual issues or policies.
In one of the evening’s few substantive exchanges, President Trump rightly criticized Vice President Biden for saying he would listen to the “scientists” in determining whether to lock down the country. President Trump also acknowledged that the lockdowns were a harmful over-reaction that needs to end.
Unfortunately, President Trump once again pledged that Covid vaccines would soon be available. This raises the specter of a repeat of the swine flu debacle where a vaccine rushed into production for political purposes caused more deaths than the swine flu itself. President Trump also raised concerns about mandatory Covid vaccinations by suggesting the military would be in charge of vaccine distribution.
Vice President Biden vehemently denied he was a socialist, while championing increased spending, taxes, regulations, expanded Obamacare, and a modified “Green New Deal.” Biden may not consider himself a socialist, but if his economic plans were implemented it would take America further down the road to socialism — and serfdom.
President Trump also denounced socialism, while bragging about his own big government policies such as tariffs, massive spending increases, and plans to maintain the “popular” provisions of Obamacare.
One topic that did not come up was gun control. This may have been because both candidates support infringements on the Second Amendment. Joe Biden was chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee when it passed gun control measures like the assault weapons ban and the “Brady Bill.” President Trump has not only banned bump stocks by executive order, which President Obama refused to do because his Attorney General correctly determined that the President lacks the authority to do so, but has enthusiastically endorsed “red flag” laws. These laws allow law enforcement to, as President Trump put it, “take the guns first worry about due process later.”
The Congressional Budget Office has projected that the federal debt will exceed the gross domestic product next year and reach 195 percent of GDP by 2050! This report was issued before this week’s revelation that the federal debt reached record levels of $27 billion.
This is the biggest threat to our national security, but it was unmentioned during the debate. This is not surprising since few in the political or media elite understand the debt crisis well enough to give it the attention it deserves. Although if Biden wins and Democrats seize control of the Senate, Republicans will likely remember they are supposed to be against big spending and debt.
One critical area that could have led to an interesting exchange was monetary policy. Biden has called Trump’s tweets attacking the Fed as an assault on Fed’s independence, as if the Fed were ever free from political pressure. President Trump has gone from supporting a fed audit, criticizing low interest rates, and supporting the gold standard, to pushing the Fed to adopt the insane policy of zero interest rates
The debate is the latest evidence the two major parties will not on their own restore our lost liberties. Those who want to roll back the welfare-warfare state should avoid focusing on political parties or personalities. Instead we must focus on spreading the ideas of liberty among our fellow citizens and building a liberty movement that puts principles of liberty above partisanship.
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The country has so many problems that need to be addressed it’s hard to figure where to start. Our gov. always ignores these problems like they will go away. I’ll go with the guy who doesn’t talk about taking guns and isn’t into killing babies. The members of the house and senate are the big squabblers. they also keep going on break when there is plenty of work to be done.
Ron, you are right about what is happening to our liberties and the economy. I don’t know if you have ever said it but you know that Congress is full of corrupt sociopaths. Nothing is really going to change and the 80% of the population that wants free shit is going to get what they vote for and they will get it good and hard.
free shit is the primary motivator of the current crop of college/antifa graduates.
they are dreaming of someone like Biden, who will forgive their student loans, and replace their degree career paths with temporary jobs insulating houses, or installing solar panels. once these tasks are finished, it is onto the welfare rolls, until the next presidential election.
a whole generation of professional rioter, is what the democrats are promising.
Bump stocks aren’t guns. They have nothing to do with the Second Amendment.
neither is ammo,or any type of accessory–
Incorrect. You can’t fire a gun without ammunition, rendering it useless. Try to make that case about a bump stock.
Tampa, here’s the dilemma that can only be solved by common sense. I’m sure we agree that the right to bear firearms is to be able to fight back against a tyrannical government. It has nothing to do with target shooting or hunting. But somewhere along the line between a single shot .22 and a SAM missile a line has to be drawn. No sane person would think that private possession of SAM missiles would be desirable. We couldn’t have the amazing air transportation system that we have were that the case. So if we both agree on that, where would you draw that line? I say common sense. You want to fire auto? Get a tax stamp.
star,
ultimately you & i are on the same side–however, please define common sense–
i would not allow individuals to have wmd s–other than that,no restrictions–
approximately 20 years ago mol the federalist society here had the pre eminent 2a atty stephen halbrook in 4 a speech at stetson law school over in st pete–a buddy who is an atty got me in to the speech–
after his speech he took questions–i asked him if the horse drawn cannons that were used during the american revolution were legal 4 individuals to own–he smiled & a few people openly laughed but he answered the question affirmatively–
i asked the question b/c those cannons were the most devastating weapons of their day but there was no restriction on their private ownership–
regarding trump’s eo regarding bumpstocks,if he did that to get gun control off the table i have no problem with that but gunowners are the ones who always retreat,not the people who have to do w/the root causes of shootings–
in politics,movement equals momentum–
I’m not for any kind of retreat. But I’m also not a slippery slope guy. But your point is well taken. We are always on defense. Remember this. There are lots of Republicans in Washington who are actually Democrats. There’s not a single Democrat in Washington that’s actually a Republican.
Ultimately he proposes to chase a doomed to fail plan.
Having us plead,“Please Uncle Sam, let us have our liberties back.” From a system filled to the brim with politicians and bureaucrats that are paid to do just the opposite. All the while at least half the population and thanks to an endless stream of immigration both legal and illegal, growing in size in support of ending liberty for socialists policies.
“Instead we must focus on spreading the ideas of liberty among our fellow citizens and building a liberty movement that puts principles of liberty above partisanship.”
While I completely support the liberty movement, it’s probably not gonna solve this crisis.
Remember “…give me liberty, or give me death!” Well, get ready for the struggle.
I love Ron, but he’s pissing in the wind on this one. Americans love their false choice kosher sandwich, and no amount of libertarian proselytizing is going to change that.